One moment you are looking at a charming, gorgeous, raven haired
young woman at the bar, the next you see the transformation into the
very essence of Kansas City blues. As Danielle Nicole steps onto the
stage and belts out the first lick of her mature, powerhouse vocals,
the new fans know they have found something special. Those that have
previously seen Trampled Under Foot (TUF) just smile in a knowing
way. As Danielle immerses herself deeper into her set and the shoes
come off, the sweat starts to drip and the fans become lost in her
voice, she transforms into the old soul her voice suggests. During
Lord Have Mercy, there was a gospel infused edge to her vocals, that
along with Nick's riffs on his guitar; I felt a spiritual connection
to her and all the members of TUF. To see her hair hanging in her
face, a cigarette dangling from her lips as she captivates us with
her bass playing, hips moving to the music, and simply owning the
crowd at such a relatively young age, is something that simply must
be seen to not just appreciate, but understand. As people like
comparisons, I knew I should try to give some idea of Danielle's
voice in this review. After pondering for two days on how to capture
the magic, the depth, the pain and the love that flows from her and
through her fans, the closest I can come is try to imagine if Susan
Tedeschi and Janis Joplin's voice were merged as one, that is an
idea
of the power of Danielle's voice.

This was both TUF's debut performance at Columbia, Missouri's
fabulous Martini Bar, and also my first time seeing the band; without
question this was one of the most amazing live shows I have ever
seen. The original members of the band are all siblings and are
offspring of their influential, blues playing parents out of Kansas
City, MO. Kris Schnebelen on drums, and Nick Schnebelen on vocals and
guitar have a quiet confidence about them that shines through in
their precision on their instruments and the passion in which they
play. The newest member of the band, Liam Goodrick also has an
amazing voice and is extraordinary on keyboard and has great banter
with the crowd at times between sets. The band's sound is crisp
and
clean, yet guttural and raw, the sounds of the instruments never
muddle with one another, rather there is such an incredible quality
in the clarity and layering of sounds; this ladies and gentlemen is a
true blues band.

It is a rare treat to get to see a band of this caliber in intimate
settings and know that you are part of the early stages of musical
careers that will influence future generations of blues players. As
each member of the band took the mic and belted out one amazing song
after another, the crowd rarely spoke and just listened, and the rest
hit the dance floor. I could probably write five more pages of praise
for this band, but still would be unable to convey the feeling of
seeing them live. In closing, I will simply say whether you are a
blues fan or not, if you love music, if you want to experience a
night you will speak of for years to come, you must see TUF play
live, and see, feel, and hear for yourself all that I have spoken of.
Don't forget to buy their CD and get the chance to meet all of
these
amazing musicians and experience the absolute charm of Danielle as
well!

Timothy J. Fancher
Fancher Promotions