So what happens when you hear the words The Living Dead? Do you think of that old black and white movie from the 60’s? Or perhaps that gory, zombie-fied ratings juggernaut that airs on cable? Maybe you’re old (or hip) enough to think about Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” What’s most likely is that the words Rockabilly, Psychobilly, and Punkabilly probably don’t immediately come to mind.
But then again, maybe they do.
The Living Dead is a two piece band that throws back to the early days of rock n’ roll, when the bouncing rhythm of rock-a-billy was kings of the airwaves. They’re a two piece band that features Randee McKnight on drums and vocals, Symphony Tidwell on bass and vocals, and a rotating line-up guitarists to fill out the sound. Think of a demented version of Stray Cats.
The band takes the innocent sound of a genre finding it’s feet in the 1950’s, and puts macabre, sexy, and sometimes psychopathic spin on the tropes. And when these two take the stage in costumes that imply steampunk and vaudeville had a battle royale that morphed into an orgy, and then regurgitated McKnight and Tidwell.
And don’t think I’m picking on the band, in their particular brand of music being regurgitated from a vaudevillian-steampunk orgy is a compliment of the highest order…I promise.
They are a high energy show from town to town, living out of an R.V., gaining new fans with every passing show. They are currently touring to support their self-titled EP, with songs like “Robot Kids” and “Hot Sick.”
The Living Dead will be playing at Third Street Dive Wednesday July 8th. The show will begin at 8:00 PM and tickets are $5. The Bar Room Brawl 3 (an actual band, I assure you) will be opening the show.
Photo courtesy of The Living Dead
