Twitter is simultaneously an insidiously gross window and fascinatingly insightful portal. I'm sure the same can be (and has been) said about most social media. Rarely has there been a time when fans can connect as easily with the bands they love and Twitter is an amazing conduit into the lives of those who make the music we devour. On the downside, through a series of hateful tweets, you might come to learn that the lead singer has horrifyingly opposite political beliefs than you, and shares them in a regular, ugly fashion. On the other hand though, you and four friends might end up in a 20 minute conversation with a red 'fro-ed keyboardist, waxing 140 character soliloquies on topics ranging from Shel Silverstein's finest work to him attempting to convince us all to come to Mountain Jam. Everyone I talk to has had some sort of similar experience with a band or quote-unquote "famous" person. It helps to humanize them, connect them to us and more than likely, with a positive interaction, increase the likelihood that they have made a fan for life.
Twitter also has become the place I find out the majority of my music news. As a result, this is how I ended up finding out that in mid December Blitzen Trapper,
one of my favorite bands, released a new free album,
Live in Portland as a Christmas gift to me/everyone, because they knew I/we had tried growing a beard (or so I would imagine the thought process went). This is also how you end up playing the album on repeat for the entire holiday season as your family silently wonders if you own any other music.
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| Awesomely, the curly fro is STILL red, even in black and white. |
Recently, I was reading an interview about the release with Eric Earley, the lead the singer. He expounded on many topics, encompassing thoughts on why the live cuts may sound so different from the album versions to why the album was released for free. As a fan of live music, I certainly appreciate bands that can replicate their sound live, but how can you possibly not enjoy a new, unique live interpretation? This collection showcases exactly how three white boys from NC can end up sweating profusely as they AWBD (awkward white-boy dance) in a converted textile warehouse on the banks of the Haw River. The songs have more edge, funk and grime and that's not to take anything away from the studio work. They just come across as everything gritty you would want to experience while hopefully drinking moonshine in the back of a pickup truck careening down a mountain pass (preferably out of a jar, through your teeth). This is why people go see live music. There is no way you are going to their show and leave disappointed. And while the band did a great job picking a killer performance, credit needs to be given to those that recorded and mixed the final work as it delivers sonically on every level.
As for the music itself, it leans heavily on no one album and brings a joyous potpourri of tracks new and old. It kicks off with a raw, exposed to the bone version of "Fletcher". From the get-go, it's clear, the teeth are going to bite a little sharper and from there it's one highlight after another. "Astronaut" reminds me with it's beauty why my good friend put his son to sleep to it for 6 solid months. "Thirsty Man" gets my one year old dancing funkier than his AWBD blooded father and while I love Mr. Earley (oh so much), "Jericho" only serves to solidify in me the notion that the Marquis de Sade should be thrown a vocal bone or two every now and again. Speaking of different singers, guest vocalist Liz Vice hops on stage to deliver enough soulful church gospel to inspire a Southern Baptist in "Shine On" while crowd favorite "Black River Killer" is an awesome reminder of what would happen if Dr. Dre and Tom Petty met in a blender.
From there it's one country-folk-rock-blues-jam after another. The band brings the sensuous soul on "Lady On the Water" and "Not Your Lover" while accessing the southern rock cadre in an updated format with "American Goldwing", "God and the Suicide" and "Might Find it Cheap". The fun carnival ride of "Sleepytime in the Western World" is on full display in the live setting and it delivers in a way that would make Seargent Pepper himself proud. Plus, as an added bonus when you download, instead of just jamming out on the Bandcamp site like I did the first three times, you end up with a spaced out 13 minute version of "Street Fighting Sun". Even the bonuses have bonuses.
It always feels nice to be appreciated. As a fan, that's how the Trapper makes you feel. Consistently top notch studio content, an absolutely killer live show and a relentless touring schedule combined with a willingness to talk to the fans before/after the show all provide a level of connection that doesn't seem feasible with most larger bands. Their label told them they couldn't put this record out because it was going to be too close to the new album (nice!) they are working on this year. So what did they do? Put it out for free/name your own price. That's going to breed loyalty, as it should. These guys are at the top of their game and they're giving away some of their finest work. Disagree? Drop em' a line @BlitzenTrapper and they'll probably write you back to change your mind.
Check out the free live album here:
https://blitzentrapper.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-portland
And if you're feeling sexy/generous, throw them a few dollars and let them know how much you appreciate them.
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