THE DEVIL MAKES THREE, SASSPARILLA JUG BAND
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) With the oceanside township of Santa Cruz, CA, serving as their center of operations, the Devil Makes Three have shimmied a strut the nation over, conjuring vivid revelations of porch-front hoedowns with mason jar swigs and a soundtrack of blustery bluegrass punk. Frontman Pete Bernhard’s nostalgic croon and choppy acoustic guitar strums lay the groundwork for upright bassist Lucia Turino’s groove-riddled low-end and Cooper McBean’s tenor banjo and fiery guitar interplay, forging an evocative blast of 1940s folk and 1990s retro-punk revivalism. But don’t let the bizarre designations deter you—this is one of the most engaging live shows you’ll see this side of the dusty saloons from the Old West. Hip-swaying and copious amounts of alcoholic imbibing are prerequisite (especially when they rip into “Old Number Seven”), as is the relinquishing of your reticence at the door. RJP

MP3:
Devil Makes Three - Old Number Seven