If you’ve never seen The Devil Makes Three in concert, now’s your chance and I highly suggest you don’t miss it. They will be taking over the First Avenue Mainroom on Friday, February 1st as part of their winter 2019 tour.
The power of words isn’t lost on longstanding Americana triumvirate The Devil Makes Three— Pete Bernhard, Lucia Turino, and Cooper McBean. For as much as they remain rooted in troubadour traditions of wandering folk, Delta blues, whiskey-soaked ragtime, and reckless rock ‘n’ roll, the band nods to the revolutionary unrest of author James Baldwin, the no-holds barred disillusionment of Ernest Hemingway, and Southern Gothic malaise of Flannery O’Connor. In that respect, their sixth full-length and first of original material since 2013, Chains Are Broken [New West], resembles a dusty leather bound book of short stories from some bygone era.
“I always want our songs to unfold like short stories,” affirms Bernhard. “You could think of them like the chapters of a book. Of course, they’re shorter and maybe more poetic. This was a much more personal album about what it takes to be an artist or writer of any kind—and what you have to do to make your dream possible. It was really the headspace I was in. It might have something to do with getting older. You start reflecting on life and the people around you. I was doing that in these songs. That’s what makes the record more personal. I’m pulling from these things. Some of it is about drug addiction. Some of it is about the things you sacrifice. Some of it is about the detrimental things we do for inspiration. Nevertheless, they all have some sort of narrative.”
The Devil Makes Three’s journey up to this point could be deemed worthy of a novel. Their self- titled 2002 debut yielded the now-classic “Old Number Seven,” “Graveyard,” “The Plank,” and more as they organically attracted a diehard following through constant touring. Longjohns, Boots and a Belt arrived in 2003 followed by 2009’s Do Wrong Write between a pair of live recordings, namely A Little Bit Faster and a Little Bit Worse and Stomp and Smash.
In the end, the words and music on the album leave a long-lasting imprint. “I’d love for people to feel inspired,” Bernard leaves off. “Some of the songs might be sad, down, or depressing, but they inspire me. I feel better through the process. I hope you do too.”
Lost Dog Street Band will be kicking the night off in style. Lost Dog Street Band formed in the winter of 2010 after husband-and-wife duo Benjamin Tod (guitarist/vocalist) and Ashley Mae (fiddle player) parted ways with former musical project Barefoot Surrender. Originally conceived as a duet, Benjamin and Ashley quickly dedicated themselves to carrying the tradition of the American troubadour – hopping trains and hitchhiking across country while delivering their unique brand of original songwriting and tragic storytelling.
Tickets are still available here.
Remaining Tour Dates:
Jan 24 – New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
Jan 25 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Jan 26 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
Jan 27 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Jan 30 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
Jan 31 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
Feb 01 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Feb 02 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
Feb 05 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
Feb 06 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
Feb 07 – Toronto, ON – MOD Club
Feb 08 – Montreal, QC – Corona Theatre
Feb 09 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
Feb 12 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Ballroom
Feb 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Feb 15 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Feb 16 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
