The Trishas

Photo by Todd V. Wolfson

The Trishas

For the Trishas, comparisons to the Dixie Chicks are inevitable. The two bands tread similar musical paths: occasionally rambunctious Texas country laced with gospel, a hint of soul, and not a note out of place. The main difference in favor of the Trishas – Savannah Welch, Kelley Mickwee, Liz Foster, and Jamie Wilson – is the ability of the local quartet to blend their voices into an wondrous whole. This set suffered some from an unfortunate, muddy mix; the tent swallowed some of the band's intricacies and amplified the newly added drummer to the point of occasionally overwhelming the foursome's acoustic sound. They started with a deep gospel, "Moses"; strode into an unnamed Kevin Welch (Savannah's father) tune; and near set's end, things got appropriately dark and misty with "Whistling Past the Graveyard." There's one Trisha in the band, violinist Trisha Keefer, who joined the band after it had been named and who lent a great deal to their sound. Despite the disappointing sound, the Trishas remain one of Austin's most interesting new bands. Will they become, as some have suggested, Dixie Chicks 2.0?