Murder by Death performs at the Canopy Club on March 7, 2009. Photo by: Wallo Villacorta (Wallo Villacorta)

There are two defining elements that can make or break a show. On one hand, there’s no denying that concerts are about the music—from song choice and musicianship, to improvisational decisions and vocal quality. However, it is the atmosphere of the venue, the interaction between the artists and audience that can truly define what you take away from a performance. The Saturday, March 7 Canopy Club performance of Sam Lowry, Fake Problems and Murder By Death was an example of the success of combining those same elements into one powerful evening.

Sam Lowry took to the stage, guitar and alcohol promptly in hand, to play a small, but inspired list of tunes from a fairly expansive back catalog. Joined by the lovely Sarah Balliet from Murder By Death on cello, Lowry’s brand of self-professed “dark Americana” was a testament to the power of personality. Opening acts often have one chance to lure the audience in before they can become forever lost to the impatiently excited-for-insertbandnamehere chatter of the crowd and Lowry succeeded by introducing each number with a back story that was sure to at least draw momentary undivided attention. From the opening number about taking revenge on an ex…with a brick, to an inspired song about the juxtaposition of religious ideals in red neon crosses, Lowry’s lyrical storytelling was a proper introduction to the early evening.

The furor in the audience seemed to grow as the fellows of Fake Problems took to the stage shortly thereafter and I must confess from the start that I have personally been anticipating this performance like it was my birthday, the Second Coming, or some other awkward form of giddy celebration. Leaving out the witty banter that fueled Lowry’s set, Fake Problems barreled through nearly every song on their recent release, It’s Great To Be Alive, as well as a handful of tracks from previous releases. While lead singer Chris Farren’s abrasive vocals often draw comparisons to early Against Me! and any number of artists in the latest wave of “org-core” acts, It’s Great To Be Alive is arguably more expansive then the boundaries it is immediately defined to as a result. I could fangirl all day long about how much I love this album, and after seeing the majority of it performed live, am glad to say it translated perfectly to stage. From the seemless transition between “1234” and “The Dream Team,” to the confessional aspects of “There Are Times,” the energy and musicianship of the young band was as impressive introduction for Murder By Death.

As I unfortunately had to miss out on Murder By Death due to last minute circumstances, please check out the series of photos of the certainly incredibly performance.