The Builders and The Butchers - This Saturday!!!!

Many of you who read my blog know already that I think that The Builders and The Butchers have one of the best live performances around. I first saw them when they opened for The Helio Sequence during Noise Pop 2008 at the Independent and since have seen them 5 times in 4 different cities. I'm not a crazy stalker or anything. I just happened to be in the places that they were playing while I was traveling on business trips.

At any given point, TBATB have at least 5 people on stage and often times, there are more. They play an dark, yet animated southern-rock with double drummers (wearing tambourines on their ankles) and 'singing and shouting with guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, accordian, drums, xylophone, bells, and washboard.'.. and and trumpets, and a tin funnel... They hand out instruments (shakers, tambourines, etc) for the audience to participate which makes for a very fun experience. Singer Ryan Sollee has a unique and compelling voice and delivers his masterfully written lyrics with a passion that you don't hear very often. Alex Ellis plays non-upright acoustic bass and sports a sweet 'stache. Harvey switches between mandolin/banjo, and Ray and Paul play the drums and the trumpet.. among other shit.

Every person I introduce to their music is immediately taken, often blown away. Every person I bring to their live show immediately walks away muttering superlatives incredulously. For this reason... if you have the means to get to Bottom of the Hill this Saturday, February 21, 2009, you must go. They will be opening for Murder by Death (also awesome), so get there early.

Here's some video:



P.S. To Current fans of The Builders... go listen to a new song, titled 'Barcelona' on their myspace page.

Here's quote from Denver's Westword:

"Luckily, the Builders and the Butchers saved the day with their double drummer, country-rock infusion on hand to bring the mood back down to a pleasantly depressing level of euphoria. The place was packed, and you could feel that same energy resonate through the whole theater by the time Murder by Death took the stage to elevate the Valentine's Day blues factor to a whole new level. Songs from the act's new album, Red of Tooth and Claw, comprised an hour and a half of whiskey-driven rock and roll, while a video played in the background to keep all senses engaged. The video, which was in sync with the music and looked like something out of an art school kid's nightmare, perfectly set the mood for the other album that dominated Murder's set, Who Will Survive and What Will be Left of Them? - which the outfit also played in its entirety.

Quote from Brooklyn Vegan

"The Builders and the Butchers started the show with an up-tempo set, echoing other new traditional bands O'death and the Decemberists - especially in its strained, twangy vocals and mandolin/banjo on the side. The muddy stage mix accentuated the malleted drums, which sounded like steel-toed boots kicking Rubbermaid containers (in the best way possible). Singer/guitarist Ryan Sollee passed the crowd hand percussion for the last chorus of the band's last song. All together, the band came off like a fun work-in-progress, with its various songwriting and stage-show parts fine-tuned enough for the welcoming, appreciative crowd."

Quote from WouldbeHipster from a show that boasted Amanda Palmer as the headliner

The heavy lifting started early as Portland-based openers The Builders and Butchers took the stage, immediately jumping into their percussive-heavy songs about, what else, death and dancing. Now, don't get me wrong, their CD is a solid dose of goth-punk-blues. However, you can't bottle lightening (lest you end up as one of their future song topics no doubt). Live, there's a delicious take-no-prisoners element and more instruments than you can shake a washboard at. By the end of the blistering half hour set their need for percussion was so great, many audience members were enlisted as back up, one lucky person armed with the band's kick drum.

Quote from the Owl Mag:

Though the band only performed on the shorter side of a half hour, the set was the right amount of intense with not a bit of pretension. The Builders and the Butchers tossed out tambourines, cymbals, and maracas for their last song "Bringin' Home the Rain." Those that couldn't reach an instrument embellished the music with clapping and stomping. The simple percussion was by far one of the most beautiful moments of the night.

Other reviews:
Phoenix

Sound on the Sound





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