The Builders & The Butchers @ Crystal Ballroom

I last saw the Builders and the Butchers perform at the intimate Mississippi Studios a month or so before Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well was released. While they put on a great show in front of a packed house that night, it's hard to believe that just a couple months later they played a sold out Crystal Ballroom. Granted Saturday's MFNW lineup was stacked, with Langhorne Slim before and Blind Pilot after, but there was no denying the crowd's love for these hometown heroes. And when Portland loves a band they love them hard and let them know. And the Builders and the Butchers responded by putting on an electric show. The new songs off of Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well sounded road tested and tight, filling the ballroom with thumping drums and frantic strumming. As good as ""Devil Town" and "Barcelona" sound on the album, they sound even better live, with the wringing mandolin and horn bursts accentuating the energy and drama of the dark lyrics. It's a show that shouldn't be missed.