Elliott Brood Have Become Scorching Rock Gods

Let's take it as a given that Elliott Brood are a great band. But when exactly did they become so widely admired that they can fill the Horseshoe Tavern like a breeze and feel justified in selling their CDs for an exorbitant $20?

Whether it was a deal with the devil or just steel bollocks, good on them, 'cause they pulled it off. The CDs were flying off the merch table, the 'Shoe was packed from front to back, and this was just the first of back-to-back shows to celebrate the release of their new disc, Mountain Meadows.

They haven't been around for long, but Elliott Brood have undergone some major transformations. Their debut Tin Type EP, was romping and pure country, while their first full-length, Ambassador, saw them switch to a moodier death rock. If there's a statement that defines today's Elliott Brood, it's the lead track from Mountain Meadows, "Fingers And Tongues," which was also the first song they presented to the Horseshoe crowd. Today's Elliott Brood have taken Tin Type's raw energy and injected it with a serious dose of guitar-driven rock-out.

The trio's stage set-up has morphed with their sound. Elliott Brood shows were once legitimately labeled hoedowns, and the new Eliiott Brood live show is a blistering spectacle to behold. Drummer Stephen Pitkin sounded his usual self, but singer/guitarists Mark Sasso and Casey Laforet played at an unexpectedly explosive level. They must have had a serious number of pedals amplifying them because two acoustic guitars have never sounded more like 10 electrics.

The focus was on new material, but they didn't completely ignore their back catalogue. Tin Type tracks like "Edge Of Town" were given new (albeit decountrified) life by this suddenly raucous Brood. Regardless of the song that was hauled out, the 'Shoe crowd was mesmerized. Stage adornments in the form of non-denominational holiday lights added just the right accent to a near-perfect night.

Cheers to the pink-haired girl who decided mid-set that it was her duty to be Elliott Brood's stage dancer. Jeers to the Horseshoe employee that forced her to get down.