Lineup: David Ramirez, Nate Bergman, Amigo the Devil
Genre: Murderfolk, Folk-Punk
Venue: Rialto
Date: October 28, 2023
Are you ever looking for music that makes you feel like a partially rotted animal carcass being scavenged by a hungry vulture? Look no further than Amigo the Devil. This “murderfolk” or
“folk-punk” band includes Danny Kiranos as lead singer, his sister Kate Kiranos on keyboards and guitarist David Talley, bassist Jason Deitz, and drummer Carson Kehrer. The band is currently about half way through their 2023 tour.
I arrived early enough to catch both openers. I was unfamiliar with their music, but have since added some of their songs into my rotation. For my taste, the opening acts went on a bit too long. Ramirez and Bergman are solo artists, and while they both had good stage presence, there wasn’t enough oomph to keep me invested. Around 9:45 I started contemplating an early exit, but as soon as Amigo the Devil came on, all thoughts of leaving dissipated.
The band possessed an intense energy that spanned from eerily deranged to friendly and inviting. I was only moderately familiar with this band before attending the concert, but it was immediately apparent that there is a devoted fan base (I later learned they refer to themselves as “the fellowship”). Their songs focus on many intense themes, often relating to addiction, loss, suicide and abuse. The audience was more emotional than many other concerts I've been to, sometimes watching the audience was just as interesting as watching the performers. There was a lot of passionate dancing, embracing strangers and open sobbing. These heavy songs and vulnerable stories shared by Kiranos were balanced out with humor and joy (some of my favorite songs played were “Murder at the Bingo Hall” and “Crying at the Orgy”).
Not only was the music performed with emotion and talent( with plenty of wicked banjo solos) but Kiranos had a charisma that facilitated a strong performer-audience connection. Good pacing, presence and banter. Overall, 7.5/10.
Huge shout out to Jesse who took me up to the balcony so I could get some shots!
