Durham, NC
November 5th, 2010
Like a well spring unexpectedly popping up to nourish a garden, Hopscotch's influence on Troika 2010 Friday night at packed Motorco, Fullsteam, and Trotter Building was evident. Three hundred plus filled into tres chic Motorco, over four hundred across the street at Fullsteam and a slap happy melange of both crowds anchored at trotter for the late night stretch and while the faces of Troika past were all present, the Hopsctoch effect grew into them an energized mix of new locals awake to the local scene and hungry for a bite of it.
My night started with being surrounded by a reanimated Dillon Fence crowd who knew every lyric and sang every song that this Southern rock institution brought on stage. Flashing charm and winks to the faithful, front man Greg Humphreys occurred as in his prime through an encore demanded set and added just a little more age to a 67' Gibson SG that's already lived lifetimes of road wear. When John Mayer left his day job as a tween pop idol to try and form a blues rock band, this is the cool he dreamed of (and never reached.) Dillon Fence owned Motorco's stage with their thick cut brand of rock and made good on their offer to trade 250 dates a year for 250 plus hometown crowds on special occasions.
Across the street at Fullsteam, the IPA vats were pouring out everything they had for the crowd and so was Wilmington folk rock band Onward Soldiers. Style and poise meets rhythm and swing to create Onward Soldiers' drawing power. Last night front man Sean Thomas Gerard let loose his driving storyteller vocals on Fullsteam and filled the warehouse's expanse with its energy.
Careful going to the bar for a refill between sets before Chapel Hill Americana cuties Mandolin Orange takes stage because you'll not get your spot back. My friends just three bodies deep into the crowd were unreachable upon my return as Andrew Marlin's dreamy Southern soul voice and Emily Frantz's elegant and crisp harmonies pulled the air from between audience bodies like a vacuum pack and sucked everyone tightly to the stage. Mandolin Orange headlined the Fullsteam troika line up Friday night in duo form and served a heavy spoonful of old time Appalachian folk.
The explosive face rock of Red Collar at the trotter Building was the perfect outtro for Troika Friday and along with the colorful personalities that I rolled up with throughout the night we jittered and jeered over the last Triangle Brewing Co. white ales of the night while we stomped feet and shook fists at the commotion happening onstage and right at the brim of it. --Carrboro Ninja
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Dillon Fence
Motorco crowd for Dillon Fence
Onward Solders
Mandolin Orange
Red Collar
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