Show Review

After a grueling week of school, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to a show that night. I felt like going home and just collapsing on my bed. But at 10:30pm the night before, I was asked if I wanted to do an interview with Casket Salesmen at the show. How could I turn the show down now? After a few weeks of listening to Casket Salesmen’s new demos online, the more questions it raised in my head about the music and its members. “Wow, this band has changed so much musically from the members’ previous band. I wonder what caused the change,” “why did they leave their old band,” “how did they feel about leaving,” were just a few of those questions roaming in my head. And here I was, handed the key to answering all these questions face to face with the band. I ended up taking the assignment with much joy.

After getting to the show a little early to do my interview and finishing up with that section of the night, I went inside to catch Mythmaker with Phil Pirrone of Casket Salesmen. They are good friends of Casket Salesmen and actually make up half of the live version of Casket Salesmen at the moment. Mythmaker’s songs are mostly comprised of instrumentals with minimal vocals from the female guitarist. Although I’m not usually into instrumental music live, this band had something about them that made me pay attention to their set the entire time. I’m really looking forward to what this band has for store in the future and I’m sure I will see them again at another Casket Salesmen show.

The next band that was scheduled to come on was Quadruple Duo; the only thing is, they never did. The band features Randy and Derrick, both former members of Finch, and Joe from the Rx Bandits. I’m not sure what happened and I didn’t hear of any cancellations but in place of Quadruple Duo, Matt Embree and Joe Troy of Rx Bandits came out and played a very energetic set of original songs. They sounded like a garage punk band straight from the 80’s. I believe they called themselves Coke Versus Bills but I could be wrong since they were both cracking jokes constantly throughout the set so it may have just been another inside joke of theirs. Musically, they did not seem to be in their natural element but they pulled it off like they’ve been playing this music all their lives. At one point in the set Matt, who was playing drums this night, played blindfolded by his headband. This particular act and the whole set itself, showed how amazingly talented these guys are. They can do something completely different musically and still pull it off with a perfection most bands could never dream of.

The second to last band was Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. It was quite a sight to see them trying fitting 6 people, a keyboard, and all their gear onto one small stage. Once they started their set, I wasn’t sure what to make of them musically. The lead singer/keyboardist had a very nasally voice and the bands music seemed to be a mix of country, folk, and some older rock thrown in for good measure. The lyrics had very mythical tint to them. As the bands set went on though, I started to get a better feel for their sound. I quickly learned to expect the unexpected. Each song the band threw in a new instrument from a violin, to mandolin, then an accordion, and even a harmonica. Although I would not consider myself a fan after their set, I can see fans of Limbeck or even our new favorites at ep.com Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s embracing this bands unique sound.

The headlining band coming on next was the whole reason I postponed sleeping for a few hours that night. Casket Salesmen is the new band from former members of A Static Lullaby Phil Pirrone and Nate Lindeman. After going through a devastating car accident and leaving the band last year, it is a bit of an understatement to say that Phil Pirrone has gone through some changes in his life. And yet it seems that with their new band, he and Nate are using Casket Salesmen as positive and therapeutic path to heal any old wounds they had over the past year. Getting back to the show at hand, the band opened with Feeling Ten Feet Tall which is the hard rocking opener to the album. From the second the first riff started to blare though the speakers, I could just feel that I was in for a good night. The band continued on right into the next track off their album I’ll Buy That For A Dollar. This is supposed to be the first single off the album and let me tell you it’s a great pick. It has a rocking edge and the chorus will have you singing along by the end of the first listen. They slowed things down just a little bit with the next song Dr. Jesus but still kept you in the palm of their hands. During the breakdown Phil started to dance around right before Nate busted into some awesome solo guitar work. The next song is a personal favorite of mine titled The Anaheimlich Maneuver. This song has very airy, haunting vocals that almost force you to sway right along with the band. This and the next song, Peace Monger, were the first two songs I ever heard from the band so they hold a special place in my heart and hearing them live put a new exclamation on why I like them and the band so much. The band ended their set with the roaring song Art Sandwich. It was a great way to end the set because this song has a blend of the hard and soft this band offers you throughout their entire set.

I went from almost falling asleep in between sets that night to walking out of The Alley that night screaming at the top of my lungs “I love Casket Salesmen.” The music is a far cry from the members’ previous work but if you have an open mind and you want something to expand your musical horizon, I think you can find a place in your musical repertoire for this band. And if you need some evidence of the bands sound, they will be touring worldwide over the next 11 months so keep an eye out for a Casket in your town.

review by Matt Zimmerman