It is rare that an album grabs at your heart from first listening. The Ballroom Thieves have done that for me with their debut album, A Wolf in the Doorway. The trio Devin Mauch, Calin Peters, and Martin Earley blend folk conventions with modern hymnals, delta blues grit with rich harmonies, exploring the basic constructions of pop music while almost wholeheartedly rejecting its restrictions at the same time.
“How could anybody stumble into loving me when I’ve told tales of wolves since I could speak” … ”I still can’t tell my head from my heart” – These are just a few of the lyrics that stole my heart.
Perhaps it is a blessing, but the band has a certain awareness and interest in all of its surroundings that equates to a form of musical intelligence. See them live and this becomes tremendously clear. They are a product of their community. They wager it all with every song and every performance. They study those with whom they share the stage. They feed off of the spirit of their audience. They grow from each other.
The Ballroom Thieves are sharing the stage with Arlo McKinley & The Lonesome Sound on Friday, June 26th at Madison LIVE. I have no doubt this night of music will be one those of those “You should have been there” shows. Don’t miss out.
The Ballroom Thieves
Arlo McKinley & The Lonesome Sound
Madison LIVE
Friday, June 26th
7p Doors / 8p Show
