Elle King Brings Her Fusion of Pop, Country, and Blues to Dubuque

Elle King is not easy to classify as an artist. You can say she's a pop singer, but that distinction is limiting in its own right. In an interview with The Guardian back in 2015, she described her musical styling as "steeped in every genre of vintage Americana – sassy rock'n'roll, vampy R&B, country sadness and a little blues."

If you happened to be at Elle King's show at Q Casino's Back Waters Stage on Friday, August 11th, you could feel all those vibes and more. The well-attended concert was underscored by a visible storm that could be seen far beyond the stage in the Wisconsin/Illinois region. Thankfully, no more than a few drops fell on concertgoers, and the lightning stayed far enough away for the show to continue in its entirety.

Prior to King taking the stage at around 9pm, rising country singer Megan Moroney served as the opening act. Moroney rose to fame last year with "Tennessee Orange," a beautiful ballad about a lifelong Georgia Bulldog fan who falls in love with a boy who "opens the door" and "don't make her cry," despite the fact that he might indeed be a die-hard Volunteers fan. The song was Moroney's debut single and it reached #10 on the country charts.

Moroney shouldn't be considered a one-hit wonder, however, and anyone who attended the show knows that. Moroney has a delightful voice; varied and smooth. Moreover, she writes most of her music, which gives it that distinctly personal edge and perspective ala Luke Combs.

Over the course of her roughly 40-minute set, she performed songs like "I'm Not Pretty," her new single about a woman not succumbing to people's thoughts about her; "Hair Salon," dedicated to Moroney's hairdresser Bernadette, with whom she's shared much gossip back home; and "Sleep On My Side," a barbed song about a cheating ex that... is maybe about Morgan Wallen? It's anybody's guess.

Moroney is wonderful. The fact that "Tennessee Orange" was one of the first songs my girlfriend Catherine sent to me when we started talking only made the show resonate more for both of us. I would've been content for a 90-minute performance from her alone.

At around 9pm, Elle King took the stage. Armed by a strong band and two towering letters that, combined, formed her initials, she delivered a fusion of sounds that spanned multiple genres.

King has a brash confidence about her. A rural Ohio girl, who also happens to be the daughter of actor/comedian Rob Schneider, she doesn't much care what judgments you pass about her looks, music, or attitude. Personally, I'd say, like her father, she was enough of a commanding stage presence between songs that she could feasibly succeed at stand-up comedy if she wanted to.

There's reason to believe that the threat of a storm accelerated the pacing of the concert just a hair, with King performing her first hit single, "Ex's & Oh's" curiously early into the night. She also performing cuts from her latest album, Come Get Your Wife, "Worth a Shot," a duet with Dierks Bentley, and even a damn-good cover of Dr. Hook's "Cover of the 'Rolling Stone'."

"F*** this storm!," King yelled between songs at one point, and made more than a handful of shoutouts to the exuberant and engaged crowd before her. At several points, she seemed genuinely warmed by the love and hospitality bestowed upon her from Dubuque and Tri-State concertgoers alike.

Per usual, the Q Casino staff and security team were on top of the game. EMS and security deserve a special mention for handling a scary medical emergency that occurred during Moroney's set. Their do-diligence and professionalism was, once again, top notch.

Elle King's show was quickly followed by Halestorm taking the Back Waters Stage the following night on Saturday, August 12th. Country and rock fans alike are gearing up for the sold out Jelly Roll show happening Sunday, August 20th at Q Casino, which will surely be one of the biggest social and musical events of the season for the Tri-States.

For tickets and information on future shows at Q Casino, visit the Back Waters Stage website.