On Tuesday October 28, 2025, I headed out to Berkeley, California to the UC Theater. The event was Murder By Death‘s final tour featuring AJJ opening. This was a not to be missed event.
AJJ opened the show with an incredible energy. They kicked off with “A Big Day for Grimley”, a solid choice that set the tone perfectly. The next song, “Brave as a Noun”, followed suit with its upbeat melody, showcasing the band’s unique ability to pair lively tunes with deeper lyrics.
Next up was “Kokopelli Face Tattoo”, a standout track that was particularly special. Any song that mentions a face tattoo instantly captures attention, and lines like “Hating You Won’t Make You Suck Any Less” resonated well with the audience. The following trio of songs—”Death Machine”, “Body Terror Song”, and “Big Bad Things”—addressed themes many of us were grappling with at the time.
After those intense numbers, they slowed down the pace with “White Ghosts”, which beautifully blended the vibes of Halloween and love. They then picked the energy back up with “Dissonance”, a lively track that had everyone engaged. “Normalization Blues” was next, and the crowd was rocking along, clearly feeling the band’s energy.
Following that was “Cody’s Theme”, which was a standout in terms of its power and rhythm. The atmosphere shifted again with the mellower tracks “Love in the Time of Human Papillomavirus” and “Beauty and Truth”, both of which struck a heartfelt chord with the audience.
Next, they played “I Wanna Be Your Dog 2”, a sequel to their earlier song “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, which wasn’t performed that night. This song maintained a reflective tone while still being well-received by the crowd. It led smoothly into “Children of God”, a song that felt particularly relevant in today’s world.
The penultimate song, “Heartilation”, was a playful yet poignant reflection on love, with lyrics about giving one’s heart to someone special. Finally, they closed with “Big Bird”, a fitting conclusion to their set. Overall, it was an outstanding experience, and I definitely need to explore more of their music—they are a lot of fun!
Follow AJJ band members on social media
Sean Bonnette – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
Ben Gallaty -bass, double bass, backing vocals
Preston Bryant – electric guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Mark Glick – cello, baritone guitar
Kevin Higuchi – drums, percussion
Setlist
1). A Big Day for Grimley
2). Brave as a Noun
3). Kokopelli Face Tattoo
4). Death Machine
5). Body Terror Song
6). Big Bad Things
7). White Ghosts
8). Dissonance
9). Normalization Blues
10). Cody’s Theme
11). Love in the Time of Human Papillomavirus
12). Beauty and Truth
13). I wanna Be Your Dog 2
14). Children of God
15). Heartilation
16). Bird Bird
Murder By Death was up next, and since this was their final tour, we had high expectations—and they definitely delivered. Their setlist was packed with songs from all ten of their albums, combining classic hits and newer tracks.
They kicked off with “Riders”, a fabulous song released in 2022. Adam introduced it humorously by saying, “Let’s get depressed,” which perfectly set the mood for the night, given that most of their music is in that vein. Next came “Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue” from 2003. Even after over 20 years, this song remained fantastic, showcasing its poignant lyrics.
They then performed “Flamenco’s Fucking Easy” from 2002, a great tune that featured the elements that made them legends. This track even included a top-notch cello part. Following that was “Brother” from 2006—a song that hits close to home, telling the tale of a brother returning after many years, speaking as if he were god-like until it was time for him to leave, and things do not end well.
Next up was “The Crown Don’t Make You a Prince” from 2003. This impressive song had clearly been requested often by fans. They then played “Lost River” from 2011 and “Foxglove” from 2010, both of which inspired the audience.
“Sandy”, another 2022 song, followed. It tells the story of a loner named Sandy, who enters and exits people’s lives unnoticed. After that, they performed “Letter To the Editor”, a breakup song directed at a newspaper, which they released this year in 2025. It was a hilarious take on a breakup unless you were the newspaper.
Shortly after, they played another song from 2025 titled “Ick”, a mellower yet beautifully written piece. Following that was “Everything Must Rest” from 2022, a powerful song that resonated with many in the audience. Adam’s performance of this song was exceptional. Next up was “Natural Pearl” from 2015, which the band performed with the energy of a new release, even getting the crowd to clap along.
They then introduced “Pizza Party (At Gloria Estefan’s House)” from 2025. Adam called it the silliest song they had to play, and it was absurdly entertaining, loved by everyone in attendance. Another 2025 release, “Black Velvet Cloak”, followed. It was the longest, saddest, slowest song of the night, perfectly fitting its description and received well by the audience.
Next came “I’m Afraid of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” from 2002—one of the first songs they ever wrote. Despite the years that have passed, it still rocked, showcasing the band’s enduring talent. “Comin’ Home”, from 2008, was my favorite song of the night, performed live to perfection. Before introducing this song, Adam shared a story about day drinking in Napa before their first show in San Francisco, which led to a less-than-stellar performance on stage.
Then they launched into “Last Night on Earth” from 2018, where the entire crowd sang along. The experience was fantastic, creating a unison that was one of the best moments of the night. Following this was “The Curse of Elkhart” from 2012, with an eerie title but an upbeat vibe.
When they jumped into “’52 Ford”, released in 2008, it was fabulous, with engaging lyrics and tempo. The final song was “I Came Around” from 2012, which continued the trend of being darker yet upbeat, much to the crowd’s delight.
After a brief break, Adam performed a mostly solo rendition of “Shiola” from 2006. This impressive one-man performance captivated the audience. The entire band then returned to the stage to perform “Alas” from 2018 as their finale, a fantastic song that served as the perfect conclusion to the show.
I truly hope this isn’t the end for them. They are an incredible band, and no matter where they go from here, I will be there. They are that good.
Follow Murder By Death band members on social media
Adam Turla – lead vocals, guitar
Sarah Balliet – cello
Dagan Thogerson – drums, percussion
David Fountain – piano, percussion, mandolin, trumpet, backing vocals
Tyler Morse – bass, backing vocals
Emma Tiemann – violin
Setlist
1). Riders
2). Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue
3). Flamenco’s Fucking Easy
4). Brother
5). The Crown Don’t Make You a Prince
6). Lost River
7). Foxglove
8). Sandy
9). Letter to the Editor
10). Ick
11). Everything Must Rest
12). Natural Pearl
13). Pizza Party (At Gloria Estefan’s House)
14). Black Velvet Cloak
15). I’m Afraid of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
16). Comin’ Home
17). Last Night on Earth
18). The Curse of Elkhart
19). ’52 Ford
20). I Came Around
Encore
21). Shiola
22). Alas
Follow AJJ on social media
Follow Murder By Death on social media