The Dead South bring their variety of modern bluegrass music to The Egyptian Room at Old National Centre

The Dead South bring their variety of modern bluegrass music to The Egyptian Room at Old National Centre

By: Kevin Vickery

I first became aware of The Dead South a few years ago when I heard their song, “In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company” from their first album, “Good Company”. I was instantly hooked by their traditional folk sound, chock full of banjo plucking, twang, and impressive harmonies. Some would describe them as Americana but I’m not sure if you can give that title to a band who hails from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Either way, the song and respective album were released in 2015, and appeared in the Top 50 on the Billboard music charts and on the Top 20 on U.S. iTunes overall chart during December 2017. It is The Dead South’s most viewed video by a considerable margin, with over 400 million views.

Their signature look is as much of a testament to their style as their foot stomping, knee slapping, bluegrass sound. They look like they’ve stepped out of a time machine from the 1890s with their crisp, white dress shirts, string ties, black suspenders and wide brimmed dress hats.

The Dead South’s line up consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Nathaniel Hilts, Scott Pringle on mandolin, guitar and vocals, Colton Crawford on banjo and Danny Kenyon who plays the bluegrass bass lines in the most interesting way I’ve ever seen – on a cello, strapped to his body in a guitar position.

I thought their show at The Egyptian Room was excellent as they made their way through their hits from their first four albums including their most recent, “Chains & Steaks” with crowd pleasers like, “Black Lung”, “Blood on the Mind” and, “Banjo Odyssey”.  The Dead South are master storytellers that really know how to bring a song to life with lyrical content that can be a bit tongue-in-cheek, at times but also bear similarities to alternative songs from the 90’s.

I was particularly impressed with how much rhythm sound they created for a band with no drummer.  Colton Crawford adds some bass drum while plucking his was through the banjo parts and Scott Pringle at times wears a boot mounted tambourine which rings through the mix strongly along with their collective boot stomps because of some strategically placed floor mics on the stage. Hilts’ low, growly vocal style accompanied by Pringle’s high lonesome sounding harmonies give their overall sound bluegrass authenticity with a cool, modern twist.

I had never heard of opening act, Henry Wagons before but was also impressed in how he captivated the crowd with his own version of the outlaw country sound and style, especially given that he does it with only a single keyboard accompaniment to his vocal and guitar playing.

He had the audience singing along to his songs like, “Cold Burger, Cold Fries”, “Drive All Night Till Dawn”, and “Willie Nelson” with enthusiasm.

He was very animated and charismatic and you would have thought he was as American as hot dogs and apple pie until he spoke – and then it was quite evident of his Melbourne, Australia roots. I thought his set was great and I’d highly recommend checking him out if you get the chance.

I was able to speak with fellow concert goers, Tim & Jennifer McCaslin from Wilbur, IN who were seeing The Dead South for their second time. Jennifer said they were “Definitely, absolutely excited about seeing them again tonight!” And Tim added, “I like their vibe – you can feel it in your soul”.

I was also able to chat briefly with 13 year old, Thomas Neve whose parents Joel & Emily Neve had brought him to the Egyptian Room from their home town of North Liberty for the first concert of his life. He told me that he was, “Excited to be in the front row for his first concert” and added that he’s, “Been a “Big fan of The Dead South for a few years.”

The Egyptian room itself has a cool vibe and its capacity of around 2,000 makes it a great room to experience an intimate performance. The architecture and decor of the ballroom are inspired by Ancient Egypt and King Tut’s tomb so it features many hand carved murals, ornate chandeliers, and some cabaret style seating areas. If you’ve never been to a show there, it’s definitely worth making a trip to downtown Indy to check it out.

For more information about The Dead South, find them on social media or visit their official website at thedeadsouth.com

Henry Wagons can also be found on social media or at his official website at wagonsmusic.com

To find out about future events coming to The Egyptian Room at Old National Center, visit their website at murategyptianroom.com or livenation.com