The Dead South Bring Southern Charm to Chicago
Bluegrass and big hats took over the Salt Shed in Chicago as The Dead South and opener Amigo the Devil played up north. The quartet hailing from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada proved you don’t need to be from the American south to carry all the rasp and devastating stories that come with it.
AMIGO THE DEVIL
Amigo the Devil opened the show, setting the tone for the evening with his grit and phenomenal storytelling. Danny Kiranos, the singer and songwriter behind Amigo the Devil, took center stage with his touring band alongside him. The group could’ve been performing at a local bar with their carefree energy and with the crowd raising their drinks for each song.
For the track “I Hope Your Husband Dies” Kiranos was alone on stage with just his acoustic guitar for company. He interrupted his morbid love song to share a story with the crowd. He recalled writing this song about his best friend’s husband who he, as you might’ve guessed, wasn’t the biggest fan of. Over time they grew closer and he played the song for the two of them, to which the husband complimented his guitar skills. But some time after this exchange, in a strange and cruel twist of fate, the husband actually did die.
Kiranos said he needed to share that so we could all feel as guilty as him when singing the song. He went on to play the final chorus of the track, jokingly reprimanding the audience for singing along.
This anecdote sums up Amigo the Devil. Morbid, but still playful and always brutally honest.
THE DEAD SOUTH
The Dead South took the stage, but it looked more like they were entering a midday duel with faux buildings lining either side of the stage and a church behind. The four men marched into their standoff armed with string instruments, matching white button-up shirts, and bolo ties.
With The Dead South, what you saw was what you got. The quartet stood in a straight line left to right with Danny Kenyon on the cello, Scott Pringle on the mandolin, Nate Hilts on lead vocals and guitar, and Caelum Scott on banjo, who was filling in for Colton Crawford as he recovers from surgery. With no backing tracks, the individuals’ mastery of their instruments and mesmerizing harmonies shone through.
The only percussion throughout the set was boots stomping on the stage floor, snapping fingers, and a sparsely used kick drum set up in front of Scott. This meant when the kick drum was used, it thundered throughout the venue, startling the crowd. The thunderous hit of the drum was matched with a flash of white light, mimicking the lightning that would accompany the storm.
The lighting continued to set the tone throughout the show, making the makeshift town come to life. At times golden light flooded through the windows of the buildings, as if the townspeople were watching the show from the comfort of their homes. It also transformed a simple white backdrop behind the town into a beautiful aurora borealis or the sun crawling into the sky at high noon.
Fittingly for “In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company,” red light filled the room, as if we were already in hell surrounded by our good company. Kenyon strummed the opening bass and whistled the melody and in quick succession Pringle, Hilts, and Scott each cracked open a drink into the microphone, giving us the newest unique percussion in the show. The three swayed in sync sipping until it was time for Hilts’ raspy vocals to take the lead.
The Dead South put on a show that was so simple on the surface. To succeed with such a straightforward premise required immense attention to detail, careful planning, and dedication to their craft.