THE DEAD SOUTH – LIVE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES BOSTON

Recently AMP has reviewed two of The Dead South’s record releases with much fanfare. The Dead South is a major factor in my new found interest in the americana/folk genre. Their excellent songwriting and precise musicianship coupled with outstanding vocals has awakened a desire to delve further into this cultural renaissance.

Last week my partner in crime Scott Steinberg and I had the pleasure of seeing The Dead South live at The House of Blues in Boston. Like me, Scott is a new convert to the band so our road trip was highly anticipated.

Opening act Danny Olliver was a man and a guitar. Olliver’s set was the perfect example how to get an audience interested when no one has any idea who you are. His effervescent demeanor and charm quickly warmed the hearts of the large crowd. He played selections from his 2019 album For All My Former Lovers with “Josaphine” being a standout. His final song was an amazing fingerstyle instrumental that featured his guitar playing prowess. Olliver is someone to watch.

Next up was Kentucky’s own, Legendary Shack Shakers. The Legendary Shack Shakers play a blistering blend of rockabilly and blues with scatterings of swamp music and punk. Throw in a pinch of insanity and mix. Lead singer J.D. Wilkes was a whirlwind. Outside of his vocals he played harmonica, banjo and a myriad of other instruments. His stage presence could be best described as a controlled madness. Gary Siperko’s guitar playing and aura was “cool  and collected”. Fuller Condon on stand up bass and Preston Corn on drums were a dynamic duo on the back beat.

Their set consisted of fan favorites “Blood On The Bluegrass”. “Mud” and “Swampblood” among others.  Their music had the house a jumping. A jug of moonshine would have fit in well. This was our first exposure to the Legendary Shake Shakers and hopefully not our last.

Before I get into The Dead South‘s show I want to set up a real life scenario. Their tour bus broke down two hours outside of Boston. They had to rent a U-Haul truck and take an Uber to make it in time for the night’s show. Scott and  I spoke to several attendees of their “Meet and Greet”  and the one thing they all said was the band was both pleasant and amicable. A far cry from where I would be if I suffered the same misfortune. A true testament to their attitude and poise.

You could feel the excitement in the air as soon as The Dead South hit the stage. The Dead South opened with “Diamond Ring”, the first single from their current record Sugar and Joy. The audience ate up every note. Nate Hilts gravelly voice fit ideally. The bands musical performance was outstanding. It’s astonishing how full The Dead South sounds with just their string instruments and beautiful harmonies. They followed with “Blue Trash” and “The Recap”. “The Recap” is one of my favorite tunes and they didn’t disappoint.

The middle of their set consisted of songs from all three of the band’s records. “Boots”,”That Bastard Son” and “Snake Man (Pt 2) hit high marks on the meter. The Dead South cranked up the energy on the latter part of their show. “Fat Little Killer Boy” hit hard and just the first refrain of “In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company” brought a scream from the crowd.  They closed out the show with “Honey You” . The encore was just as good with “Crawdaddy Served Cold”,  “Travellin’ Man” and a scorching rendition of “Banjo Odyssey”.

Nate Hilts (Guitar/Lead Vocals), Scott Pringle (Mandolin), Danny Kenyon (Cello) and Colton Crawford (Banjo) delivered a fantastic evening. I now know why they are completely loved by their fan base.

Speaking about their fan base, what Steinberg and I observed is that The Dead South‘s appeal is to all ages and walks of life. We wanted to find out why their followers were so devoted. We spoke to several of our fellow concert goers and found even though we were in Boston, people came from far and wide.  We spoke to Sandra and her son Jorin from Cologne, Germany. Her family had seen the band in Europe and since they were visiting the U. S. were delighted to catch them again. Then there was Jax, a 9 year old , from Vermont who was attending with his dad and brother. I was so amazed on how pumped Jax was throughout the performance. We also discussed the band with another Ct. native, Scott. He went on to espouse how different the band was from the genres he usually listens to. This show was a late Christmas gift from his family. Scott practically sang every song word for word.

I also threw out a question to The Dead South‘s Facebook fan group “Good Company::The Dead South Fan Club”. The question was “How do you feel about the band live or how has the band made your life better”. I received quite a few responses from around the globe. Ronnie said “their music has totally changed my life “. Kristin maintained ” They are the most welcoming, nice and sincere band I ever met. You can see how much they love what they do and how much they appreciate their fans”. Adrian advocated “These guys give 150% on every single song”. I could go on and on with the praise.

Live and on record The Dead South is a class act. Their music is rousing and their shows totally engaging.

 

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To learn more about The Dead South, check out their website

Follow on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase:  Bandcamp / Amazon 

 

 

 

 

 

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