Photos: Duluth’s Trampled By Turtles brought bluegrass-infused indie to The Uptown

Allison Scavo,
Photo May 03 2024 2 38 50 Pm 7

Trampled By Turtles. // photo by Allison Scavo

Trampled by Turtles
with Drayton Farley
Uptown Theater
Thursday, May 2

Have you ever set out with an idea, life gets in the way, and you are swayed down a different path? That’s how Trampled By Turtles came to fruition. Based out of Duluth, Minnesota frontman Dave Simonett was sitting in with another band. Meanwhile, all his gear was being stolen, leaving behind an acoustic guitar. Having been unable to immediately replace what was lost, Simonett started researching and diving into music that didn’t require an amp. Despite not being too terribly familiar with bluegrass, he recruited members for their new band as everyone flowed through the process together. And with that, Trampled By Turtles was born.

They have released several albums with several of their songs reaching the top 10 Billboard bluegrass charts. On Thursday night, they came to Kansas City and played a riveting set of bluegrass-infused indie-folk songs that bridge the gap into rock. The high-energy vibe was pinpointed with a fast tempo that dipped into tense and anticipatory jams. Just as their name suggests, when you attend a Trampled show, time feels as though it slows down, much like turtles, as you are swarmed and trampled with excitement.

Coming in from Birmingham, Alabama, Drayton Farley opened for Trampled By Turtles with their southern country and western sound. The gritty, raspy, sound perfectly accentuates the beautiful yet brutal lyrics that highlight the good, bad, and ugly sides of life.

All photos by Allison Scavo

Trampled By Turtles

Trampled By Turtles setlist
Quitting Is Rough
On the Highway
Codeine
Stranger
Hollow
We All Get Lonely
The Darkness and the Light
Starting Over
It’s So Hard to Hold On
Bloodshot Eyes
Annihilate
Sounds Like a Movie
New Orleans
Victory
Wild Animals
Alone
Burn for Free
Keep Me in Your Heart (Warren Zevon cover)
New Son/Burnt Iron
Midnight on the Interstate
—
Whiskey
Wait So Long

Drayton Farley

Categories: Music
Tags: , , , , , ,

More