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Trillian Green’s music, and act, had an appeal to audiences of all
ages & walks of life. Younger audiences were drawn to the band’s
energy & mystique, as well as the dance-ability of the music. Older
audiences enjoyed the band’s acoustic instrumentation & melodic
sensibility; and the fact that the group didn’t have to play loud
to convey the music’s power & intensity. Universally, the band’s
chemistry & connection with the audience was very entertaining to
be a part of…
At the time Trillian Green was becoming more renown, a few other unique
acoustic instrumental bands, songwriters, and acts, were beginning to
emerge in the Seattle Scene: MANAH (Tom Armstrong, Elizabeth Pupo-Walker,
and Steve Gauci), SPIRIT HOUSE, ERIC APOE & THE FURNACE, REGGIE GARRETT
& THE SNAKE OIL PEDDLERS, THE NEW DRUIDS, THE BILLY TIPTON MEMORIAL
SAX QUARTET (Amy Denio & Jessica Lurie), TRES MUNDOS, BAKSHISH, BABY
GRAMPS, ARTIS THE SPOONMAN, JIM PAGE, and guitarist RICK SABO were a few
of the acts performing in similar venues. Many bands were sharing musicians
& supporting each other’s shows. Cafes & venues harbored
Acoustic Musicians, and with a thriving scene of supportive fans, there
was a sense that the “Post-Grunge Seattle Music Scene” had
arrived.
From the stage, at a sold out Black Citroen show in 1995, Ben Klein coined
the term, “THE ACOUSTIC REVOLUTION,” with an inspired declaration
that Acoustic Music could powerfully & forcefully take over the mainstream
music realm. Soon after, Jarrod Kaplan (the band’s Percussionist
& Manager) further defined the term to describe the scene that “revolved
around” the creation of Acoustic Music. With Trillian Green as the
catalyst, Jarrod started OMNIVINE RECORDS and AGENCY to distribute recordings
for, and book many of the acts within, the Acoustic Revolutionary Family
of bands.
Trillian Green’s
1st West Coast tour in the Summer of 1995 had the band performing
31 shows (incl. Radio Stations & Record Stores) in 28 days,
from Bellingham, WA to Santa Cruz CA. In some cases (in SF) the
band performed at more than one venue in the same day. Days before
shows were either spent Street Performing, or driving around distributing
recordings (in person) to Radio Stations and Music Stores.
…On one occasion, at a venue in San Francisco, Trillian Green
was sharing a show with a heavy Rock act called, Elysian Fields.
The venue was set up with 2 stages, and the bands alternated 45-minute
sets. After Elysian Fields finished their 1st set, the band’s
dark audience moved over to fill the tables in front of Trillian
Green’s candle-lit Stage. |
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At first, it didn’t look like the crowd was too happy to see a
trio with Cello, Flute, and a Djembe player. In fact, a few people heckled
the band, “What the hell is that, an overgrown violin?!”,
“Come on flute-boy, let’s see what you got…”
The funny thing was that, by the middle of the 1st song, the same people
who’d been heckling were jaw-dropped, and all bought CDs at the
end of the set!…
As a result of a lot of hard work, and a lot of performing, by the middle
of 1996, TRILLIAN GREEN was informing a mailing list of thousands of
fans, and selling out THE BACKSTAGE (500 Capacity, Seattle), EAGLES
HALL BALLROOM, (350 Capacity, Bellingham, WA), THE MT. TABOR THEATER
(400 Capacity, Portland, OR), THE WOW HALL (500 Capacity, Eugene, OR),
THE MARK ANTHONY BALLROOM (300 Capacity, Ashland, OR), as well as 300-400
Capacity Venues in N. CA, from Arcata to Santa Cruz. This sell-out show
trend continued through the end of the band’s career in February
1998, when, with no advertising, THE TRACTOR TAVERN (Seattle) had to
turn away over 100 fans, some of who drove from as far as Canada, Montana,
and N. CA inspired by the “rumor” that this was to be Trillian
Green’s final show.
In 1996 and 1997, Trillian Green found themselves on Main Stages at
BUMBERSHOOT, NW FOLKLIFE, THE FREMONT FAIR, THE SEATTLE PEACE CONCERTS
(Gasworks & Volunteer Parks), SALMON DAYS (Ballard), THE NW HERBAL
FAIRE (Bellingham, WA), THE OREGON COUNTRY FAIR, EUGENE CELEBRATION,
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY FOLK FESTIVAL, DIVINCI DAYS (Corvallis, OR), THE
WHOLE EARTH FESTIVAL (Davis, CA), and THE HIGH SIERRA MUSIC FESTIVAL
(Quincy, CA), among many others.
In the winter of 1997, TRILLIAN GREEN went into the freshly burned down
HOUSE OF LEISURE recording studio with Sub-Pop Producer-Arranger Mark
Nichols (The Walkabouts, Jeremy Enigk, Little Boy Goes to Hell) and
Engineer Todd Fogelsonger (Crystal Park Mobile Recording Studio), to
make their 2nd CD, “Metamorphoses”. Since the bulk of studio
was literally charred from the fire, Todd pulled his Analog Recording
Truck into the studio’s garage, and the band set up in the remaining
2 rooms. Ben (flute) set up in a room with a window that looked into
another room where Jarrod (percussion) and Christine (cello) could see
each other using a large mirror. In the dead of the dreary Seattle winter,
with no central heat, a propane jet heater had to be turned on and off
between recordings to keep everyone’s fingers from going numb…
It was tricky, because the garage door had to be cracked open to allow
for ventilation from the propane fumes… Despite the uncomfortable
conditions, the tracks were magical, and as overdubs happened (with
many guest musicians), the recording took on a sort of psychedelic life
of its own…
Trillian Green independently released “Metamorphoses” on
May 1st 1997, just in time for Festival season. By the end of the summer
the band was receiving airplay on over 25 West Coast radio stations,
as well as 2 nationally syndicated shows (Hearts of Space & Echoes),
and could be found in most record stores along their tour route. Further
however, internet savvy fans were spreading word of the music, and mail-orders
were coming in from all over the world.
Classically, as the band’s success accelerated, so did the pressures
to write, perform, and appear in the public eye more often. Unfortunately,
at the time, this type of success and pressure was new to the band.
The intense personalities that normally gelled to create such powerful
and amazing music, soon polarized, and each member decided to go their
own way…
TRILLIAN GREEN PRESS ARTICLES
Ben Klein made a solo CD called “Ben Flutism” (www.OMNIVINE.com),
married his college sweetheart & started a family in Bozeman, MT.
Christine Gunn performed with The Walkabouts throughout
Europe, and then grew her family some more in Seattle. She recently
released a solo Cello CD called "Voice of the Tree” (www.ChristineGunn.com).
Jarrod Kaplan went on to perform, tour, and record
with Devachan, Hanuman, Taarka, Woodland, The Joe Bean Rock Opera, and
The CA Guitar Trio, and is now on call to perform with Cirque du Soleil.
He currently lives in Eugene, OR, with his new family.
With time came growth, experience, and healing.
6 years later, as fate would have it, Jarrod crossed paths with the
producers of a major Fantasy/Faerie-Realm inspired Celtic Musical event
called Faerie Worlds (www.FaerieWorlds.com). Emelio & Kelly Miller-Lopez
had recently moved to Eugene, and were seeking to renew the line-up
of their Band, Woodland; the centerpiece act of their event. As long-time
Trillian Green Fans, they dually propositioned Jarrod to perform with
Woodland, and have Trillian Green reunite for a performance at their
next Faerie Worlds Event.
On August 1st, 2004, Trillian Green reunited at Horning’s Hideout
(N. Plains, OR) for an exclusive performance at The Faerie Worlds Festival.
Reawakened to their powerful musical chemistry, the band put on a tremendous
show, and soon after became thirsty to perform again…
Considering everyday work, family life and geography, TRILLIAN GREEN
is now performing special events when time permits... As for now, here
are the next few shows not to be missed:
NEW! Announcing
New Shows
Emerson Ballroom
Friday April 28th, 2006 8 PM - All Ages
Tickets $18 in advance; $20 at the door
For info contact info@porterhouseproductions.com
Bozeman, MT
w/ The Drum Borthers
Friday, May 5th
@ The Strand/Cozmic
Pizza
199 W. 8th Ave. (& Charnelton)
ALL AGES! Eugene, OR
$10-$15 (sliding scale) door / Kids under 12 Free!
Info: (541) 302-6013
NEW! Announcing Trillian
Green's return to the Faerieworlds
Festival!
Sunday, July 30th, 2006
Secret House Winery
HWY 126
Eugene, OR
Tickets at 800-992-TIXX
Info: (541) 687-0945
www.faerieworlds.com
www.omnivine.com
www.christinegunn.com
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