---

BY LIANA KATZ

In print | April 3, 2008

About half way through Blitzen Trapper’s set at Olde Club last Friday night something fell from the second floor balcony. Moments later, that something, in fact a Swarthmore student, was being passed overhead, buoyed up by the crowd. For a band that describes their sound as country-influenced indie rock, Blizen Trapper brought intensely fierce energy to the stage, inciting over an hour of riotous moshing on an otherwise quiet March evening.

Before Blitzen Trapper took the stage, the Buck’s county-based quartet Drink Up Buttercup shook the stone walls of Olde Club with disjointedly thudding rock. Buttercup’s approach to playing live seemed to be simply to make as much noise as possible. To this end, band members abused some beat up trash cans, pounding them repeatedly against the floor. Although they initially created innovative percussion, the trash cans ultimately served the function of overpowering metronomes.

Singing songs about the female anatomy with titles such as “Mr. Pie Eyes,” Buttercup did have some lyrically entertaining turns of phrase hidden underneath all the noise. It was clear that the band loved to perform, making comic faces and flailing in time with the music. “They looked like nerdy hobbits with musical instruments,” Eleanor McSherry ‘10 said. Yet, at the end of the set, all of Buttercup’s clanging and howling seemed more grating than entertaining.

After a brief respite from Buttercup’s cacophonic hailstorm, Blitzen Trapper gave an impressive performance that showcased the band’s command of country, classic rock and three-part harmony. The band progressed seamlessly from song to song, embracing everything from guitar-shredding riffs to simple harmonica tunes. “Woof & Warp of the Quiet Giant’s Hem” could have rocked an arena with the fist-pounding rise and fall of its monosyllabic lyrics.

In contrast, “Wild Mountain Nation,” the title track from their recently released album, stood out for its classic hook and simple lyrics. “performance was really tight, and I loved the way they kept shouting about Portland [Oregon]. Portland’s my home, and I’m really proud that we got some Oregon color,” Ben Dair ’11 said.

The crowd at Olde Club was in a raucous mood and many collided violently in an ever-growing mosh pit. Even when the band settled into slower, harmonica-flecked pieces, the masses still seethed. An amused Blitzen Trapper constantly engaged with its audience, including holding up a Birkenstock sandal lost in the crush.

The night ended with a duet as Buttercup joined Blitzen Trapper on stage. The trash cans returned and the audience crashed and careened exuberantly up until the very last moment.

Before the show, The Phoenix had a chance to catch up with Eric Early, Blizten Trapper’s guitarist, lead vocalist and harmonica player. Here’s what the Bob Dylan look-alike had to say about making music, Deutschland and weird gifts from fans:

Liana Katz: How and when did Blitzen Trapper get together?

Eric Early: We grew up together in Salem, Oregon and so we have known each other for a long time. We had played music together in different formats and … we started [the band] like three years ago.

LK: Can you tell me a little bit about the band’s sound?

EE: “Wild Mountain Nation,” to me, is American music. It takes country and hard rock and some electronic stuff and kind of puts it together in this sort of mish-mash kind of way. It was kind of produced like a hip-hop record … it covers a lot of territory.

LK: What musicians or types of music have influenced you?

EE: For “Wild Mountain Nation” I was listening to a lot of Neil Young. I listen to lots of country music, myself. And, in the past, I have listened to lots of Pavement, Sonic Youth, stuff like that.

LK: Have there been any crazy moments on the tour you have almost completed?

EE: There’s definitely crazy fans. They give you weird gifts. One girl gave me this stuffed animal that was like a body of a white leopard with the head of a doll. Sometimes you get cool stuff, too. We stay with people sometimes on the road … sometimes that’s a little sketchy.

LK: Did you have a favorite place that you visited while on tour in Europe?

EE: As far as playing music goes, the German speaking countries love American music. You just selll out all of the shows in Austria and Germany.

Spain was really beautiful. We got some days off on the coast of Spain, so we were we hanging out on the Mediterranean.

---

« RETURN TO LIVING & ARTS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »