Balmorhea (prounced pretty much anyway you want, something even the band themselves pokes fun at) is a six piece instrumental folk band from Austin, Texas. I first heard them while watching someone play a video game on the popular streaming website Twitch.tv.
This was the first show we went to since moving to Austin and I was really excited to see them. The venue was small and intimate which was perfect for our first show in a new city.
I have a hard time describing Balmorhea’s music to people and I don’t really know why. It’s definitely instrumental folk music, but it has elements of rock mixed in too. Each member of the band is incredibly talented, as evidenced by their ability to switch between multiple instruments in the same song. I saw one member switch from a stand up bass, to an electric guitar, to a keyboard without missing a beat. It truly was an amazing show to watch in terms of raw musical talent.
Even if instrumental folk music sounds like the most boring genre in the world, watch the following video and I promise you’ll be a fan.