Concert Review by Cathy Moore of Moore Rock Shots and Reviews
To quote a friend…”sometimes the best shows are in the corner of pizza bars.” Such was the case on Saturday night at The Oregon Express Tavern & Restaurant in Dayton, OH when The Dead Deads rocked the house.
The venue was packed for a three-act show featuring two bands from Cincinnati – openers CHAKRAS and headliners Lift The Medium – both cool bands with unique rock sounds, but it was the band from Nashville, TN nestled in the middle that served as the main attraction for me.
I was first introduced to The Dead Deads on Shiprocked ‘17 when they not only performed their own original tunes, played their own instruments (gasp! Yes, pretty women CAN actually rock your face off), and also jammed with the Stowaways, a supergroup of all-star musicians compiled to perform on board the cruise. And every performance I saw just got better and better. The song that really caught my attention was “Murder Ballad” – a love song to a convicted murderer. Catchy. Cool. Unique. Freaking fantastic. And when I listened to their CDs (Rainbeau released in 2014 and For Your Obliteration released in 2016) I was absolutely hooked.
Since then, I’ve been following the success of the band and trying to catch them live whenever possible. The Dead Deads toured with major bands like Halestorm, Chevelle, Bush, Evanescence, Nonpoint, and Alter Bridge. Saturday was their first visit to Dayton, OH and here’s hoping it isn’t their last! They commanded the stage like they owned it. They opened their set with “Lonely Sound” from their debut CD Rainbeau and then slayed the crowd with a great mix of songs from their library.
They played a song I personally requested on social media, “Super Tiny”, which has a great video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nisQhYqP5i4) but has not yet been released as a single or on either of their albums. They also unveiled two new songs “Fresh Kixx” and “Election Night” and hinted at the possibility of an EP or maybe even a third full-length album coming in the near future. One can hope! And of course they didn’t leave the stage without playing fan favorites like “We Are Kings” and “Headcase” and “Blackout”. The only complaint I have was the set just wasn’t long enough!
The Dead Deads – a quartet now with the recent departure of keyboardist Hella Dead (aka Mandy Wolf) – are always feisty and fun on stage and off. They are incredibly talented musicians and performers. Their songs have catchy hooks and intriguing lyrics. They engage with fans and make their concerts a memorable experience every single time.
I can’t stress enough how crazy cool this band is. Check them out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!
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