The show was at Mac's Bar in Lansing, MI. Although we enjoy travelling to Detroit to see bands, it was nice to go to a concert closer to home, especially since the roads were slick.
Mac's Bar
I got our tickets through Fusion Shows. They do not charge additional fees, unlike other services that shall remain unnamed. The process was paperless; I did not have to print tickets or confirmation. I merely showed them my id and we went inside.
I enjoyed the opening band, Buried Beds. The band sounded vaguely familiar, but I cannot pinpoint who they they sound like. Buried Beds had a joyful energy; the band interacted with the audience and had fun on the stage.
The second band was Fake Problems. I was amused by the Wookie painted on the base drum. Their amps were too loud for my hearing comfort; however; they put on an energetic performance.
Murder By Death was as remarkable as the last time. The first time I saw Murder By Death, I was in awe of their cellist and keybordist Sara Balliet. I have never seen anyone play strings with such a mesmerizing passion. We stood close to her at both concerts.
Sara Balliet, Murder By Death
The venue quickly heated under the stage lights. Still, music poured from the band despite the heat. It reminded me of the lyrics to Bob Seger's song Turn the Page:
Out there in the spotlight
You're a million miles away
Every ounce of energy
You try to give away
As the sweat pours out your body
Like the music that you play
They soon discarded their playlist for the crowd's requests. Among the songs they played were 52' Ford, Ball & Chain, Steal Away, The Big Sleep, Spring Break, Brother and Sometimes The Line Walks You.
When Sara and bassist Matt Armstrong left the stage to get beers, singer/guitarist Adam Turla took the opportunity to play Shiola.
As part of their encore the band played a ditty called The Pizza Song which the band wrote to celebrate finishing their last album.
Sara Balliet and Adam Turla, Murder By Death
The last time Matt and I saw Murder By Death, we requested Killbot 2000. I was disappointed I did not get to hear it again, but I knew the band was exhausted from the extended set.
Here is an example of Murder By Death's sound. As you can see, they invoke the dark sound of certain lawless eras--Southern Gothic meets Johnny Cash meets a Vaudeville Carnivale.
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