Bettendorf native Molly Conrad Returns to Play Davenport Gigs
Just five weeks after her older brother Mike brought his jazz trio to play Davenport’s Redstone Room, Molly Conrad is coming back to her hometown to play three gigs in Davenport.
They will be:
- Thursday, August 7th: Davenport Country Club, 6-8 p.m.
- Friday, August 8th: The Grape Life, 8-10 p.m. (21+)
- Saturday, August 9th: Raccoon Motel, 7 p.m. (21+, standing room only, tickets on sale now, $20)
A 33-year-old Bettendorf native (and St. Ambrose University grad), Conrad will perform with a band for her Raccoon Motel (315 E. 2nd St., Davenport) debut. Alex DeVor will be playing keyboard; he has toured with notable artists including Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Caillat and Jo Dee Messina. He was producer for many of Conrad’s independently released records and singles, and is driving up from Nashville to play with her at Raccoon Motel, as well as the Grape Life show.
Conrad, a 33-year-old Bettendorf native, will play three Davenport gigs on Aug. 7, 8 and 9.
“We originally met at an open mic in Nashville, where he was first learning to record and had interest in recording my music,” she said Tuesday by email. “We have since formed a friendship and great work relationship, co-producing numerous songs including both of my albums ‘Light of the Dark’ and ‘Mind Over Mirror.’ Nic Addelia will be our drummer at Raccoon Motel, coming from St. Charles, Illinois. I met him through my brother Mike Conrad, who frequently performs in jazz groups around the region.”
Mike Conrad, an acclaimed jazz composer and pianist, is associate professor of jazz studies and music education at University of Northern Iowa. His trio performed at Redstone Room June 29, 2025, and Molly sang with him at Grape Life Wine Store & Lounge (3402 Elmore Ave.) for a Christmas show in December 2023.
“I am used to performing solo acoustic, and it is a treat for me to have a band,” she said Tuesday. “When recording, I like to add layers which can give the songs more texture, and the band is able to emulate this more at a live show, rather than when I play acoustic. However, I have only performed with a band in Nashville when I was living down there (2015-2017) and once before in the QCA. My main music gig is performing as an acoustic singer/songwriter all around western New York.
“I play many cover gigs as well, including wineries, restaurants, and boat cruises,” Conrad said. “There is something special about acoustic music, getting to experience where the song came from in its rawest form.” Her Midwest tour will include a gig Aug. 6 at Market Alley Wines in Monmouth, Ill., an hour south of Davenport.
Molly Conrad is shown front and center at age 4, with her family in Chicago when they saw “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Molly is the youngest of five and grew up in a busy household, full of imagination and a variety of personalities, she recalled. “My parents were great about exposing us kids to numerous activities, with little pressure on us to pursue any of them. This resulted in many of us discovering genuine passions, from sports to mathematics, and for me, my sister, and my brother Mike, music.
“I loved writing songs from when I was very young, singing with my older sister Sheila and recording our originals on cassette tapes,” Conrad said, noting her sister is a former French teacher at Bettendorf High School and now works at Rock Island Arsenal. “She listened to cool bands like Radiohead and the Strokes, and very much influenced my taste in music. My brother Mike was passionate about jazz, generally listening to music without vocals and lyrics (which I’m more drawn to) but we shared interest in comedy and the arts as a whole. I remember he would play through entire musicals at the piano while I sang and ‘acted’ them at the void. He has always been encouraging of my pursuits.”
Most recently, Molly had a funny idea to put together a show in Chicago during Lollapalooza called “Mollapalooza,” involving other musicians named Molly.
“I wasn’t sure if it would pull through, and Mike said it was hilarious and I definitely should make it happen, and so I emailed about 12 Mollys and ended up with two solid Molly musicians game with the idea,” she said. “One, Molly Durand, is flying from Los Angeles for the day, and the other, Molly Rose is located in the Chicago area, all to perform at the Uncommon Ground in Chicago on Saturday, August 2nd. What started as just a punny thought, has turned into a reality.
“I am most excited to perform in Davenport again,” Conrad said, adding her sister has posted flyers about the Raccoon gig around town and told all her work friends, and her parents invited many as well. “It is so nice to have a community that supports local music and a family that has my back,” Molly said.
Molly Conrad will headline the Mollapalooza Saturday, Aug. 2 at Uncommon Ground, 3800 N. Clark St., Chicago.
Conrad has lived in four states, and toured many parts of the U.S. and northern Germany. She lived and worked in Nashville, Tenn., from 2015 to the end of 2017 (where she recorded her previous album, “Mind Over Mirror,” with DeVor), and then moved to Minneapolis for a year. Conrad moved to Buffalo since her husband (they met in Nashville) grew up there; they married in 2019.
Conrad had her first child, Timothy, in December 2020, her personal pandemic project. Her most recent full-length record (her fourth), “Light of the Dark,” was released in late 2021. It was recorded in a whirlwind of three days — nine tracks with intimate, thought-provoking lyrics accompanied by an indie/alternative ambient vibe. The album features Buffalo musician John Franco (her husband) on guitars and bass and was mastered by Kerry Tucker, St. Ambrose professor and Quad-City musician (a member of Einstein’s Sister).
“Molly Conrad’s voice and sensibility stand out clearly from the crowd,” Steve Goodie of Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café, said in a testimonial on her website. “Self-aware without being self-conscious, she does exactly what the audience doesn’t expect. She consistently wins the listener over with what might be called ‘worldly naivete.’ Wide-eyed and wise beyond her years, you will find her haunting and charming.”
Her bio says:
“She shares her many inner thoughts and relatable stories of heartbreak with honest, introspective lyrics, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. Expect an unabashed authentic stage presence, as Conrad loves sharing her truth, however goofy or deep it might be.”
Buffalo similar to the QC
“Buffalo reminds me a lot of the Quad Cities in that the people are very down-to-earth, friendly and supportive of the arts,” Conrad said in her recent email. “I absolutely love living there, and they have the motto ‘Keep Buffalo a Secret’ for a reason. It gets a bad rap with all the snow but there are four proper seasons (the fall is beautiful) and so many charming pockets to discover. Lots to do, and a great place to raise a family. I have lived in Buffalo with my husband (musician who I met in Nashville) since 2018, and we have a beautiful son. I also love that we can drive to the QCA in a day (a 10-hour trip), and am excited to be driving home for a mini tour.”
She is currently in graduate school for a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Canisius University in Buffalo, to become a therapist. Molly (who earned her bachelor’s in theatre and public relations at SAU) continues to act and direct in theatre productions in the Buffalo area.
Conrad still finds plenty of time to write and perform, and will be releasing new music in the fall. Since 2021, she has released a number of original singles, including “Summer Dream.” An indie pop single, it was released last year “which felt very polished and fun to make – complete with a fully produced music video with local dancers,” she said.
“This song is about my experience as a perfectionist. In music (and life), I am continuing to learn ways to let go and accept where I am,” Conrad wrote by email. “I try to write whatever feels most relevant to me moment to moment, and embrace the imperfections that are inevitable in human expression.”
“I value balance, and find that involvement in these various fields allow me to continue feeling passionate and engaged. I strive to find meaning where I can, and help impact those in my community to the best of my ability.”
For more information on the singer-songwriter, click HERE.
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