The Dead South at Paramount Theatre Seattle

If you want to hear a "rockin' stompin' bluegrass band," you will only get it from The Dead South. Ironically, the band comes from Saskatchewan, "The Land of the Living Skies" way north. They bring a northern taste to the beloved bluegrass sound. They made sure their uniqueness came through in their music to stick out. Their style can be characterized as string sounds juxtaposed with punk grittiness, which makes for great tunes.

Their discography contains three studio albums, three E.P.s, and a live album. From their debut, they were already saying they are a band that cannot be held back by conventional ways in approaching their fol-bluegrass and rock style. Their debut E.P., "The Ocean Went Mad and We Were to Blame," was attention-grabbing in 2013. They were treading the line between alternative and bluegrass, which reminded some critics of the 90s alternative sound. The result of the attention brought forth by the E.P. was a recording deal and a debut album.

"Good Company" made waves in 2015. As their debut, expectations were high, and they did bring the best of their musical prowess. The album spawned gold and platinum-certified songs. Notable is "In Hell, I'll Be in Good Company," which went gold in the U.S.

Their eccentricity went on full force in their follow-up entitled "Illusion & Doubt." This record led to an entertaining listen, with their songs racking up millions of streams and selling out thousands of copies. They climbed up to the fifth spot on the U.S. Billboard Bluegrass for this album. They also won the Juno Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year in 2018. "Miss Mary" and "Hard Day" became the most memorable in the track.

Building on the entertaining oddness of their sophomore, they embraced it completely on "Sugar & Joy." This approach worked well for them as they finally topped bluegrass charts, including the U.S. Billboard Bluegrass. For this release, they bagged another Traditional Roots Album of the Year in 2020.

Their tour this year will bring them to the Paramount Theatre on August 7. You should see this concert if you want to hear bluegrass performed uniquely.