“A rich gravy of rootsy musical styles all evenly poured over the meat and potatoes of unique, savory songwriting, quirky, relatable lyrics, tasty guitar playing and honest, hearty vocals.”

Dan Trilk Bio

Dan Trilk carries on the hallowed tradition of great musical storytellers and has been compared to such artists as Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, and Jackson Brown. Dan started officially performing as a solo musician in 2009.  Since then he’s released two full-length records, “Iowa Weather” and “The Antiparticle Man” and nine singles. His latest single ‘Lucky Like Me’ is scheduled for release on March 29th, 2024.

Trilk brings his talent as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and his ease in almost any genre, to his new inspired releases. Through the songs, you experience a rich gravy of rootsy musical styles all evenly poured over the meat and potatoes of Trilk’s quirky, relatable lyrics and unique, savory songwriting.  From the funky and hilarious “Gas Station Hot Dog” to the touching and intimate “Not A Bird” he is showing some new sides of his personality and writing that are only hinted at in his previous work.  

Although his songs often detail his personal journey, the power of Trilk’s music lies in its ability to reach the listener through their own experiences. His live shows are routinely peppered with requests for a fan’s favorite because they have built their own memories into the lyrical content as all great songs invite you to do. 

For Midwest audiences Trilk’s music will make them feel like they’re having a beer with an old friend, taking stock of where they’ve been, and celebrating the good life with the ones they love.  

About Dan Trilk:

Dan Trilk picked up music early in his hometown of Norwalk, Iowa and began playing guitar at the age of nine. His musical career has encompassed a wide breadth of genres including “The Golden Gods”, a rock & roll power trio that was based out of the San Francisco Bay Area in the mid-2000s. Their album “The Thorny Crown of Rock & Roll” gained notoriety and prompted an extensive West Coast tour and opening dates for the likes of Sammy Hagar and Fu Man Chu. Their music has been featured on MTV’s “Homewrecker” & “Fast Inc.”, Tony Hawk’s video game “Downhill Jam”, a Vans commercial, the movie “The Waitress” and most recently Showtime’s “Shameless”.

Once back in Iowa Dan co-founded the jazz-inspired funk bands Electric Shag and The Sexual Undertones who were featured at the Crossroads Entertainment Conference held in Des Moines. He also began working up a solo set to showcase songs he had written himself over the the years.

As a solo artist, Dan performs both original material and unique covers throughout the Greater Des Moines Area and beyond.

In 2020 Trilk became a busy music producer, producing for and co-writing with artists worldwide.  Since then Dan has been releasing music under a few different monikers, most notably Ol’ Big Bear.  Ol’ Big Bear now has several songs placed in various television shows, a movie and a commercial.

The current plan is to get back to releasing Dan Trilk songs. His latest single ‘Lucky Like Me’ is scheduled to be released on March 29th, 2024. There will be more singles through the summer and pre-production has begun for the next full album.

See Dan Live…