TETON VILLAGE, Wyo. — Husband-and-wife duo Shovels & Rope — the fearless collaboration of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst — are two decades into their blood-and-guts Americana. Noisy and raw, yet vulnerable and endearing, their performances have always impressed, and that includes past Teton County appearances at the Center Theater, Jackson Hole Live, and Targhee Fest. Perhaps the most fitting of local venues for their sound, the pair will make its Teton Village debut on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Mangy Moose.
Two humans playing instruments with zero looping of sounds, Shovels & Rope can pull off a massive sound as if they were a seasoned full band, simply from pure, analog multi-tasking. Often playing a drum kit and keyboard while singing, one member is always multi-tasking the rhythm section. The other member is likely holding down the acoustic or electric guitar groove, singing, and perhaps also playing percussion or bass pedals with their feet. It’s a dance and they can swap on a dime. They know how to rock.
This instrumental dance is perhaps an aside to the songs themselves. Rather than leaning entirely on standard singer-songwriter confessionals, Trent and Hearst write like short-story authors — often constructing a pool of flawed, desperate and fiercely human characters. All the while, they often belt these stories with duet style vocals, further enriching the character sketches they’ve created.
For their 2026 album, Something Is Working Up Above My Head, they followed one simple rule: “We can only use what we work with live, and whatever we put down on tape must be accomplishable on a stage in a live setting.” The result is a defining record that bottles their raw, sweat-soaked stage fury with tales of gritty characters, anchored at both ends by existential interrogations into whatever shadow puppeteer might be directing the chaos.
Opening the show is small-town Ohio artist Nolan Taylor. He broke out nationally after a live performance video of his song “68” went viral, showcasing an uncompromising vulnerability that struck a nerve with millions. While rooted in Appalachian folk and country, his musical DNA draws as much from ’90s grunge and indie rock.
Ox Presents Shovels & Rope with Nolan Taylor, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, October 3 at the Mangy Moose. $35. MangyMoose.com.
