There was nothing to distract me from the music last night. There was no mosh pit. No fighting. No drunks stumbling around and ruining people’s night. Nothing. But that’s okay because the music was more than enough.

There’s a reason why Spin Magazine named The Domestics a “band to watch”. From the instant the band took the stage, the growing crowd that had been lingering in the back of the venue began to get closer and closer.

The Domestics are a five piece band from Portland, Oregon that were truly turning heads last night. They recently released their debut LP on Tender Loving Records and I truly hope there are more releases to come. They seemed to play just about everything off of their debut in their somewhat short, but enjoyable, set.

Their music was up-beat but calming. It was the type of music that you just want to sit on your balcony/ porch with a bottle of wine and listen to on repeat. The band members must have had the same idea being that they were passing around a bottle of wine. It was the perfect way to start off a night of great, calming music.

Blitzen Trapper were the headliners last night. I had heard a little bit of these guys before last night but it was always just background music for me. It’s a bit too calm for my liking. That being said, they completely blew me away last night.

Blitzen Trapper is a five piece alternative country band from Portland, Oregon. These guys have been around for quite some time. Their first studio album came out in 2003 and they have released seven more since then. Their newest album All Across This Land came out just a couple of days ago so they seemed to focus on playing songs from that album with a few older songs thrown in.

Eric Earley, singer, has a voice that very much resembles that of Bob Dylan. The music altogether has a very similar sound and feel to Dylan. The lyrics take you back to a simpler time and make you want to curl up next to a fire or something calm like that

The fact that one of their songs led into “Come Together” by The Beatles is a perfect example of the type of music this was. Everything was so chill and informal but at the same time very polished. Every guitar solo was filled with simple yet beautiful riffs that truly made you lose yourself in the music.

Everything about this show was personal. Earley seemed to have a few brain farts during the show where he completely forgot the lyrics. He could have easily brushed it off and kept going but instead, he stopped and started the song over. I loved this. Why? Because it just proves that musicians are humans too and they make mistakes. Instead of going on and shrugging it off, he wanted perfection and he got it. Even with the brain farts, the whole set was flawless. Each note had a purpose and each beat had you tapping your feet.

For the encore, the band brought drummer Brian Koch up to the front of the stage with just a snare drum and some brushes. This gave the crowd a great chance to see just how much talent these men have especially when they went a capella for a wee bit.

Last night definitely wasn’t my scene. It was calm but amazing and truly refreshing. I think I could get into this whole “alt country” thing.

Line Up:

The Domestics

Blitzen Trapper

Venue: First Avenue

Sausage Fest Meter- 5 out of 10

Broken Bones- None

Average Age- 30

Spotted Flying Through The Air-Champagne… yes, someone sprayed a bottle of champagne all over the crowd