Lost in the Trees beat the rain, play new songs at Duke Gardens

All photos by Kevin Norris

Lost in the Trees frontman and songwriter Ari Picker flew down from Boston to reunite with his band for a big show at Duke Gardens Wednesday night. The lawn was packed with fans braving the gloomy skies to see the Triangle band play their signature brand of symphonic folk.

The band took the opportunity to play a handful of new songs during the set, which are being recorded for a new album due out in 2012. The songs were warmly received, though the crowd responded most to the familiar songs from the band's releases.

Rain threatened the set briefly during one of the new songs, but the crowd was prepared as umbrellas immediately sprung up throughout the crowd. The rain didn't stick around long, though, and the show moved forward.

There was some interesting banter throughout the set, including an entertaining yet bizarre bit of trivia about infamous dictator Joseph Stalin's love of music. Picker also expressed his support of Governor Perdue's veto of the fracking bill, which received cheers from the crowd along with a bit of grumbling from a few.

The set closed with the barn-burner "Fireplace," which got the crowd on their feet, rocking along. It was getting dark and the street lamps were lit, but the band returned for the old favorite "Time Taunts Me." It was a fantastic close to another great series in Duke Gardens. We can't wait for next summer's shows.

Set list
All Alone in an Empty House
Song for the Painter
(new)
(new)
(new)
Walk Around the Lake
Tall Trees
(new)
A Room Where Your Paintings Hang
Wooden Walls of This Forest Church
Fireplace
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Time Taunts Me