Tin Hat Trio: A Ride into the Unknown

One band member sways slowly, eyes closed and meditative as she bows her violin. The other taps his foot with assurance as he breathes through his accordion. The last of the trio holds an ear against the strings of his guitar. 

The song vaguely resembles old-time country, shaken with short beats that add suspense, and a moment later it turns into bluegrass, with the accordion making bass. 

The music as a whole is reminiscent of a dark and epic fairy tale that belongs in the dreams of a child. In addition to playing accordion and harmonica, Rob Burger alternates between tapping a professional piano and a small toy piano, which adds to the eerie childlike quality of the music. 

Tin Hat Trio's music has been described by critics as indescribable.

“On my father’s side, my grandfather’s family, were Hungarian musicians,” violinist Carla Kihlstedt said, adding that researching the folk traditions of her heritage has inspired her talent. 

Guitarist Mark Orton said the music has Eastern European influences combined with a multitude of other sounds.
“We’re not doing it legit Old World,” he said, relaxing in a front-row seat at the PAC concert hall after the show. “We have developed our own version of that.” 

Kihlstedt said, although the music contains a balance between improvisation and memorization, she sometimes becomes bored with playing the same songs through the years. 

“It’s like a spiritual challenge to keep it fresh, even the stuff that’s oldest for us,” she said. “Even the stuff that has no improvisation.” 

The Tin Hat Trio formed in 1996 and released its debut album, “Memory is an Elephant,” in 1999. They released “Helium” only a year later. Their most recent release, Book of Silk, was released in 2004.