Blitzen Trapper: 6/9/10 at the Variety Playhouse

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.



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”