Murder By Death "Flamenco's Fuckin Easy" from Like the Exorcist, But More Breakdancing Live at Club 770 Madison, WI Nov 5, 2005

At some point, Murder By Death must've become Myspace superstars. That's the only thing that explains the turnout at this show -- the crowd was literally packed to the door in Union South's cafeteria-turned-concert-hall. Their brand of death metal meets rockabilly meets a funeral dirge doesn't strike me as having the market potential of, say, "My Humps." But whatever, lots and lots of kids came out for them.

I saw Murder By Death about a year and a half ago, third of four bands opening for Thursday. They were completely mismatched on that bill. They were pretty good -- good enough that I didn't mind waiting through them for Piebald, whom I was really there to see. This time out they weren't so great. Maybe it's because I couldn't see them very well, maybe it's the cafeteria acoustics, maybe it's that I liked their opener, the Life and Times, a lot more. The MBD set was OK, and they played a decent selection of new, old and really old songs, but the whole thing seemed a little staid.