Kata Rokkar Kata Rokkar – A Bay Area based blog about music, life and stuff by Shawn Robbins.

show review: Murder By Death, The Builders and The Butchers, and Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets at the Bottom of the Hill

Music, Show Review

02/18/2011

2

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

Beards, Whiskey, and Banjos. That is what filled the Bottom of the Hill the night Murder by Death, The Builders and The Butchers, and Damion Suomi descended upon the venue. While I was leaning toward The Builders and The Butchers’ live showcase, I was pleasantly surprised by both the opening act and of course the main event, Murder by Death.

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

If you listened to Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets’ 2009 solo album, you would probably get .0001% of an idea of what their live shows are like. You see, the Americana folk genre has always missed something and that is the kind of balls-out stage energy that sticks with you. I haven’t seen a band that literally made me beeline straight to the merch table right after their set in a long time. That’s how good Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets are live. Swinging guitars, massive group drum-offs, and a passionate lead singer who seems to unleash upon his audience.

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

Damion Suomi & the Minor Prophets

The band is tight, so tight that you’d think they have been doing this for way longer than their existence. They play with such importance that you feel guilty for not knowing about them before they take the stage. But give it another year and an album due out this coming May and you’ll be singing right along with these guys. A band like this does not go unnoticed.

In fact they will be back with The Builders and The Butchers on May 1st at the Bottom of the Hill again. I suggest you mark your calender if you are open to some very impressive live performances. You can guarantee to see me there as well.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Damion Suomi – San Francisco from Damion Suomi (2009)

The Builders and The Butchers

The Builders and The Butchers

The Builders and The Butchers

The Builders and The Butchers

When you see The Builders and The Butchers, you begin to understand what they’re all about. What is that exactly? The band exudes the spirit of community that probably comes from their hometown of Portland, OR and it’s budding music scene. The band plays a special brand of baroque folkish rock & roll that reminds the listener of early Decemberists (Castaways and Cutouts and Her Majesty-era). The band mixes freakish lyrical balladry with a strangely catchy pop sensibility that is very difficult to combine without sounding like the dullness of Mumford & Sons.

The Builders and The Butchers

The Builders and The Butchers

The Builders and The Butchers

The Builders and The Butchers

Above all, they seem to connect with their audience with a confident stage presence. Playing a fair share from their self titled debut and 2009′s Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well, the band made plenty of room for this year’s Dead Reckoning. The new songs translate live very well and resonated with the audience who acted like they had heard these songs long before that night. Especially entertaining were the two drummers smashing away together in an uncanny effortless unison. A testament to the band’s ability to come together and stun an audience with their incredible music.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Builders & The Butchers – Lullaby from Dead Reckoning (2011)

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

This was the second time I had seen Murder by Death live, but the last time I saw them was in 2003. So obviously the band had released a handful of new albums, made some line-up changes, and all together evolved as a band. But what remains is the Johnny Cash-style darkness and whiskey soaked attitude that drew me to the band in the first place. Calling for sing-a-longs and gypsy dance moves from the crowd, the band crashed through their extensive catalog with a majority dedicated to last year’s Good Morning, Magpie.

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

Murder by Death

That didn’t stop the band from pulling out my favorites from Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them, like the edgy fight song, Masters in Reverse Psychology. Which showcases electric cellist Sarah Balliet’s gothic intimidation and borderline sexy concentration. While I didn’t stay as long as I’d like (I had to get up early), Murder by Death still has the murderous southern creepiness that drew me to them in the first place. I will be keeping an eye on them from this point on.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Murder By Death – Killbot 2000 from Who Will Survive, And What Will Be Left of Them (2003)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Murder by Death – Fuego from Red of Tooth and Claw (2008)

Click above picture for more photos from this show

Click above picture for more photos from this show