The Scope

The Killer B’s

Since I seem to be on a bit of an acoustic binge lately, I figured I’d do a feature on two of the fresher acts in the local pit of pickers, strummers and claw hammerers.

While I hung out at the last show in town for Spring Breakup (who I featured in a post last week) I turned the camera on the two supporting acts: Bread and Roses and The Killer B’s.

Bread and Roses is the project of Ben Rigby, banjo player of popular local indie folksters Dead Language (a band I was planning to do a feature on but have since found out they are no more — I heard this offhandedly, is this a truth? I don’t know.) Bread and Roses gave an extremely restrained and delicate performance, and Ben Rigby revealed himself to be in the possession of an unusual Yukon prospector voice. I enjoyed the cello, banjo, stripped down drums combination they had.

Here’s a song they did about a bird:

The Killer B’s are a sorta loose-knit supergroup of notable local pickers and improvisors. Darren Browne, Daniel Banoub, David Bridger, and Mike Belbin make up the core of this group of shaggy jammers who want to emulate the feel “of a dance party band from the 40s.” They play a range of material, from ragtime to bluegrass and war era French hot-house jazz, and they proved to be a jumpin’ closer for the night.

Here they are doing the theme song that has been running through my head on loop for nearly 20 years:

And here they are joined by a guest violinist whose name I have completely forgotten (if any of you readers wanna let me know that would be great):

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