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JMax Productions
The Devil Makes ThreeErika Wennerstrom
Sun, 28 Oct, 8:00 PM PDT
Doors open
7:00 PM PDT
Senator Theatre
517 Main Street, Chico, CA 95928
TICKET SALES TERMINATED
Tickets are currently unavailable on TicketWeb
Description
Tickets available locally at Diamond W Western Wear (E 2nd St), Blaze N J's (W9th St) and Fusion Pit (Anderson Outlets)
"There's a road that goes out of every town. All you've got to do is get on it," Pete Bernhard says.
The guitarist/singer and his cohorts in the raw and raucous trio The Devil Makes Three have found their way onto that road numerous times since they first left their picaresque rural hometown of Brattleboro, Vermont. Back then, they had no idea it would lead them to such auspicious destinations as the Newport Folk and Austin City Limits Festivals, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, and on tours with Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell and Trampled By Turtles. Along the way, they drew numerous accolades from a growing fan base and press alike.
With upright bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean, Bernhard crafted a dozen tunes, part road songs, part heartbreak songs and part barnburners. While most bands are propelled from behind by a drummer, TDM3 builds exuberant rhythms from the inside out, wrapping finger-picked strings and upsurging harmonies around chugging acoustic guitar and bass, plying an ever-growing audience onto its feet to jump, shake and waltz.
TDM3's sound is garage-y ragtime, punkified blues, old n' new timey without settling upon a particular era, inspired as much by mountain music as by Preservation Hall jazz. "We bend genres pretty hard," Bernhard says.
The combination could only have happened via the circuitous route each of them took to forming the band. As kids in Vermont, "all raised by sort of hippie parents" who exposed them to folk, blues and jugbands, Bernhard says, they blazed a path to nearby Boston, Massachusetts in search of punk rock shows. They found venerable venues like The Rat and The Middle East, drawn to east coast bands like the Dropkick Murphys and Aus-Rotten. "It would be like 6 bucks for 13 bands, everyone playing for 20 minutes," Bernhard says. "I had so much fun going to shows like that. The energy coming off the stage makes a circle with the crowd and comes back. We were really attracted to that energy." Bernhard and McBean, a multi-instrumentalist who plays banjo, musical saw and bass, forged a particular bond. Unlike most of their mutual friends, they both liked to play acoustic music, with McBean showing Bernhard the wonders of Hank Williams and Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys. They kept in touch after high school, when nearly everyone in their clique relocated to the west coast like the characters in Delbert McClinton's song "Two More Bottles of Wine."
For a band that made its bones with dynamic performances, recording an album is almost like coaxing lightning into a bottle, but Miller and TDM3 succeed on I'm a Stranger Here. Now they're continuing the journey that began when they found their way to the road that led them out of Vermont. "I can't wait to get onstage, I love it," Bernhard says. "Playing music for a living is a blessing and a curse, but for us there's no other option."
Event Information
Age Limit
All Ages
Bluegrass
The Devil Makes Three
The Devil Makes Three
Bluegrass
The Devil Makes Three has always thrived in the spaces between genres, where the grit of folk, the soul of blues, and the rebellious spirit of punk collide. Their music doesn’t just follow the American storytelling tradition—it redefines it. Whether evoking the deep melancholy of Delta blues or the frenetic energy of punk, their sound is raw, powerful, and unmistakably their own. For over two decades, this genre-defying trio has carved out a place in the American roots scene, delivering high-energy performances that leave audiences captivated and wanting more. They've released seven studio albums and three live recordings, with their latest, Spirits, marking a return to their stripped-down roots.
Formed in 2002 in Santa Cruz, California by Pete Bernhard and Cooper McBean, the trio, now featuring longtime collaborator MorganEve Swain (taking over on upright bass and vocals for Lucia Turino), has continued to evolve musically while staying rooted in their core sound. The Devil Makes Three has built a devoted fanbase by embracing the raw, unpolished edge of acoustic music, and their latest album, Spirits, adds yet another layer to this ever-expanding sonic palette.
The new album, produced by Grammy-winner Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Dropkick Murphys, The Gaslight Anthem and Violent Femmes among others), takes listeners through a journey of grief, addiction, division, and personal resilience. Songs like “Lights on Me” and “Spirits” delve into the emotional weight of loss and death, reflecting Bernhard’s experience of losing close family members and friends during the album's creation. Meanwhile, tracks like “Half as High” and “Divide and Conquer” tackle broader social themes, speaking to the ever-widening economic divide and political fragmentation in today's volatile climate.
With frequent collaborator MorganEve Swain (from longtime tourmates Brown Bird) taking over on upright bass and vocals for Lucia Turino on upright bass and vocals—the band recorded Spirits at Dreamland, a converted church studio outside Woodstock, New York, where haunting thunderstorms mirrored the album's somber, introspective mood. The result is a powerful collection that marries the band’s signature Americana sound with new depth, capturing the essence of resilience in the face of adversity.
“There’s definitely a theme of ghosts and death running through this album,” says Bernhard, who reflects on personal loss, as well as the social and political struggles of our time. “We wanted this record to speak to the challenges people face today, whether it's loss, addiction, or the divisions tearing people apart.”
Yet, despite these heavy themes, The Devil Makes Three maintains their core identity as a rhythm-driven, live band meant for dancing and celebration. Their shows continue to bring together a diverse and dedicated fanbase, where revelry and catharsis meet in equal measure.
The Devil Makes Three is gearing up for a national tour in February 2025 in support of the release of Spirits, reuniting with fans to share an album that feels both timely and timeless. Bernhard reflects, “We’ve always done what we wanted to do, and this album is no different. It’s a reflection of where we are now—personally and as a society—and we’re excited for our fans to hear it.”
