t wasn’t until I hopped on my bike to ride home from The Devil Makes Three concert this past Sunday that I could even form a sentence to describe this band’s appeal. The band’s high-energy bluegrass music was simply astounding.
The performers remained fairly unassuming. Aside from the occasional soulful lean by the bassist and a dance move or two from the banjo player, the band was relatively static on stage. But as I began to pedal home I felt a soreness in my legs. Though the band may not have moved around a whole bunch, they made sure the audience did. I was dancing and stomping all concert long and so was everyone around me. This is the power of bluegrass — you can’t help but bounce to it — it’s simply the way the music works.
The Devil Makes Three is a bluegrass/folk punk trio out of Santa Cruz, Calif., and their diverse array of influences is evident both in their music and their appearance on stage. Banjo and guitar player Cooper McBean even had the phrase “This Machine Annoys Fascists” written across the head of his banjo, a nod to Woody Guthrie, the American Folk icon.
The group played for about an hour and a half, primarily drawing from their newer material but occasionally going further back into their repertoire. One such song was “Old Number Seven,” an energetic piece about Jack Daniel’s ability to provide an escape from everyday life. “Hallelu” and “Spinning Like a Top,” both songs off their newest album, were a pair of the biggest crowd pleasers, prompting dancing and singing across the floor. In fact, when security entered the crowd to remove some unruly audience members, some of the revelers even tried to dance with the employees.
Though their onstage presence was a bit underwhelming, the amount of energy instilled in the crowd was breathtaking. The Devil Makes Three took the stage to whoops and claps from the crowd that seemed to last the entire performance. If you have any interest in bluegrass or folk, be sure to check them out next time they come through town.
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