Duck, cats and Grand Animals

Catch Robbers on High Street at Schubas this Sunday



"I think one of the great things about performing live is I don’t really even think about anything," says Robbers on High Street lead singer and guitarist/keyboardist Ben Trokan. The statement seems a testament to the band's ability to give their all onstage out of simple inclination. Trokan describes the experience as "a very liberating feeling." "We just try and have a lot of fun," he says. "We’ll just try and get each other to laugh in some way or just make it enjoyable for everyone else."

Trokan's enthusiasm for performing comes across even as he speaks via telephone in Salt Lake City, after a night of misadventures making the long trek from Seattle. "There’s just nothing between Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City," he says, adding that the gas stations were 60 miles apart, and when he and his bandmates Steven Mercado (guitar/vocals) and Morgan King (bass/horns), plus touring bandmates Mikey Post (drums) and David Sherman (keyboard), stopped to tank up they found that the station they'd stopped at was completely closed down. Stranded in freezing cold weather, significantly less than sober and unable to siphon gas from a nearby truck, the band broke down and called Triple-A.

It was then, however, that the attack of the cats took place. "All these weird cats were around," says Trokan, who estimates at least eight furry friends were present. The pack came complete with a ringleader: "There was this one cat that was really staunch," Trokan says. Despite the bright lights and noisy groaning of the band's van, says Trokan, "It would not budge. He was just standing his ground and his minions were just kinda running around right there."

It's no wonder, then, that Trokan missed my initial call on Wednesday. Rest assured, however, that Robbers on High Street will make it to Schubas this Sunday, where they're old veterans. Trokan sites not only the venue as a favorite, but the food as well -- last time he was there, he says, they fed him a seasonal dish that included duck.

But back to the music. Robbers on High Street's new album, Grand Animals, is a collection of stylish, catchy tunes reminiscent of Spoon and, well, the Beatles. Trokan's vocals, in fact, have that same charismatic nasal quality that made Lennon such an effective crooner. Trokan says the new material is a progression for the band. "We ended up kind of making the melody really the focus of all of the songs instead of kind of this loud-sounding production and stuff," he says. "I think the sound’s a little bit more complex, in a good way."

Expect a carefree performance of well thought-out music on Sunday, then, with Robbers on High Street joined by Great Northern and Happy Salmon. And if you want to hear any more animal and/or touring stories, I'd suggest grabbing a beer with the band.-Cory Robertson

The show starts at 9 p.m. at Schubas, 3159 N. Southport.