Bluegrass music drew a sizable crowd to the Bluestem stage last Wednesday night on Lincoln Way. Colorado’s Trout Steak Revival headlined with Ames family band The Fiddle Chics.

The Fiddle Chics took the stage at about 8:10 p.m. after a warm-up session before the show. The group started with a couple of instrumental pieces but transitioned to music with lyrics in a cover of “Walkin’ After Midnight” by the third song.

Michelle Bell led her children and bass player Marty Miller through the show, introducing everyone and telling stories. The entire family displayed talent by trading instruments from song to song.

Halfway through the performance, the familiar beat of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” could be heard. The tone of the room changed instantly as the crowd became excited for an old favorite. The band kept the crowd’s energy going with Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart.”

The Fiddle Chics added its own unique vocal harmonies to well-known songs throughout the night.

Intermission arrived, and the crowd became anxious for Trout Steak Revival. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the crowd greeted the band with cheers and loud applause.

The first song began softly with only the fiddle playing, as the bass, guitar, banjo and Dobro blended in. Blending of music and voices was a common theme throughout the night.

Trout Steak Revival’s Bevin Foley, a fiddle player, said all band members agree that being together in unison is a goal of the theirs.

Foley described it as “becoming one, like a machine.”

Trout Steak Revival debuted eight new songs. Banjo player Travis McNamara said band members are always writing new songs together. He also said they are all good friends, and because of that, a lot of fun is added to the experience. 

Trout Steak Revival brought playfulness to the stage and were constantly in motion, which the audience clearly appreciated.

It was hard to tell which songs were the crowd favorites because of the positive reactions throughout the whole show. Clapping, foot stomping and even dancing accompanied every song.

The song “Pie” was one of the most notable songs. McNamara introduced it as a song about one of his favorite foods. Audience members had broad smiles and laughed at the humorous song.

On stage, Trout Steak Revival really made the audience feel like they were their friends. Each one of the band members shared the microphone in-between songs and they all were charming, charismatic and funny.

The show ended with the same strength of the crowd that was seen at the beginning. Several members of the audience could be heard shouting, “Encore!”

Trout Steak Revival encouraged everyone to come meet them after the show and were very excited to talk with several new fans.