Advertisement



|
|
|
|
|
|
|

AddThis Social Bookmark Button
Blitzen Trapper Ventures to Variety Playhouse Print E-mail
Written by MAX BLAU / Photos by JONATHAN PRIMM   
Saturday, 03 July 2010
Blitzen Trapper was one of the first bands I ever covered as a music writer, so they hold a special place personally. Whether through their jam-band timbre or mythical nature, the Portland sextet falls somewhere between the catchiness of Tom Petty, the Americana of The Band and the Grateful Dead’s aesthetic. While many artists can arguably claim their lineage and influence through one of these greats, it is extremely rare to see a fusion of all three as seamless as these six have done. And this blend is never more apparent than when Blitzen Trapper performs in concert, as was the case with them during their show at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse.

Blitzen Trapper


Variety Playhouse
Atlanta, GA
June 9, 2010

Led by frontman Eric Earley, Blitzen Trapper eased their way into their set with the crawling ballad “Black River Killer.” From there, the sextet meandered through a mixture of several mid-tempo, country-laced numbers, before wowing the crowd with their dynamic prog-rock endeavor “Destroyer of the Void.” Unlike their signature blend of jam-rock and country, this track placed their sound somewhere between the harmonic likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Dr. Dog—performing a more impressive and distinct multi-part suite than is heard on record.

While the band remains best received for their innate, laidback groove, Eric Earley demonstrated his songwriting chops, taking the forefront on the stunning “Not Your Lover” and the ethereal “Lady on the Water.” Continuing to balance the concert with a nice combination of new and old songs, the Portland sextet interweaved numbers their entire catalog, including the mellow, Alela Diane-less “The Tree,” the hipster sing-along “Furr” and the carefree “Silver Moon.”

Blitzen Trapper, however, saved their best for last. Entering with an acapella intro to “Sleepytime in the Western World,” the group proceeded to entertain with a series of songs including the brand new “Sadie,” the near-perfect jam “Wild Mountain Nation,” the sweet twang of “Country Caravan” and the ambitious encore “Big Black Bird.” Their last sequence of cuts was to put it simply, encapsulated the allure of Blitzen Trapper. At their best, they’re one of the most compelling young bands today—a pattern that they have continuously shone time and time again through their relatively short lived tenure as a band.

Set List
“Black River Killer”
“Laughing Lover”
“Fire + Fast Bullets”
“God and Suicide”
“Love and Hate”
“Destroyer of the Void”
“Evening Star”
“Not Your Lover”
“Below the Hurricane”
“Lady on the Water”
“Silver Moon”
“The Tree”
“The Man Who Would Speak True”
“Furr”
“Sleepytime in the Western World”
“Dragon’s Song”
“Sadie”
“Wild Mountain Nation”

Encore
“Heaven and Earth”
“Country Caravan”
“Big Black Bird”

Comments
PaCvUVaDfpQVe
Written by Guest on 2012-04-21 04:34:24
Things Emily doesn't mention: 1) She threw out her MS Office itaiallsnton discs2) I installed Final Draft (professional script writing software) on her computer3) I also offered to get her Open Office (free Word)4) Everything works way better now and she lost nothing except for 2 weeks of time where she couldn't use her iPodALSO, I am never helping her again with her computer (that's probably a lie).
LocETvjqmlowzHfSBq
Written by Guest on 2012-04-21 19:15:19
ed6sxX jsjrbykffcep
dYKXTBwauxlMCubKO
Written by Guest on 2012-04-21 23:10:34
Qp1Q1F , [url=http://tbztqmkxqdxw.com/]tbztqmkxqdxw[/url], [link=http://cbqdimfrgoqt.com/]cbqdimfrgoqt[/link], http://rpufmrfqkizh.com/
snSHjTuxZfS
Written by Guest on 2012-04-22 04:33:08
ACrW5G hqlsjejgjeyy
qAXIWJmItncGbGQu
Written by Guest on 2012-04-23 03:04:45
sOjDOP , [url=http://lowbvudovegc.com/]lowbvudovegc[/url], [link=http://jddytlxrqpgg.com/]jddytlxrqpgg[/link], http://cyqnurdkxsnb.com/

Write Comment
Name:Guest
Title:
Comment:



Code:* Code

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!

< Previous   Next >
Other Recent Articles by MAX BLAU / Photos by JONATHAN PRIMM:
Hangout Weekend Blends Diverse Combination of Intriguing Acts
Hangout Music Festival Opens with Americana-Heavy Lineup

Polls
I would love to see Lumino feature