Review: Blitzen Trapper @ The Workman’s Club – 22/11/10
Review: Ros Madigan
Photo: Sean Smyth
The minute The Workman’s Club opened earlier this year, I was waiting for a gig that I could attend to experience this new Irish venue. Luckily I didn’t have to wait very long until they announced Blitzen Trapper on the 22/11/10. I had seen these guys on the Cosby Stage (Sunday) at Electric Picnic last year and missed them when they supported Fleet Foxes in Dublin only a few days later. Ever since the release of ‘Furr’ in 2008 and reading their two-page feature in Rolling Stone magazine I have followed the band quite closely.
I arrived at the new Workman’s Club, for once, on time and eager to experience a night of experimental folk rock. Keen to explore this new venue we were ushered upstairs to its intimate bar while downstairs was being prepared. I really like the vibes and décor of the pub upstairs, blending a retro feel with a cool new minimal vibe. Once downstairs was open, we finished our drinks (albeit Lucozade) and ventured into the venue part of the Workman’s Club. The main gig hall reminded me instantly off underage school discos or Ceili dancing halls in the Gaeltacht with benches surrounding and attached to every wall. The floor is a great big old wooden floor that screams old school dance halls. All in all, a really well put together room, even if the stage itself is rather small (we’ll get to that later).
The support act on the night was ‘Pearly Gate Music’, fronted by Zach Tillman (brother of Josh Tillman of Fleet Foxes fame). Sporting a rather impressive moustache, which I am reliably informed, has nothing to do with ‘Movemeber’. Two young ladies playing the bass and drums respectively joined Tillman on the night. His music is a great blending of folk, country and more subtly rebellious elements of post-punk. His voice is flawless, his music lo-fi but high octane. ‘Big Escape’, ‘Daddy Wrote You Letters’and ‘I Was A River’ from his own collection went down very well but his rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘Maggie’s Farm’ stood out for me, taking a new twist on a Dylan classic.
Not soon after, Blitzen Trapper took to the stage to a near full Workman’s Club. Blitzen Trapper currently performs as a sextet, which means that there were 6 members on this very small stage. They kicked off the gig with a high octane, up-tempo “Fire & Fast Bullets” before moving onto ‘Laughing Lover’ from the new album ‘Destroyer of The Void’. The album itself has a touch of the Beatles about it in some songs with catchy choruses. Eric Earley, the lead singer/songwriter of the band also has a few moments where you could be mistaken thinking you were listening to Bob Dylan.
Next up was ‘Wild Mountain Nation’ from the 2007 album of the same name.This song contained a soaring guitar riff that was irresistibility pleasing. Brian Adrian Adoch who was to be the bands connection to the crowd for the night then told us: “It’s great to see all you semi employed people out there able to come see us tonight.” He then struggled to remember what day it was, living up to the stereotype of the long touring rock musician who only rises to play his music. The band then told him it was Saturday as if he was being stupid. Little did they know it was actually Monday but the Irish audience did little to correct them in their inaccuracies. “God & Suicide” from the album ‘Furr’ was next. In this song we got to see our first glimpse of the bands perfect harmonies.
“Love and Hate” sounds like a song that belongs on any of the previous Black Keys albums with a guitar riff that is rough and ready. The drumming on this particular song was excellent and that helped it to stand out from the songs previous. The title track from the latest album “Destroyer of The Void’ followed with a full band sound, breaking down with straight piano and a single voice. The lyrics in “Evening Star” were really clear and were great to hear especially with such a good lyricist as Eric Earley. We were then treated with the best slow song of the night in “The Tree”. On the album version, Alela Diane joins Eric to beautiful effect. On this night, without Alela, the band does a great job recreating the song. “Black River Killer” shows us a song with a great narrative behind it. The bands members exit the stage, leaving only Eric Earley. Equipped with just his guitar and harmonica, he treats us to a really special “The Man Who Would Speak True”. The performance from Earley was powerful and at this point he had the whole audience in the palm of his hand.
“Silver Moon” was up next only to be followed by “Below the Hurricane”. This song feels like it’s building up to something but never quite gets there. The bassist downs tools and helps out on harmonies and bangs, what can only be described as two wooden sticks, together which is rather off putting. 
“Furr” was the next song and a song, which I had been waiting for all night. The drummer from Pearly Gate Music joins them on stage and instantly adds an electric stage presence with all members joining her in jumping around the venue’s tiny stage. The crowd was in full voice singing along with every word. If 7 people on stage weren’t enough, Zach Tillman then joined the onstage dancing to bring the number on stage to 8 for “Sleepytime In The Western World”. “Big Black Bird” provides a great sing song as the lyrics go: “Round and round, round it goes, where it’s gonna stop, ain’t nobody knows.” Everyone in the audience can’t help but nod their head and shuffle their feet to this one. The band leaves the stage only to be forced by the crowd to sing one more. The last song was “Not Your Lover” and capped off what was a great night.
I was worried when going to the gig, although the new album is superb, that they might forget the back catalogue but I wasn’t to be disappointed. Blitzen Trapper put on a great show and talking to the band members after, seem really down to earth and lovely guys. Next time they return, and I sure hope they do, my name will be first on the list once more.
