Alt-Americana stalwarts Murder by Death kickstarted their latest tour with an energized and characteristically haunting performance at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo.
Hailing from Kentucky, Murder by Death has built a cult following with a DIY approach to the music industry that has included consistent touring, fan-influenced Kickstarter albums, and their signature brand of gothic, Western-inspired rock.
For this most recent ten-show tour, Murder by Death (or MBD to their longtime fans) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their second album, Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them? The album is a concept album that tells the story of the Devil waging a war against a small western town, and the name is a reference to the classic horror film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The band got the show started with one of their newer songs, “Riders.” For fans who had not seen the band in a few years, the song served as an excellent introduction to their newest member, violinist Emma Tiemann who first joined on their 2020 album Spell/Bound. Together with cellist Sarah Balliet, the two formed a haunting string section that drove the band’s sound to further depths throughout the night.
Murder by Death then launched into “Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue” from their celebratory album of the evening, Who Will Survive. The song features Turla’s classic storytelling of the Old West where, instead of the Christian sacrament of bread and wine, the weary protagonist is sustained on his long journey by buckshot and whiskey.
Next came “Dynamite Mine” and “Brother” from the band’s third album, In Bocca Al Lupo. It was at this point that fans experienced the only downside of the Bell’s beer garden venue when a train rushed by directly behind the stage interrupting the song and blaring its horns. Turla and company pushed through the noise unfazed, though they did give a chuckle at the end.
The crowd was fully ready to rock out by the time MBD got into “I Came Around” from 2012’s Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon. The fast-paced track already had fans buzzing, but the energy was taken a step higher when Turla got everyone singing along to the “aaaahh-ah, aaaahh-ah” chorus on “The Curse of Elkhart” from the same album. Turla then took a quick break to let the crowd know he usually stomps around a lot more but he had broken his foot recently.
After a few more songs, including “That Crown Don’t Make You a Prince” and “Three Men Hanging,” both from Who Will Survive, it was time for another MBD fan-favorite: “Pizza Party (at Gloria Estefan’s House).” The short and quirky Baroque-inspired tune is unlike anything else in the band’s catalog, and that made it all the more fun when the crowd shouted “yeah!” right on queue.
Next up, MBD previewed “Highway Men,” one of the latest songs from their 2023 covers album As We Wish. Each member of the band alternated singing a verse for the song which was a great way to appreciate how the individual parts contributed to Murder By Death as a whole.
The encore came back around to the original reason for MBD’s tour. The final two songs included rousing versions of “The Desert is on Fire” and “End of the Line,” both originating 20 years ago on the Who Will Survive album.
If you’re looking to get into the Halloween season early then Murder by Death’s haunting sound and spooky campfire tales of whiskey, the Devil, and the Old West are an excellent choice. Check out the rest of their tour which includes stops in Toronto, Boston, and a homecoming to where they got their start in Bloomington, Indiana.
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