Trail Of Dead, Blood Brothers live

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Blood Brothers
House Of Blues, Chicago
Tuesday, October 31, 2006

In a great many obvious ways, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead and The Blood Brothers are two very different outfits. Never mind the superficial or aesthetic differences that would make it impossible to confuse these two groups. Disregard the frenzied lightning-like attacks of The Blood Brothers’ live and studio performances, stood up against TOD’s indie-stoner sensibilities. Even without those elements factoring in, it’s unlikely the two groups have ever been confused upon coming up in the same iPod shuffle playlist.

Which is why it’s all the more surprising these two acts actually have more in common than you’d think. Both Trail Of Dead and Blood Brothers have been around for a few albums/tours/years now, and are beginning to develop an impressive body of work. Both straddle the line somewhere between bigger-than-college-radio but just short of mainstream-acceptance status. And both could give less of a fuck which side of the great cred wars they fall on. Seeing both groups side-by-side Halloween night at the House Of Blues only made it all the more clear just how much surprisingly alike the two of them really are, even if only in certain respects.

Not that those similarities necessarily presented themselves musically. Onstage, headliners Trail Of Dead performed for less than an hour, yet the group’s open ended jamming and atmospheric intros stretched it far longer. That’s not to imply the group didn’t have their fair share of freak-outs, but it was hard to deny the understated yet epic power of the time it took songs like “Crowning Of A Heart” to get where they were going — much in the same way of crowd-favorite “Relative Ways” did all the song’s talking and left a memorable mark on the night. Trail Of Dead opted to mostly dwell on older material, as the group’s new album, Divided, hasn’t hit shelves yet, but it was hardly a disappointment. By the time the band reached “Another Morning Stoner,” the grandiose quality of much of TOD’s canon demonstrated the group’s affinity for high-brow indie rock that draws you in without overwhelming you.

What might have overwhelmed you would be the night’s prime high-profile openers, The Blood Brothers. Coming on just before, and in stark contrast to Trail Of Dead, the Seattle outfit took the stage to the “Cops” theme dressed in police uniforms. While not the night’s headliners in the literal sense, Blood Brothers did more than their share to own the night’s event. The group moved seamlessly throughout their catalog, knowing which favorites to pick in order to keep their set from dragging. Not that it was a concern – the claustrophobic, spastic, and hyperactive performance they are known for was in full effect Tuesday.

While some staples were noticeably absent, (“I’m Looking At You, “Ambulance Vs. Ambulance”), the group brought out more than a few crowd pleasers to make up for it. The most striking moments of the night came when The Brothers Blood abandoned their shield of shrieks and took things down a notch. Perhaps in honor of the Halloween spirit, the band performed surprisingly ominous and relatively sparse/low-key versions of “Cecilia And The Silhouette Saloon” alongside “Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wreck.” Though it might never be what they’re known for, a mellowed out approach for The Blood Brothers is not unflattering when used in moderation.

As said before, in a great many obvious ways, Trail Of Dead and Blood Brothers are two very different bands. But in a few inarguable ways, they are quite a lot alike. Part of the fun last Tuesday was distinguishing the differences, and being surprised by the similarities.

— Jaime de’Medici

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly