If there ever were a perfect marriage between artist and venue, The Trishas at Dosey Doe is a match made in Texas music heaven. The superior acoustics of the 150-year-old barn that is Dosey Doe and the four-piece harmony vocal act of The Trishas make for a stirring and soulful experience.
The Trishas, made up of Jamie Wilson, Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee and Savannah Welch, were celebrating the release of their first full-length album, "High, Wide and Handsome," which came out Tuesday. They were ably supported by opener and occasional contributor Brandy Zdan, who added a nice touch with electric and steel guitar fills, and even played the accordion on a few tunes.
The band blends their astounding vocal harmonies with country, folk and gospel elements to create a sound unique to a market flooded with beer drinkers and hell raisers. Each member is an impressive instrumentalist, switching in and out a dizzying array of acoustic guitars, mandolins, harmonica, percussion instruments and a banjo. But their strongest instruments are their singular voices, with each member able to cover impressive range and tone.
On any given song, a member will assume lead vocals in the first verse, kicking the tune off simply enough. But when the other three join in, the result is nothing short of moving. The ease of the music, the pace of the songs, such as the wrenching "Gold and Silver" from the new album, and the throw-back traditionalism of a seemingly lost genre were in their perfect home in the rustic barn.
You almost get the sense that some of these songs, such as the gospel-infused "Trouble About My Soul" from their debut EP "They Call Us the Trishas," might have been played in this same building in the same style a century ago.
The band performed mostly songs from their new album, with highlights including the lead track "Mother of Invention," which kicked off the show ; the waltz "Liars and Fools" and the superior "Why." Their set also included the Guy Clark gem "She Ain't Going Nowhere," which the band played at a recent Clark tribute show, as well as the single "Drive," which inexplicably was left off the new album.
Having formed in 2009 as sort of a one-off tribute during that year's MusicFest in Steamboat, Colo., The Trishas are still in their infancy. The band members are literally getting to know one another on stage, as their between-song banter reveals a band still feeling each other out, but confident in their abilities and their songs.
Although their trajectory may inevitably lead them to the larger, rowdier honky tonks and bars in college towns and small towns, The Trishas belong in a venue such as Dosey Doe, where the audience can focus more on the music on stage rather than the drink in their hand.