October 12th just so happens to be my birthday, and when I saw that colorful advert on the internet weeks ago, I knew I was in for a splendid lil birthday party. TBT have sold out first ave on several occasions now, and this mid october night saw disappointed people being turned away at the door early in the night as well.
Thanks to diligent Trampled fans, and their generous sharing of footage on youtube, I was able to visually refresh my hazy memories from an awesome birthday night.
Neil Youngs' "Harvest", was a highlight. So was Timmy, bassist extraordinaire, singing "Airline to Heaven", a Woody Guthrie by way of Billy Bragg and Wilco number.
what a cool song this is:
There's an airline plane
Flies to heaven everyday
Past the pearly gates
If you want to ride this train
Have your ticket in your hand
Before it is too late
If the world looks wrong
And your money's spent and gone
And your friend has turned away
You can get away to heaven
On this aeroplane
Just bow your head and pray
Them's got ears, let them hear
Them's got eyes, let them see
Turn your eyes to the lord of the skies
Take this airline plane
It'll take you home again
To your home behind the skies
Well a lot of people guess
Some say no and some say yes
Will it take some and leave some behind?
But you will surely know
When to the airport go
To leave this world behind
Oh a lot of speakers speak
A lot of preachers preach
When you lay their salary on the line
You hold your head and pray
It's the only earthly way
You can fly to heaven on time
Fly to heaven on time
Them's got ears, let them hear
Them's got eyes, let them see
Turn your eyes to the lord of the skies
Take that airline plane
It'll take you home again
To your home behind the skies
Your ticket you obtain
On this heavenly airline plane
You leave your sins behind
You've got to take this flight
It may be daytime, might be night
But you can't see your way if you're blind
Them's got ears, let them hear
Them's got eyes, let them see
Turn your eyes to the lord of the skies
Take that airline plane
It'll take you home again
To your home behind the skies
"Old Joe Clark", an old timey fiddle tune, had everyone on the main floor jumping up and down. The song, first recorded in 19-fucking-24, is a classic bluegrass song that has been passed down through generations of string pickers. Pete Seeger, who was in the Almanac Singers with Woody Guthrie, says that Joe Clark was "an actual person, a veteran of the War of 1812," in his book 'How to Play the 5-string Banjo'. I absolutley adore the way TBT can take something that old and traditional and effortlessly make it their own. Few bands are as educational as TBT, since every time they bust out a crazy old number like that I just have to find out about it.
Even "Never Again", which is more of a down tempo song, had people screaming and singing along and all but moshing in front of the stage. It amazes me every time how four or five dudes calmly seated onstage can induce such a commotion on the dancefloor.
"Trouble", the title song of their newest album, is a slow one that lets the boys show off their tender harmonizing, and it brought out the lighters swaying side to side in the air.
"Drinking in the Morning" (featuring Pat Carroll, aka Banjo Dad, on harmonica) and "The One to Save", both stellar, relatively old songs, made an appearance as well.
The always fun Pert Near Sandstone opened the show with their fantastic cloghopper in tow. I wonder how many bands over the years at First Ave have featured someone on the clogs. I would imagine not too many. The Eric Koskinen Band played before Pert, but we unfortunately didn't make it downtown in time for that.
Ryan Young, the Pert Near Sandstone fiddler and frequent Trampled cohort, sat in for a good part of the show with TBT.
TBT has had quite a year, selling out First Ave back in February, netting increasingly high prfile gigs at festivals like 10K, Wakarusa, and even headlining the Oyster Ridge Music Festival way over in Wyoming. Also, they are continuing to build their own Log Jam Festival with The White Iron Band, and played a show at the MN Zoo.
As if that's not enough progress for the year, they will be finishing 2007 on a strong note with their first ever big New Year's Eve show at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. TBT has steadily been growng their fan base across the country for years, and I expect them to blast off like astronauts from the "Trouble" cover into the universe of stardom one of these days.
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