Trousdale at Fine Line (06 May 2025)
Tour Dates *with collaborative opening set from Beane and Nia Ashleigh ^supporting Lake Street Dive Read More
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Downtown Minneapolis was abuzz with Twins fans streaming into Target Field, Sturgill Simpson holding down the fort at the Armory and Wolves fans showing up early at the Target Center for a playoff series against the Warriors. And at the Fine Line, a completely different fan base all dressed up in sparkles and bright colors, showing up early to cheer on a trio from the Golden State.
To reflect the headliners, the opening act was not one but three performers:
Beane, aka Brennan Hepler, from Boston, a Berklee College of Music graduate and a contestant on American Idol who sang a duet with Josh Goban in the later rounds. His advice to the crowd: Don’t eat asiago cheese before stepping on stage, which he apparently did.
Nia Ashleigh, from Newark, also a Berklee College of Music graduate. She played Nala in the Lion King on Broadway at age ten. Her wish for the evening: to make someone cry.
buffchick, aka Erin Manion, from New Jersey, a graduate of Syracuse University, and a singer-songwriter with an EP Here Forever and LP showtime. She also played 7th Street Entry back in March.
All three performers remained on stage and supported each other with vocals as they took turns to sing. On paper it shouldn’t have worked, but there was a playful rapport between the three. For example, after Beane sang a new song “Serious” about not taking life too seriously, Nia followed up with a story about dating a guy who didn’t take things seriously enough, forgetting to pick her up at the airport, which inspired the song “Stranded”.
As the crowd waited between sets and danced to Dolly Parton’s “Nine to Five”, I was surprised by the diversity. Sure, there were teens and pre-teens girls with their parents. But there were also a lot of men, young and old, and for some reason a fair amount of gray-haired seniors, who may or may not have been with a younger generation. Whatever the case, a wide-ranging fan base, which may have spoken to the universal nature of the headliners.
Trousdale is from Los Angeles. Their name comes from the name of a pedestrian footbridge at the University of Southern California, where the trio met. They formed when Laura Jones and Georgia Greene were paired for a songwriting project. They added Quinn D’Andrea, a classically trained pianist, to help with the harmonies. From there they have been releasing quite a bit of music, already supporting their sophomore album Growing Pains, which is the perfect title to a sophomore album.
The trio opened with “Lonely Night” which encapsulates their sound, which is country-tinged pop meeting acapella-infused musical theater. Atwood Magazine best described them as turning “... life’s messiest moments into radiant folk-pop gold.”
Trousdale at 7th St Entry (Oct 5, 2023)
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Trousdale was last in the Twin Cities in 2023, headlining at 7th Street Entry in October and opening for Cory Wong at the Palace Theatre in March. They said they learned a lot about touring with him, Quinn adding, “He set the bar high for us… Maybe too high.”
They definitely captured Cory’s spirit with their vocals melding into a positive force even as they tackled heavy subjects like depression in “Wouldn’t Come Back”, aimlessness in “Sleeping at the Wheel” and staying in a dysfunctional relationship in “Second Hand Smoke”.
There were also rousing numbers that showcased the trio's vocals like “Growing Pains”, which will stick with you, “Out of My Mind” a bluesy number and “Over and Over” a song that was pure-grade sunshine.
| dave ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
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