Reggie’s Rock club is a small, basement like atmosphere. It’s very well situated, and unlike some bigger, more pretentious venues, Reggie’s is intimate and always puts on a great show. February 12 was no different.
Fake Problems, The Builders and the Butchers and Murder By Death took the stage. The show started at 6:00pm and didn’t end until 10, and unlike many other venues, Reggie’s wasted no time in between sets packing the night with outstanding music.
The Builders and the Butchers took stage shortly after Fake Problems. The Portland-based folk band uses unorthodox percussion creating a truly unique sound and filling the room with overwhelming bass.
During the last song of their set, nearly 45 minutes later, B&B played “When it Rains” accompanied by half of the audience. Fully performed with audience singing, clapping and even playing instruments the band passed out to a few lucky fans.
Murder by Death soon scrolled across the projected screen above the stage. This tour was different from the rest.
Murder by Death was playing their albums Red of Tooth and Claw and Who Will Survive and What will be Left of them, both in entirety. After touring in Chicago for so many years, the band was assured to have many dedicated fans that know the ins and outs of these two albums.
They weren’t wrong. The crowd was filled with regulars and new fans. The screen that once simply said “Murder by Death” was now playing old horror and zombie films, a genre that the band was often associated with. And in the background was a cameraman.
The band was filming their first documentary, only in select cities, but Chicago was one of the lucky few. Not only did Chicago become lucky by being filmed, the original keyboardist, Vincent Edwards was playing for the three-night stint the band booked for Chicago.
Adam Turla started off that first growling note with “I’m Comin’ Home” off of Red of Tooth and Claw but not before he took a shot of whiskey, the drink the band is known for, with a fan that I’ve seen at several shows before.
The four turned into five for the night, and they sounded better than ever before. The sold-out crowd was enthralled with every move and every note echoing in the small bar of Reggie’s Rock Club. The whiskey went down and the beer spilled the floors as Murder by Death continued to tell their stories of zombies attacking cities, lust, betrayal, horror and of course drinking.
Between the songs the band relaxes for a minute, takes a sig of their beer and tells hilarious anecdotes of bed tacos, Iron Maiden, White Snake and Rambo. “Murder by Death has no mercy,” says Turla in reference to a Rambo movie.
Who Will Survive and What Will be Left of Them was their first big album, like the tag line to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Their encore treated the lifelong fans that lined up against the railings playing nearly half of Like the Exorcist, But More Breakdancing which was their first album.
The band admitted to playing a few songs that they haven’t played in five years. They pleased the crowd, whether new fan or old, and they definitely left the audience wanting more even after a two-hour set.
Reggie’s Rock club is a small, basement like atmosphere. It’s very well situated, and unlike some bigger, more pretentious venues, Reggie’s is intimate and always puts on a great show. February 12 was no different.
