strawberries in the summertime

I wish polygamy were legal. Because then I could marry both Eric Earley AND Robin Pecknold, lead singers of Blitzen Trapper and Fleet Foxes, respectively. I had the pleasure of attending their concert last week at The McDonald Theater here in Eugene, and it was amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I've always envisioned their music to be best performed on a wildflower-frocked meadow in the foothills of the Cascades or Blue Ridge Mountains, while I sit on a porchswing of a log cabin sipping a hearty beer. But my perch on the theater's balcony was perfect as I watched these bands perform some of my favorite songs through a shroud of fog.


Blitzen Trapper quickly opened the dynamic show with a high-energy rendition of "Sleepytime in the Western World," and most of the songs which followed were from their most recent album Furr. The group was filled with energy, and during the title track Furr, they were joined by the members of Fleet Foxes, which was a treat for sure. All the same, I would've liked to just hear their version of it. Despite my beer spilling into my lap early on in the show, I was very content. My favorite part of their set was when Eric Earley found himself alone on stage for "Not Your Lover," which moved me to tears. All in all their set was rocking. I wanted to get up and dance. I especially liked when, during "Black River Killer," Eric did a special hand movement when he said "oregon."


Fleet Foxes put on an equally delightful, albeit different, showcase. Comfortably bantering with the crowd, they ended up discussing tea, which of course eventually led to a humorous joke about Fleet Foxes being strict constitutionalists who like to teabag. Two of my favorite songs, "White Winter Hymnal" and "Ragged Wood" were paired so perfectly that it took my breath away for a second. While I was less inclined to dance to their music, I did find myself lost in the abyss of whimsical melodies and beats. The highlight of their set was the solo performances by Robin Pecknold, particularly "Oliver James" and "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." I have embedded a video of second one below.

All in all, the concert lived up to every hope and dream I had. Maybe someday I'll get to see both bands outside of a log cabin in foothills. But I'll settle for seeing Blitzen Trapper at the Pickathon Music Festival this summer at the Pendarvis Farm outside of Portland. Who's in?