It’s always a sold-out show when Violent Femmes comes to Tulsa’s historic Cain’s Ballroom, and this time was no different. Violent Femmes’ highly anticipated spring tour has been making the rounds across the U.S. as the folk-punk band plays these special shows in celebration of their debut album and second album Hallowed Ground, playing both records in their entirety with a brief intermission.

The evening started with Hallowed Ground, celebrating its 41st anniversary this year. Hallowed Ground is one of those records that’s aged like fine wine, though when it was originally released, it was divisive for fans and critics alike. Many fans and Christians believed the religious themes were cynical when, in fact, singer and guitarist Gordan Gano was being sincere. As time’s gone on, fans have come to love this complex and thematically dark record as apparent by the nearly 2,000 fans in attendance, all singing in unison

Opening with “Country Death Song,” the band’s take on the more macabre nature of folk songs, the crowd swayed back and forth to the guitar’s mournful and gloomy melody. It’s a stripped-back song that puts the dark story in the lyrics in the spotlight. Next, “I Hear the Rain” lightens the mood with its anxious yet controlled agglomerations of styles.

The rest of the album proceeded in order, but the biggest highlight was getting to see drummer John Sparrow’s unique drum setup, which features a small barbeque grill—a perfect representation of the band’s eccentricity. Utilizing the grill as a drum, it’s something that shouldn’t work, but it does—much like the entirety of Violent Femme’s musical canon

Before beginning their self-titled, debut record, the band took a small intermission before coming back on stage and immediately launching into “Blister in the Sun,” which revitalized the crowd as they sang and danced along to arguably the band’s most well-known single. The rest of the night went by in a blur, flying back as if the band didn’t play for nearly two hours.

But Violent Femmes weren’t finished yet. They came back out for an encore which consisted of “I Held Her in My Arms,” “American Music,” and even a cover of “Li’l Liza Jane.” The latter was a beautiful homage to Cain’s Ballroom’s past when it served as the home to Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys—the originators of western swing.

If you have the chance, do yourself a favor and catch this not-to-be-missed tour! A small handful of dates remains.

Violent Femmes