Another Great Show At "The Mouse"

A performance review by Mark Stitt, Saturday, 2/26/05

Regular readers know that I usually have no trouble describing different bands or events that I attend. That being said, I find myself at a loss of words to adequately describe the band "Trampled Under Foot". I have now seen them play 5 or 6 times, and it is obvious that all their practice and performances have polished this family into a shiny jewel of a treat. The band is composed of brothers Nick on guitar and Kris on drums, along with their sister Danielle Nicole on bass. All three are all excellent musicians in their own right, but Danielle's voice alone is reason enough to come hear this band play live.

They came on right at 9:00, and did about a 90 minute set full of energy and great music. The bar was full, not a seat to be had, and the crowd was most appreciative. I noticed a lot of regulars that I had seen at previous shows. Several people left after the first set, and I felt sorry for them because the second set kicked off with a very sultry version of Aretha Franklin's 'Chain of Fools' that had the dance floor jammed within a minute, and followed that with an a cappella version of Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz' that had the entire crowd clapping and singing along. (A tip of the hat to Andrea and Chris for that suggestion!) It just kept getting better and better, 'Hurt So Good' from Susan Tedeschi, some Etta James, Howlin Wolf, and then they nailed the classic 'Me and Bobby McGee' that was nothing short of a tour de force!

Oh my, this band was not just good, they were GREAT! Smoking hot blues licks from Nick, funky bass lines from Danielle, and I was happy to see that twice they led off songs with a solo from Kris. Once again their mother Lisa (formerly of Little Eva & The Works) took the stage to do a couple of songs with great results. The night closed out with a monster version of the classic Ray Charles hit 'Night Time (Is the Right Time)' that left the crowd wrung out and delirious. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to see them, because a band this good and a singer with a voice like Danielle's won't be playing small clubs too much longer. I will let you know the next time they come through, and for a $5 cover, you just can NOT go wrong seeing them perform. The Trouser Mouse Bar is at the SE corner of I-70 and 7 Highway in Blue Springs, right behind McDonalds. From Carrollton to Lawrence, Belton to Weston, no one is too far away to come see this band. You owe it to yourselves to see for yourself!