Blitzen Trapper

Thursday 12h April. Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, London, Blitzen Trapper. After a brilliant set a couple of years ago at the Lexington it’s with great expectation of another scorcher from the Trapper in Hipster Ville, Hoxton. It’s a sold out show in a hot and sweaty ‘kitchen’ and we start with an apology from Erik as his keyboard is what is technically referred to as banjaxed. It won’t the first of tonight’s instrument malfunctions.

Still on with the show and the band are over here to promote last years album ‘Wild and Reckless’ and the set is largely drawn from it. I don’t personally think it’s as strong as the previous album but live the songs do come to life. Without the additional keyboard the sound is a lot heavier than on previous outings and certainly adds a different dynamic to the show. What the songs lose in a little subtlety is made up for in riffs and they really rock in places.

The moody minimalist light bars around the stage add to the overall dirty club ambience and it complements this sound perfectly. After tracks from the new album front loaded in the set are over the concert really takes off mid-way through and doesn’t let up. The excellent ‘Lady in the Water’ gives us a chance to breathe and enjoy the multi part harmonies and a broken string on the other Eric’s guitar leads to an impromptu acoustic version of Black River Killer which is the personal highlight for me along with set closer ‘All around this land’.

So a completely different feel, tone and pace to the set than last time we saw them but it shows the versatility of this band that they can switch between styles, crank it up a notch and still provide a great night of music.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening and ‘tll the next time keep on rockin’ y’all

Very prolific and rather underrated, Portland, Oregon’s country troubadours Blitzen Trapper are already on to their seventh album in the space of eleven years. Combine that with seemingly on tour constantly, and they’re vying for the title of hardest working band in the business. They’re never quite matched the brilliance of Wild Mountain Nation, Furr and Destroyer of the Void for consistency but BT are still a band worth watching. There arw not too many bands out there who would be brave enough to combine country, art rock and weird electronic noises and generally get away without a critical mauling, but this lot manage to do it. The five-piece have had a settled lineup from almost the start and that means when it comes to playing live, Blitzen Trapper are total pros...but always game for a bit of fun. They’ll jam out the fan favourite ‘Wild Mountain Nation’ like it’s Crazy Horse you’re watching, while ‘Furr’ shines on three and four part harmonies. Some newer songs like ‘Fletcher’ might not drive the crowds quite as wild, but they do have the feeling of growers and in time these will become set staples and firm favourites. You won’t have to look far to catch Blitzen Trapper live...always on the road, they’ll be at a town near you soon enough.

Experimental folk/country Blitzen Trapper are becoming an internationally recognised outfit as they take an innovative approach to what has been described as a pretty two dimensional genre. Through multi-instrumental talent and countless hours of practice as a band, the quintet have come across a sound that is unconventional yet still has a wide appeal.

Since signing to Subpop records and the release of their esteemed album 'Furr' the career has really taken off and the band has been touring relentlessly with a large amount of session musicians adding more textured and complex layers to their music. The trippy sounds and enthusiastic instrumentals have won over large fanbases and crowds are quick to snap up the tickets to the shows to see the sounds of Blitzen Trapper in person. Through a lot of practice and a good knowledge of each member, the band comes together well to create a sound similar to that found on the record. It is both manic and technical all at once and this is where the true skill of the show lies as the audience are stomping their feet one moment before applauding the skill of the musicians the next.

Monday 8th February. The Lexington. Blitzen Trapper. It’s a simple review. Fucking brilliant.

I could waffle on about the various influences demonstrated by the band tonight taking in Creedence, The Band, Floyd, Steely Dan. I could highlight the tightness of the band with the great harmonies, fine musicianship, stirring guitar solos and commanding organ. I could try to define their musical styles such as country rock, Americana, pop, or rock.

But I’m not going to do any of that. These guys are simply great. I have never spoken to so many people after a gig all enthralling about what they had just seen. Whilst it was great for us it’s a shame for the band that they aren’t playing larger venues.

‘Furr’ and ‘All Across this Land’ are highlights for me along with a fine cover of Neil Young’s ‘Old Man’.

It’s been over five years since Blitzen Trapper were over here so let’s hope it’s not another five years before these guys hit our shores again.

Superb.

I had never seen Blitzen Trapper before live and was thoroughly entertained. They are all true musicians and show it in their amazing instrumentals and delicate harmonies, guitar riffs and spontaneity.
I loved hearing the old stories of their decades-old friendships, almost dying in a mosh pit, Eric Early's family members' sordid adventures...the stories behind the songs...really added to them.
They also performed a medley of their favorite music from high school, featuring Nirvana, Eddie Vedder, Blind Melon...great stuff and unexpectedly got taken back to my own younger days.
Brian Adrian Koch sang a beautiful arrangement of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" and there were some other surprises as well from Marty Marquis.
I saw the show at the new City Winery in Atlanta and I have to say, if you haven't been, GO! It's a bit pricey to eat there but the acoustics and ambiance are just perfect!
Great show, can't wait until they come back.

This is the fifth time I’ve seen Blitzen Trapper and they just keep getting better and better. I was sitting on the stage at Lincoln Hall (I’m about 60 and can’t stand all night). It’s always great to watch a band that’s been playing together for at least 10 years. It’s as though they are breathing the same breath at the same time. That the song sound a little rougher live is very cool.

I was privileged to see the tour where Eric talked about the stories behind the songs (he wrote Furr in about eight minutes). What he said that night informed my enjoyment of last night’s show. Hope to make it show number six very soon.

Intense and fun show, where the guys deployed both great music skills as well as a good show. It was one of these gigs where it's no time for boredom, flowing from song to song while keeping the attention of the public. At the same time it felt really natural and close to the public, in opposition to this stadium rock so spread out nowadays.

At the beginning, the guy at the keyboard and support guitar said his sound setup was a mess, so asked the public but to be surprised if we catch him drinking a beer in the middle of a song.

Blitzen Trapper rocks, I love that music. They were very good live, and their passion for thier music was very evident. They played all the songs I wanted to hear. Thank god for Spotify; because if i depended on FM radio, i would never know of Blitzen Trapper. Lead singer very talented; keyboard guy looks like Poindexter from Revenge of the Nerds,, LOL!

So fun! Saw them years ago in St Louis and this show was just as real and energetic as I remember. I don't hugely recommend the venue - Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen feels a bit like an American strip mall, and there's only one entrance to the venue bit which creates some really aggressive bottlenecks. Worth it, though, to see Blitzen Trapper.

These guys really killed it in SF! Reminded me of Widespread Panic at times. The lyrics are catchy and full of thought. The musicianship is incredible. The energy from stage was awesome. The crowd was a bit too hipster, too cool to dance, hoping that BT finds a better crowd as they come into their own.