The melody in the air provokes feet to tap, heads to bob and sometimes crowd participation with vocals and dancing as the spotlight hits a Waco Dead sign that hangs behind the performers.The Waco Dead features Ming Donkey, who plays guitar, drums and harmonica and Self Creek Slim, who plays the electric bass.
“Musically, the Waco Dead gleans from various genres such as outlaw country, rockabilly, surf and juke blues to create an original take on familiar sounds leading some fans to compare the feel of a show to a Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack,” Donkey said.
Lyrically, he says that the music is dark, uplifting and story telling, in a Southern gothic style. In the song “Morris Town” the darker side that The Waco Dead explores is showcased.
The lyrics say: “Sister oh sister, what have you done? Edwin Morris isn’t moving, his body grows cold in the sun. Your lips look like they’ve been bleedin’ and that dress momma made for you is torn. What brought that Morris boy to our door has left him dead on this farm.”
“‘Morris Town’ is a song referred to as a murder ballad,” Donkey said.
Sam Montgomery, manager of Mugshot’s, said he books the band regularly.
“We put them on big weekends and get a great turnout.
Everyone seems to have a good time,” Montgomery said.
He said that the group is multi-talented, and they pull a good crowd.
“They’re good musicians and great artists,” he said.
The Waco Dead had been playing regularly in Spring 2007 at Bin 612, and they had a few regulars who attended.
“I saw them quite a few times that semester, but I had seen them before and I’ve seen them after [that],” said Andrew Tigert, a senior electrical engineer at Mississippi State.
Tigert said he has seen the group perform at least ten times.
“The atmosphere, I guess, is maybe sometimes lonesome, sometimes dark, but still driving and not oppressive,” he said.
“I think driving is key because you don’t get a chance to stop, you have to keep going,” he said.
The dark atmosphere that surrounds the music and lyrics seems quite purposeful, Tigert said.
“I guess [Slim] playing the bass for one thing provides a strong foundation and [Donkey] with purposely strained vocals and the style of guitar and bluesy harmonica generate this awesome juxtaposition of comfort and intensity. They’re both good at what they do,” he said.
Sometimes toward the end of a show, the band jams on an instrumental, Tigert said.
“In the end, we’re just sitting there, enjoying every minute of it. If I had to give a name for some of that [music], arrhythmic, chaotic bliss,” he said. “Partly because that sounds cool. That’s not to say the rest of their stuff is arrhythmic … just the opposite. It’s very well done.”
He said it has been awhile since he has seen them perform, but he remembers when the audience would join in the chorus of some songs and the performers, and audience would provoke each other to become more intense.
“I’ve hung out with both of the guys off stage. They’re both worth meeting and knowing,” Tigert said.
The Waco Dead will perform next at Mugshots on Feb. 22 and March 29. For more information about the Waco Dead, visit www.myspace.com/thewacodead.