Oregon-based Blitzen Trapper stopped at the Black Cat on Sept. 27, bringing that energetic guitar and banjo-powered sound that has earned them a name in the music scene.
Blitzen Trapper roared on stage soon after opener Phox, starting with newer material and working their way into the old. It didn’t take long for the audience to break out into clapping and dancing, which made sense since frontman Eric Earley described their new album’s material as “dancier.”
All five band members were very energetic and lighthearted, laughing and clapping along with the audience. In particular, Earley, guitarist Erik Menteer and keyboardist Marty Marquis held a very strong stage presence as they jumped around the stage and joked with the audience between each song.
With the chill, intimate environment of the Black Cat in their favor, their performance took on a rocking back country atmosphere which got the audience jumping up and down in no time.
Among audience favorites were “Furr,” “Black River Killer” and “God & Suicide,” though the audience remained powered up throughout the concert, even joining Earley in full force in singing “Furr” including howling like wolves.
Blitzen Trapper definitely worked its magic, taking everyone for a ride to a wild mountain nation where the air is fresh, the wolves are howling, and the music is sweet.
thesene@theeagleonline.com
