The Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Blvd
310.276.6168
This event has passed.
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The Devil Makes Three. Photo: Pete Saporito
- When
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Saturday Mar 20, 2010 (8pm)
- Where
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- Price
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$15
- Links
“Like the Violent Femmes before them, Santa Cruz's the Devil Makes Three infuse country-bluegrass swing with a raucous punk spirit. A popular group on the festival circuit, the trio spins its odes to Tennessee whiskey and brawling with acoustic guitar, banjo, and stand-up bass — an economical setup that makes for some surprisingly danceable music. Lead singer Pete Bernhard's voice is a little rough around the edges, and the group's harmonies go down smooth. Too restless to play the typical bluegrass venues and too musically sophisticated for your average bar band, the Devil Makes Three are a rare breed: wild traditionalists.”
Max Goldberg, Flavorpill
The Devil Makes Three || Listen || Watch
The Devil Makes Three has just released the latest chapter of their gypsy-punk-hillbilly-bluegrass-blues gospel in an album called Do Wrong Right. That description is a mouthful, but DM3 is far from ordinary. The drummer-less trio consists of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean. Their sound is driven by rhythm and three-part harmonies that beg you to boogie down, even if you aren’t the boogie down type. Do Wrong Right might change your opinion about what can be done with an acoustic album. Traditional country songs like “Car Wreck” are offset by up-tempo banjo propelled songs like the album’s title track and then followed by brutally honest blues numbers like “Working Man’s Blues.” I haven’t had a chance to see a live show, but the word-of-mouth about their performances is the stuff of legends. From what I hear, hippies, young kids, college students, yuppies and people of all races and religions are dancing and singing along in blissful coexistence. They are on a monstrous cross-country tour this summer, so we’ll all have a chance to find out for ourselves. While this ragtag band might be a bit loose and rough around the edges, those same qualities are what bring character to their music. The Devil Makes Three have a lively spirit and are bound to win over audiences all over the country, one drinking hole at a time. - HearYa
