Devil Makes Three @ Larimer Lounge

:: The Devil Makes Three ::

:: Larimer Lounge ::

:: November 12 2011 ::

The boldly lettered “SOLD OUT” flyer hanging above the entrance of the Larimer Lounge left some desperate fans with nothing more than weary cardboard signs and hopes of scoring an extra ticket. Denver isn’t the first city The Devil Makes Three has sold out on their winter tour, and it won’t be the last with their recently booming popularity. The Devil Makes Three has the incredible ability to drag fans out of the woodwork and pack venues to the rim with foot stompers, flask smugglers and hoe-down dancers.

Transcending genres, The Devil Makes Three is an acoustic compilation of old time folk, americana, blues and bluegrass. Guitarist/vocalist Pete Bernhard keeps things raw with his richly flexible vocal tone twinned with the twang if his conversational guitar style. The noble Cooper McBean takes care of the banjo, otherwise known as at “the machine that annoys everyone” with precision, as well as guitar and backup vocals. Stand-up bassist Lucia Turino keeps feet shuffling with her walking bass lines, creative timing, and backup vocals. Although the group goes without a drummer the driving force behind the upright bass, biting guitar, and relatable lyrics about drinking, jail time, and meeting ones maker gives the entire experience energy comparable to that of a punk rock show.

From the start the Devil Makes Three had the audience in a frenzy, playing all of the classics from their self-titled album released in 2002. Older tracks like “Tow,” “Old Number Seven,” “The Graveyard,” “Black Irish,” and “Man Tap” were embellished with bent notes and extra slides putting a delta-blues finish on their beloved classics. Keeping the crowd swarming with energy and questionable dance moves The Devil Makes Three was sure to throw in a few well-crafted, energetic crowd pleasers off their latest full length Do Wrong Right including “All Hail,” “Do Wrong Right” and “Gracefully Facedown.” Between the old and the recent, we were also lucky enough to hear a few brand new songs that have yet to be recorded. The doo-wop and blues inspired new material is reminiscent of the group’s first album and has all the right ingredients to later become prized gems themselves.

With each song delivering excellent timing, unstoppable rhythms and phenomenal harmonies, it couldn’t have been a better performance. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope our friends come back to Denver soon, because all those barflies, hoe down dancers, and flask smugglers need some place to go and nothing feels more like home than a Devil Makes Three show.