Summary: Interview with the band Das Macht Show/The Dust Poets. Dave, Donna and Isabelle hung out with the Dust Poets/Das Macht Show who were playing Sault Ste. Marie on November 5. The band played 3 songs and were hilarious. das macht SHOW! is cool acoustic roots and wry urban folk, a five-piece outfit of fast-picking slick-singing throwbacks from Middle Canada. Their diverse sound combines bits of twangy old country, irreverent folk pop, and punchy acoustic swing. Hooky arrangements and razor-sharp vocals showcase sarcastic, insightful, and occasionally off-the-wall original songs. This road-tested quintet of powerhouse instrumentalists and great singers bring youthful exuberance, quirky flair, and unpredictable stage antics to every performance – they truly know just what “makes show”! What started out as a cowboy poetry backup duo from Brandon, Manitoba soon grew into a five-piece party band, whose repertoire of country swing standards and euro-pop covers gradually gave way to an upbeat and unmistakable original sound. The all-acoustic lineup features guitar, upright bass, accordion, mandolin, clarinet, and an array of vintage luggage-as-percussion, plus saddle-smooth four part vocal harmonies. Since the band’s creation four years ago, das macht SHOW! has released two albums and toured much of the prairies as well as parts of BC and southern Ontario. Their first record, “…one night in Berlin”, earned a nomination for Outstanding Roots Recording for the 2002 Prairie Music Awards – quite an achievement for a basement recording done live off the floor in a single evening. Their newest professionally recorded release, entitled “Four Legs Good”, contains all the edgy excitement of their live show in a diverse and engaging 11-song romp that has veteran songwriter Murray D. Evans exploring themes like small town losers, travel in foreign lands, the consumption of our four-legged friends, and the absurdity of war. das macht SHOW! continues to earn their fans the old-fashioned way – with great music, a great sense of humour, and great performances – every time they take the stage.
