Blitzen Trapper @ The First Unitarian Church

March 1st: It was the first day of March in Philly so one thing is certain: it will be cold. It was snowing in fact and the line into the church was out the door. Inside it would be what guitarist Marty Marquis called a “sauna-atmosphere.” But the tickets only cost $15 for band who supposedly had the #13 album of the year according to Rolling Stone. (6 behind Coldplay..urrggg.) This album Furr, was in fact one of the better albums of the year so the wait in the snow was worth it. Furr wasn’t your typical indie rock record that features a couple of good/low-fi songs and fades away after a year or two, only to be remembered by Pitchfork and its followers (so me too.) However, this album will be long lasting as it doesn’t subscribe to any trend; it is just great music that generation could enjoy. Plus, the band is signed to SubPop Records which pretty much ensures that they will be good if not amazing.

So, as I enter I see singer/songwriter Alela Diane walk on the stage as I do, perfect timing. Alela Diane plays soothing music that is a little bit of a mix between Cat Power and Feist. She has opened for the Decemberists before and this time she proved that someday she will probably be a headline of her own. After Diane played a strong set and it was time for Blitzen Trapper who performed “Furr”, “God & Suicide”, but the hit of the night was “Love U.” The whole crowd was taken back when Eric Earley screamed out “I LOVE YOU BABY LIKE THIEF LOVE MONEY/LIKE A WHEEL GOTTA ROLL”, it was one of the best live screams I’ve heard (haven’t heard ALL that many but HEY it was still pretty good.) Earley then performed a cover of a song about cocaine which drew laughs from the crowd. On “Not Your Lover”, Marquis instructed the crowd to “cozy up to your favorite person”, but since I was alone, I held my beer very tight and we danced to the melodic rhythms of the dreary song. It was a little strange for Marquis to ask us to cuddle up when the main verse is “In my sleep I’m not your lover anymore.” Oh well, it was a nice thought.

Blitzen Trapper proved to be very charismatic as they played very well to the audience. Marty Marquis remarked that it had been too long since he had been in Philly and that he should make a new record just for Philly. But, he wouldn’t because he joked that the” city of Brotherly love” title is “a little sexist.” But, hey, if Blitzen Trapper keep on making hits records and performing them live in this city, we might just have to change the city’s name. Probably not, but keep coming anyways!

Grade: A-