Live @ Thistle Finch: Trenton Wagler (of The Steel Wheels) & Andrew Pauls!

Name: Live @ Thistle Finch: Trenton Wagler (of The Steel Wheels) & Andrew Pauls!
Start: 2025-04-19T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Thistle Finch Distillery

Schedule

Sat, 19 Apr, 2025 at 07:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Thistle Finch Distillery | Lancaster, PA

After 20 years as the driving force behind The Steel Wheels, Trenton Wagler is stepping into new territory, introducing his brand-new solo project to the world. This is a rare opportunity to experience his songwriting in an intimate, stripped-down setting at Thistle Finch Distillery. Joining him is Andrew Pauls, a Lancaster-based songwriter whose music is as thoughtful as it is moving.
West Art is thrilled to team up with Thistle Finch for this special event while we put the finishing touches on our space. The bar will be open all evening, serving up their delicious house-distilled spirits- along w/ a variety of beer, non-alcoholic options, and a limited menu of tasty bites.
Tickets are limited, so grab a friend, order your tickets, and come enjoy an unforgettable evening of live music, great drinks, and good company!

What to expect at the show:
>> The doors will open at 7, and the show will start at 7:30. Plan to come at 7 to grab a drink and enjoy some good company before the music starts.
>> Tickets are $20, and as always, we’re proud to present an all-ages show with discounted tickets available for students.
>> Seating: This will be a mix of standing and seating. We'll have a few tables, the bar will be open, and we'll have plenty of standing room.
>> Please note that all ticket sales are final. Thank you for supporting great music!
>> Thistle Finch is located at 417 W Grant St, Lancaster. Park in the large lot on the left side of the street. (Please avoid parking in any spots marked reserved) If that lot is full, you can find street parking in the surrounding blocks. The entrance is on the west side of the building, via the loading dock steps and the un-marked door. You can't miss it!

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Trenton Wagler Bio:
“I’ve got some work to do, only I can do.” After 20 years of touring with The Steel Wheels, Trenton Wagler has written and recorded a collection of spirited songs on his 2025 solo project,“This Might Be My Prime.” As eclectic as it is immediate, thealbum deals with topics rangingfrom imposter syndrome to international conflict–college student bad decisions to county fairtractor pulls. Raised on Mennonite harmonies and midwestern farms, and transplanted to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in the late'90s, Wagler draws on a wide variety of musicalinfluences. Clawhammer banjo, rock n roll, and vintage family recordings turn the personal into universal. He explains, “Every once in a while, it’s good to sign up for something you don’tknow how to do. For this project, I tuned up the ‘oud I hadn’t played in 20 years and re-learnedhow to play bass. My sister agreed to play piano and my daughter and dad sang harmonies on the title track.”
Wagler’s work deals with themes ofdeath and renewal, vulnerability and transformation, and has been described by Americana UK as “a heartfelt, hard truth”where “resilience and positivity win through every time”. Wagler notes, “Culturally, there’s a pressure to be having the time of ourlives all the time. As if we’re either in the prime of our lives, or we’re completely missing out. Sometimes we need songs, however aspirational, to remind us to appreciate whatever moment we’re in.”
“It’s cold now, my fingers are gone,
But if this looks like it’s an ending
All the gardens we’re tending
Turn death into dawn”–Death Into Dawn

Wagler's writing has earned The Steel Wheels numerous Independent Music awards (IMAs) andtop 40 radio play on the Folk/Americana charts and his songs have been featured on AmericanSongwriter, Billboard, Paste, and NPR music. In 2013, The Steel Wheels founded the Red WingRoots Music Festival in Mt. Solon, VA to cultivate and celebrate great music in the Shenandoah Valley.
Andrew Pauls bio
Andrew Pauls writes songs about everything from rainy days to Spain to space travel. But all of his songs have one thing in common: they’re about the relationships we have with ourselves, each other, and the places we call home.In Andrew’s music, listeners will hear echoes of songwriting veterans John Prine and Jackson Brown swirled with the flavors of contemporary artists like Watchhouse (FKA Mandolin Orange) and The Tallest Man on Earth.
Raised amidst the fertile farmland of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Andrew grew up on a steady diet of Mennonite four-part hymn singing and Paul Simon. Andrew was never satisfied with singing other peoples’ music; soon after receiving a guitar for Christmas at age 12, he wrote his first song. Nearly twenty years later, Andrew is still writing, inviting people to lean in close and bear the weight of the world together.