Trout Steak Revival
18 April 2015 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO
for The Lot Scene by Parker
Trout Steak Revival
Another run at my home venue and I couldn’t have been happier. Stringdusters with a little Trout Steak opener on a Saturday night you say? Why, yes, I’ll have a double-order of that with a side of sweet fast pickin’ smothered in tasty newgrass gravy. The Lot Scene and The Mischief Collective would be making the evening their first collaboration together and that new energy was helping to super-charge the night. Of course, a huge shout-out to our new pals at The Mischief Collective. And what a way to start things off! Trout Steak Revival, hailing from Denver, is definitely one of the new young bands on the scene that has secured a place on my radar screen. And with good reason. If you’re a person like me who is a big fan of the current trend of growing numbers of new bluegrass bands, then you’ll be a big fan of Trout Steak. Nothing like getting things going with some positivity — “the good is getting better and the best is yet to come” being the uplifting chorus of the first song of the evening, “Get a Fire Going”. Further down the line was the song with a short title but a long-reaching effect on the audience: “Pie”. By the song’s end and after hearing about so many varieties of baked goods, the band made the obligatory munchies comments to the crowd in light of Monday’s upcoming holiday. And all we wanted was for them to give us some damn pie. Haha. Or just some more fantastic grass like the introspective and soulfully plaintive “Ours for the Taking”. It is certainly a treat learning a new favored band’s catalogue, especially on-the-fly at a show knowing that afterwards I’ll get the chance to really familiarize myself with some stand-out songs like “Union Pacific”. As with many train songs, the band gave us a driving, dancing beat wholly simulating for us the experience of rocketing down the tracks on a train of music, and it certainly did not disappoint. A brooding, moving intro to a new song caught my attention as I listened to the texture build slowly, but deliberately towards an explosion of energy and positivity and joyful five-part harmony. That song, “Brighter Every Day”, is a recommended daily prescription for a “feel better” attitude — trust your friends here at The Lot Scene…we know what’s good for your musical appetite! Chris Pandolfi (banjo, The Infamous Stringdusters) a good friend of the band, having produced their most recent album, Brighter Every Day, joined the five Trout Steakers on a couple of tunes for some seriously wicked pickin’. A terrific set on many fronts and a spot-on way to prepare a group of music lovers for The Infamous Stringdusters. So glad to know that Trout Steak is close by in Denver — I’m already looking forward to my next show! Lovely job, guys. Just lovely.