Lost in the Trees

By Harold

One of the joys of moving into a new area is pretending like you just “discovered” a local band. For all you know, they’ve been around for years and have a rabid following up and down the East Coast, but they’re not one of the 20 bands you’d heard of and the crowds at their concerts don’t seem too big, so you start to take ownership.

When I was at Duke, that role was played by the Pat McGee Band, who I happened to see on campus, and then at the local club (Cat’s Cradle). So what if they had an album out and were already signed by a record label? I was the first of my friends from home to hear about them, so when they were listening to sell-outs and corporate artists like, um, U2 and Pearl Jam, I could pretend like I was in this exclusive club that supported a real independent artist.

Well, Pat McGee has long split with the Band, but I’m happy to announce I’ve found a new local band to support: Lost in the Trees. Laura and I saw them randomly at a summer rooftop concert, and they were back at UNC to play a free show last night at Gerrard Hall.

The group has a string section and a brass section, and you never know when someone will break out the accordion or the bells. It has a really unique, fun sound, and the ability to build from soft to layered and intense in a hurry. A typical song will start with the lead singer and his acoustic guitar, backed up by violins, and then a tuba and drums and away we go. There’s something for everyone.

Their next area show is at Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Dec. 6, and they seem to tour around the Southeast, so check them out if you get the chance. Just remember that I discovered them before you did (unless you were among the hundreds of people at the concert last night, including dozens who actually seemed to be mouthing lyrics).