The all-strings band, Trampled by Turtles, from Duluth, Minnesota put on a stellar bluegrass performance showcasing their most recent album, Wild Animals, to a packed house at The Tabernacle in Atlanta on December 18th. With extraordinary vocal harmony alongside gentle chord progression TxT began with “Alone,” a song that builds on itself leading slow melodies to a fast-paced jam. I found that much of what Trampled by Turtles brought to the table followed a similar progression through contrasting tempos. This allows for the band to highlight their ability to quickly change from a soft lullaby to a bluegrass jam where all members are aggressively attacking instruments with fiery passion. 
Fiddler Ryan Young and mandolinist Erik Berry were playing with such high energy—nimble fingers at work carefully selecting each note. These two were an exciting duo to watch as they stood next to each other on stage, one constantly out-doing the other, both are equally talented in promoting their own stylistic language of improvisation. Being able to hear the uniqueness of band member’s improvisational language is certainly something I look forward to in a live act and Trampled by Turtles exceeded my expectations.
Trampled by Turtles are quite talented and very lively, so go see them play!
(Images by Benjamin Adams Photography)