Search - Murder City Devils - Final Show: Halloween 2001 on DVD

Dick M. (Dick) from WASHINGTON, DC
Reviewed on 6/13/2009...

This DVD is amazing. The sound is perfect and the band put on a wonderful show. This DVD is a must have for anyone who is a fan of The Murder City Devils. The have since reunited a few times but this DVD is the best as far as live performances go.

You Will Be Missed

Chris Conlan (BreakingCustom.com) | Iowa | 06/14/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Review by Ray Harkins:

For those uninformed, The Murder City Devils were one of the better, if not verging on best, rock/punk bands in the past 5 or so years. They encompassed everything that was great about music and really just wrote some simple, catchy songs that really drove their point across.

Unfortunately for us due to an incessant touring schedule and line-up changes, The Murder City Devils decided to close up shop after a wildly successful tour with At The Drive In shortly before the close of 2001. Most of the MCD fans picked up the last Sub Pop release of their final live set on record, but very few saw any footage of the band from that particular show.

This DVD captures every sweat-filled moment that The Showbox Theatre held on Halloween 2001. The sound quality is superb, the extras are plenty (with interviews and commentary) and above all the footage is accurately captured from multiple different camera angles.

It would be a shame if this DVD or band got overlooked, but with this piece of their catalog existing, I am sure that will be a hard thing to do."

Like the 60s, if you remember it, you weren't there

J. Warren | Seattle, WA | 12/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This warts-and-all concert film captures the bittersweet, drunken conclusion to the Murder City Devil's brief and influential career.

On Halloween, 2001 the Devils played their last show, only weeks after the announcement of their break-up and mere months after the release of Thelema, their darkest, most powerful, and indecently shortest album. Like everything else the band did in their 4 years together, the show was an explosion of gigantic noise, gut-tearing longing, and alcohol fueled desperation. The knowledge that these songs would never again be played added to the intensity performance.

The band is clearly drunk. The crowd is clearly drunk. Andrea Zollo is clearly drunk. It may be that the people holding the camera are drunk as well. Notes are missed, stage banter transforms in to slurred rants, and everyone seems to be either disproportionately happy or disproportionately sad.

There is nothing that seems "staged" for this film. This is further away from "Stop Making Sense" than any other movie of its kind. This was never meant to capture the band at their very best. There is no theme or message to underscore the film. There is no obvious intent to editing choices. The film feels as organic and real as the concert did all those years ago and, as such, is an enjoyable and vital document of a time and place that is no more.
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