Trout Fishing in America shares music and humor with kids and adults at the Bayou Theater

September 21, 2018 | UHCL Staff

Trout Fishing in America shares music and humor with kids and adults at the Bayou Theater

Something fishy will be going on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. at University of Houston-Clear Lake's Bayou Theater, and parents will love it almost as much as their children will.

Trout Fishing in America, a four-time Grammy-nominated folk rock and children’s music duo comprised of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet, will take the stage to perform their critically acclaimed music with appeal to all music lovers. “I sing, play the guitar, banjo and bouzouki, which is an 8-stringed instrument with Greek origins,” said Idlet. “Keith plays bass guitar, upright bass and sings vocals as well. We met in Houston and grew up in Houston. We’re definitely local guys.”

His bouzouki, said Idlet, makes an especially beautiful sound for two reasons. “It’s custom made,” he said. “And it’s electric. That makes it louder. Most guitar players will tell you, it’s better if it’s louder.”

They may have local origins, but they’re not actually fishing for trout. “‘Trout Fishing in America’ is a book by Richard Brautigen that Keith liked. I just like to fish,” Idlet said. “We needed a name for our duo, and we called ourselves ‘Trout Fishing in America’ as a joke. That’s been 40 years. It’s kind of like when your mom says don’t make that face because it’ll stay that way. But once you hear us, you know the name fits.”

Although they were nominated in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2008 for Grammys in the “Best Musical Album for Children” category, the duo started out by playing music for their peers. “As we got older, we started playing music for kids, and it was music everyone could enjoy.”

Idlet said there’s an expectation for musicians to specialize, but neither he nor Grimwood felt inclined to do that. “We just love music that challenges us technically and feels good creatively,” he said. “The great thing about children’s music is that it’s not a specific genre. It can be rock, funk, swing – it all makes sense for kids. It’s easier to market when you do one thing, but we don’t, and that’s one reason for our longevity.”

Music is great medicine, Idlet said. “Music makes you feel inspired, happy, and glad to be alive. Many people say ours is the only music they can listen to with the kids in the car. There’s a joy to what we do, and that’s why people feel good when they hear us.”

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