Murder By Death and Amigo The Devil at Ogden Denver

Posted on April 16, 2020
by Aimee

Murder By Death is one of those bands that has a very extraordinary relationship with their fans. They knew their 20th-anniversary tour would be a big deal. Fans flew from around the country to be at shows and, in turn, the band asked the folks who have been there for them along the way to curate the set-list for every show.

Alas, like everyone else in the country, the band had to put the tour on hold because of the coronavirus. I was among the lucky ones to see them here in Denver before the country went into lockdown. Right now, they have rescheduled dates in May and beyond, but as everyone is facing, they may have to push those back even further.

To be honest, I held off editing these photos so I could savor them. But this night was such a celebration of music and love. I have good friends who are among the fans who traveled to see Murder By Death in other cities, and they introduced me to their friends who came in for Denver – and the crowd was among the nicest, most fun I had experienced in a long time.

The band itself was, of course, terrific. Eclectic and very talented, and certainly not as punk as their name implies. Think more DeVotchKa, less Dead Kennedys. Lead singer Adam Turla’s deep voice lead us on a journey, but it was the instrumentation of the entire band together that made it magical. In particular, Sarah Balliet captivated me – I think a cello in any band makes it haunting by its very nature.

Opener Amigo The Devil (another misleading name as he’s just one dude) fill the room with self-deprecating humor and intense songs. He was a perfect build-up to a whole night that I look back on so fondly from the “before times.”

Let’s hope we can see both these acts again much sooner than later.