Trampled by Turtles at First Avenue

Trampled by Turtles celebrate 10 year anniversary at First Avenue with three sold out shows

I caught night three of Trampled by Turtles’ three night sold out run at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Although it was more mellow than I expected for the finale, it was another gem of a performance. Over the course of three nights, the band brought in several friends in their takeover of First Avenue’s mainroom and the 7th Street Entry next door. For the finale in the mainroom, Erik Koskinen and Charlie Parr opened, both putting together very nice sets. First Avenue was hot, and as packed as I have ever seen it.

Trampled by Turtles are celebrating their 10 year anniversary as a band. Having first seen them back in 2006, it’s crazy how time flies. They are one of the very first bands that I photographed live, and now having seen and photographed them a dozen times or more, they still are one of my favorites and biggest challenges to capture well. It’s always fun to photograph Trampled by Turtles at First Avenue. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to watch them blossom into what they are today.

On this night, the setlist was well balanced with some nice covers mixed in, including banjo player Dave Carroll softly singing Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” towards the end of the night. My favorite cover of the night was Arcade Fire’s “Rebellion (Lies)” however. This was simply amazing to finally hear live. It was also  great to hear them play the slow and heavy “Gasoline” from their 2010 album Palomino. That one doesn’t get played often, and the dark purple and white lights accented the song beautifully. “Bloodshot Eyes” from Palomino was also fantastic. The songs that brought the biggest roars from the crowd were “Wait So Long” and “Victory”, both which have seen a lot of airplay. 

Trampled by Turtles was filming their three performances for what First Avenue security told me is an upcoming documentary. There were videographers everywhere, so I hope something comes out of this. It’s good to see the band doing so well and being a fine representative of Minnesota music around the country and globe. Trampled by Turtles is a true Minnesota gem, and I hope they make it another ten years.

Photos taken for Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Trampled by Turtles

Charlie Parr

Erik Koskinen