On a cold, dark night at an intimate Orange County venue, bands from all points of the United States gathered to entertain the rowdy masses. A 9:00 opening for doors and the fresh doughnuts from the corner bakery near the line made for a restless (but full) crowd. Two openers and many brews warmed the packed venue, with the intimate stage giving all patrons a great view of the action.
Tales of murder, death, God and the Devil bellowed through the PA system while Illinois’ Murder By Death brought a cavalcade of characters on their tour. Openers Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets set the bar very high. Their brand of Irish pub songs gave the crowd something worth drinking about and validated those that decided to get to the show on time. Most yarns spun in the direction of holding on the ones you love, counting your blessings, and ultimately living life. The high inspiration was driven home by Suomi’s bombastic voice that didn’t even need a microphone to fill the venue. His backup, the Minor Prophets, matched the intensity regardless of what instrument was required for any given song. The band featured an often- standing drummer, in the vein of Galactic’s Stanton Moore, and a man playing the mandolin, slide guitar, and trumpet multiple times throughout the 30-minute set . Songs like “The Call” and “Pearls Before The Swine” lit up a talkative audience and grabbed the attention it deserved.
The Builders and The Butchers have a great name, but the large delay before they started their set and the lack of engrossing material made for a stale performance. Plenty of people responded happily with Damion Suomi mentioned they were next, but when the music started, the odd performance style of front man Ryan Sollee turned some people off. His mixture of Joe Cocker mannerisms and soft voice felt lost in a large sound. Musically, the band played solidly, but the overuse of repetition (especially during the chorus’) made a long set unnecessarily longer. Fans of classic rock archetypes may enjoy, but those expecting more of what Suomi played and what Murder By Death was about to bring may have felt disappointed.
When the main event started, the quartet known as Murder By Death gave everyone a song to drink to with a version of “Kentucky Bourbon” that flew right into “As Long As There Is Whiskey In The World.” The drinking songs continued past one in the morning, with a few love and death songs thrown in for good measure. Singer Adam Turla joked “This one sounds happy, but it’s about death, so it’s ok.” The band often slips in time changes and plays with lyrics unlike most other artists, especially those that specialize in the short song format. Each song tends to tell more than just one story and the use of the cello and keys really help make the journey possible. Driving the engine is, without a doubt, Turla’s deep vocals and raucous guitar work. His baritone aura gives every song more flavor and using the cello as the lead instrument often lets Turla and company explore their musical surroundings. All of their albums were represented throughout the blistering set and the solo version of “Shiola” by Turla showed some guts and proved his star power. On the flip side, the intensity of a track like “The Day” or the closer, “I’m Comin’ Home,” showed why they were the headliner. With five albums already under their belt, it’s a mystery as to why America hasn’t fallen in love with this genuine act.
Folk rock, Americana, whatever we want to call it this year, the style of music showcased tonight proved that there is diversity within any genre. The band ultimately determines if they succeed or not, but the major influx of artists that define themselves with such terminology is bordering on parody. Seriously, there were more flannel shirts than a hardware store and the tools that sometimes flock to blossoming genres simply for their “newness” may soon lead to a quick death for a breath of fresh air in the music industry. If acts like Murder By Death and Damion Suomi lead the charge, however, the future looks bright, even if the songs are about death and despair.
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