Blitzen Trapper at the Codfish Hollow Barn -- October 19.
Thursday, October 19, 8 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
Their discography boasting such top-20 Billboard hits as Destroyer of the World, American Goldwing, VII, and All Across This Land, the Portland, Oregon-based country-folk rockers of Blitzen Trapper headline an October 19 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, their most recent recording Holy Smokes Future Jokes lauded by Glide magazine as a work in which "the melodies are all mellow but unpredictable, and the vocal harmonies can't be ignored."
Formed in 2000, Blitzen Trapper currently operates as a quartet boasting the talents of Eric Earley (guitar/harmonica/vocals/keyboard), Brian Adrian Koch (drums/vocals/harmonica), Michael Elson (bass/keyboard), and Nathan Vanderpool (guitar/vocals). Following the group's self-titled, self-released 2003 album debut and the following year's Field Rexx, the group debuted Wild Mountain Nation in 2007, the title track for which was included on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. After Wild Mountain Nation received major acclaim from outlets such as Pitchfork, The Nerve, and Spin magazine. Blitzen Trapper signed to Sub Pop Records in the summer of 2007, and with the release of Furr in 2008, the group received a two-page feature in Rolling Stone. The album was ranked number 13 on the magazine's Best Albums of 2008 list, while the title track was ranked number four on Rolling Stone's Best Singles of 2008. In 2010 and 2011, respectively, the Blitzen Trapper albums Destroyer of the Void and American Goldwing were released to similarly high acclaim.
In October of 2013, the band released VII, their first on Vagrant Records in the U.S., and the following December, Blitzen Trapper self-published their first live album, Live In Portland, followed by a Record Store Day exclusive: a live cover album of Neil Young's Harvest record titled Live Harvest. Blitzen Trapper's eighth studio album All Across This Land was released in October of 2015, while their ninth – marking a return to the band's own label LidKerCow – was titled Wild & Reckless and debuted in November of 2017. At the end of 2019, longtime members Erik Menteer (guitar/keyboard), Michael Van Pelt (bass), and Marty Marquis (guitar/keyboards/vocals/melodica) retired from the band. But remaining founding members Earley and Koch returned to touring in 2022 with their new lineup, and during their hiatus from live shows, Blitzen Trapper signed to Yep Roc for the 2020 release of their tenth album Holy Smokes Future Jokes.
Blitzen Trapper plays their Maquoketa engagement on October 19, admission to the 8 p.m. concert is $35, and tickets are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
