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| All photos by Agatha Donkar |
Blitzen Trapper is such a great live band; I love their records, particularly American Goldwing, but something about the contained energy of their live show just blows me over the moon. Last night at a less-than-full but really enthusiastic Haw River Ballroom, they opened with “Love The Way You Walk Away” and then barreled through 20 other great songs from their seven full-length LPs, including upcoming VII. Having that many songs at your disposal is one of the things that leads to Blitzen Trapper’s live show, because it means they never play the same set twice, and I think they pride themselves on that — there’s always a deep cut or three in their set lists, songs I never thought I’d hear.
Last night, they played a loud, long, warm set; I think that one of the best things about Blitzen Trapper is that their music fills whatever space they’re playing in. It’s loud, but it isn’t noisy. The band just knows their songs and themselves and their audience in a way that just makes the whole live experience extra excellent. That familiarity, the way the whole band is comfortable with each other and on stage, it’s the ingredient beyond great songwriting and loads of musical talent that makes them great, not just good.
