A quick trip down Iowa’s Great River Road will take you to Go Fish Marina Bar and Grill in Princeton, IA. Placed just on the other side of the train tracks and bellied up to the banks of the Mississippi River, Go Fish screams midwestern charm. The boats passing by, the smack of the waves against the dock, and that sweet river breeze is enough to put you in a trance. If you can pull yourself from the bliss of the environment, you’ll find owner Kris Kay busting ass to make it all happen.
Aside from their stellar menu and patio, Kris brings an extra dose of good vibes to the people of Princeton through their concert series. 30+ shows will take place over the summer and when Kris was laying the groundwork for those shows – in true Midwestern fashion – she did a little bit more and created the Local Female Vocalist Spotlight (LFVS) series, too.
“We really want to support live music,” Kris said. “On Thursdays, we do local live acoustic which tend to have a lot of local male singers, but I love female vocalists.”
ANGELA MEYER ENTERS THE CHAT…
Angela Meyer has been playing in the Quad Cities and around the country for over ten years. Her momentum as the world is coming out on the other side of COVID-19 is palpable. With a new full-length album on the way, Dixon Legion, a long list of gigs filling up her books, and a slot to play at the Mississippi Valley Fair, Angela has set herself up for success.
Amongst her jam-packed summer, Angela lent Kris a hand in curating the talent for the four-part series. Angela kicked off the series with a three-hour set on June 3 and will be followed by Mo Carter (of The Velies and Mo & Co.), Monica Austin, and Lojo Russo.
“How cool to actually highlight women throughout the summer,” Angela said. “It’s the perfect environment and these women are so good that you’re actually going to want to sit and listen to them for that long.”
The talents among these four women speak for themselves. Each with their own powerful voice and carefully selected setlists, their stage presence feels like a force to be reckoned with. It seems as if the complications and setbacks from COVID-19 have only fueled their fires more.
“My last show before the show was opening for Wynonna Ryder at the Rust Belt,” Monica Austin said. “It was supposed to be the biggest year of my life as an artist and the world fell apart. It’s a celebration getting back out to shows. Music got us through that time and people are ready to connect through it.”
TAILORING THE SPOTLIGHT
Like the whole of the music industry, the Quad Cities’ music scene is male-dominated. The initiative taken by Kris is the type of work that can change our stages for the better. Shedding a spotlight on the talents that are already here and ready to put in the work has the potential to alter the landscape of shows across the region and open doors for our talented artists.
“I wanted to focus on them and give them a little time to shine because they deserve it,” Kris said.
We think so too, Kris.