It was a simple scene: the venue was packed, the beer was flowing and the music was unbelievable. Trampled by Turtles, the bluegrass band from Duluth, Minn., brought all walks of life to the Orpheum Theater on Saturday night. Regardless of everyone’s reasons for going to the concert, they all heard one of the best folk/bluegrass quintets ever assembled.
The show started slow, with five dimly-lit guys playing on a large, empty stage. Their songs were calm. They focused on harmonies and instruments, the backbone of all bluegrass music. There was a guitar, bass, fiddle, mandolin and banjo. All of the strings together set a serene scene. Their backdrop was either a full moon or trees from the northern woods of Minnesota. This element in combination with the constant use of fog machines seem like the making for a calm evening. But Trampled by Turtles is known for their ability to be anything but calm.
Songs like “It’s a War” and “Wait so Long” included some of the fastest, most up-tempo playing I had ever heard. It’s not hard to imagine Dave Simonett, the band’s front man, having his fingers burst into flames while strumming away on his guitar with the same vicious pace with which Usain Bolt runs the 100-meter dash. And the five of them playing together as fast as they do is simply unbelievable. It was a memorable event for my eyes and ears. Everyone in attendance was simply blown away.
Due to their unique and spectacular talents, Trampled by Turtles brought in an interesting crowd composed of crazy country fans, rock fans, hippies and even those who just enjoy good music. The concert hall reeked of the potent smell of marijuana and more people were drinking beer than at a frat party. I get it, it’s a concert, people are having a good time, but I get drunk for the likes of Girl Talk. It was odd to see bluegrass music be the source of one of the most drunken concerts I’ve ever been to.
Trampled by Turtles played great music, but their show was in no way spectacular. The lack of lighting and too many slow songs tended to lull me to sleep. I won’t lie, as much as I enjoyed it, I was certainly ready for the show to be over. I think it’s hard for most casual fans to listen to bluegrass music for almost two hours. But a day later, I’ve already forgotten about my gripes. All I can remember is those five bearded men playing the living daylights out of their instruments. Trampled by Turtles is a spectacle to behold even for those who aren’t huge fans of the genre.
