Trampled Under Foot

Tonight I'm going to check out the power-blues-trio Trampled Under Foot
at Aftershock, formerly known as Marty's Blues Cafe. If you don't follow blues music
in Kansas City, TUF (as their fans refer to them) is composed of the Schnebelen siblings,
Nick on guitar, Kris on drums and Danielle Nicole on bass and sultry vocals. The band made
a splash on the national blues scene by winning the 2008 International Blues Challenge in
Memphis, Tennessee. Nick also took home the Albert King Award at the same competition for best guitarist,
and the booty included a brand-new amplifier.
The Schnebelen's parents, Robert and Lisa, were both well-known KC blues musicians and worked together in many bands,
the most notable being Little Eva & The Works. The Schnebelen sibilings absorbed music from an early age, observing
the rehearsals and band practices at their parents' house, eventually getting the nerve to sit in
like when Danielle impressed her father while singing to Koko Taylor's "Never Trust a Man." Danielle
lists Taylor among her influences along with Etta James (she does a great cover of James' "Rather Go Blind" among
others) and Aretha Franklin, although Susan Tedeschi and Janis Joplin comparisons are also
commonly made.
"White Trash" was the second full-length album the band released, and it pretty much sums up the
group's modest and wily upbringing, with the trio's childhood home featured prominently on
the cover. It features many covers and a few originals that still dominate the group's setlists and
was recorded live at the Trouser Mouse in Blue Springs.
But you don't have to head that far to see this trio tonight, and they will be sure to put on
a few hours of boozy and smoky soul-blues for those willing to travel to Merriam. I really
don't like the new name of Marty Cohen's blues bar, Aftershock. It was formally called Marty's
Blues Cafe, and the straightforward name sounded intimate and inviting; Aftershock sounds
like a biker bar where the bartenders are on speed and Monster energy drink is force-fed
to innocent bystanders with a bottle of bourbon in tow for a chaser. Check them out tonight 8-Midnight.
WARNING! $5 COVER! 5240 Merriam Dr. Merriam, Kansas :: (913) 384-5646 -- 10 Minutes from Midtown!
True it is in Johnson County, but you would never know it by looking at the place and its surroundings.
If there was ever a town that deserved to be in Wyandotte, it has to be Merriam.