Trampled By Turtles, The Devil Makes Three and Elephant Revival raced into Louisville, KY last Friday night, May 6th, to help kick off the festivities surrounding the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Many memorable shows have been held on Derby Eves past, and this roots and Americana triple bill was a sure fit for the state that birthed the name “Bluegrass.” Gathering together a sold out crowd at the scenic Iroquois Amphitheater, the family friendly event saw music fans of all ages dancing in the aisles and singing to the stars.
The evening’s first act, Elephant Revival is fresh off releasing their new album Petals, and shared an upbeat set of tunes from their entire catalog. The band’s versatility was on display as almost all of the players exchanged instruments and roles throughout their forty-five minute set. The youngest fans in the audience flocked to the rail and delighted in singing along with Elephant Revival’s more upbeat and joyous fare. Mandolinist Erik Berry from TBT couldn’t resist the pull of the music either, popping out to join Dango Rose for an all too brief duet.
The Devil Makes Three have come a long way from their Southern Californian (by way of Vermont) beginnings to international acclaim. The trio brought additional musicians out for their tour with Trampled By Turtles, and the added drums and strings did a perfect job of enriching but not overpowering the sound that they’ve worked so hard to perfect. Though the band’s fans are aching for new material, they were overjoyed at the show, singing along with every song as they packed shoulder to shoulder along the stage front. Closing their musical stanza, frontman Pete Bernhard offered some terrible advice for picking horses and kind words for the city itself that drew cheers and laughs which, along with the smoking songs they shared, surely earned The Devil Makes Three some enthusiastic new fans.
The evening’s headliners, Trampled By Turtles, demonstrated the confidence they’ve earned over a decade plus of relentless touring and recording. Their releases have dominated the Billboard bluegrass charts over that time, at one point holding the number one position for a year straight. The fanatical loyalty they receive from their nation of fans is amazing to watch. A brief sampling of the fans who made their way up to the front of the stage revealed attendees from fourteen different states, some from as far away as Alaska, in town for the race and their favorite band. When the lights dimmed and the band took the stage the howls and cheers of appreciation were deafening.
While over two hundred thousand people placed bets at Churchill Downs during Derby weekend, in the end there was only one sure thing…that fans of bluegrass who managed to get tickets to the Trampled By Turtles, Devil Makes Three and Elephant Revival show won by a mile! Check out a few more pictures and a full gallery from the show below.
