By William Flockton
Pete Bernhard, guitarist and vocalist for the American roots band The Devil Makes Three. The Devil Makes Three Winter 2026 Tour at Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Radio 1190/Nicholas Merl)
The curtain turns a rich, naval blue in the dark theatre, and three, small white lights shine onto the stage. Three black silhouettes travel from behind the curtains to center stage and stand in front of three microphones placed side-by-side. Stage lights overhead jumped to life and brought color to their faces dyed in dark purple and highlighted with purple shadows.
The audience screamed as the band’s strings began to hop up and down.
“And I will rob ‘til my fingers they are down to the bone / Wander ‘til I can’t remember my own home,” sang Pete Bernhard, the main vocalist of the band The Devil Makes Three. “Drink ‘til I don’t know the meaning of alone / Until that bullet flies to carry me home.”
American roots band The Devil Makes Three began their concert at Boulder Theatre on March 1 with their song “The Bullet” from the band’s 2002 debut album, “The Devil Makes Three.” The band visited Boulder, Colorado while on their Winter 2026 Tour which took them through the state, and included a show at Steamboat Spring’s WinterWonderGrass music festival.
Folk song artist Lightinin’ Luke joined The Devil Makes Three on tour as their opener.
“I’m here for one reason, and one reason only tonight,” he said. “To get you folks loosened up for The Devil Makes Three!”
The musician filled Boulder Theatre with the sound of his acoustic guitar and his slow, somber singing about hardship and sadness which he punctuated with comedic stories and jokes. Beneath green and blue lights his reflective sunglasses gave an occasional glint beneath the brim of his broad brimmed hat, and his copper beard and hair flowed out from it to meld into one creature.
Lightinin’ Luke finished his set with his song “The Only Cowboy Bar in Portland” as he lamented about recently learning about how his favorite cowboy bar in Portland closing.
“If I don’t die by the man, the man that you’ve been ignoring / No it’s never boring,” sang Lightinin’ Luke, “At the only cowboy bar in Portland.”
The song’s inviting, warm melody invites the image of coming in from the rain to the only cowboy bar in Portland, a gun in purse and prison in mind—but also, a happy distraction in the warm bar safe from the rain where no one is alone.
Portland’s only cowboy bar would soon give way to the scene of dark streets and shops as The Devil Makes Three began their set with “The Bullet.” Bernhard painted images of theft, bones and flying bullets with a voice which invoked the spirit of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale for Boulder Theatre.
MorganEve Swain, vocalist and upright bassist touring with The Devil Makes Three. The Devil Makes Three Winter 2026 Tour at Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Radio 1190/Nicholas Merl)
Behind the band’s three members, Bernhard, guitarist and tenor banjo player Cooper McBean and upright bassist MorganEve Swain, twisted trees projected on the backwall moved like smoke, always changing to give the impression of a forest where dark fairy tales happen.
That dark forest Bernhard had crafted would temporarily go the same way as Portland’s only cowboy bar as McBean took over vocals during the band’s song “Gracefully Facedown.”
While Bernhard is the band’s primary vocalist, McBean and Swain also contribute their vocals to the band’s music, creating an interesting range of vocal tones for their sound.
The image crafted by McBean’s vocals is a bayou in Louisiana where the band’s music skips across the water and floats down on its back, whistling the entire time. It would be easy to imagine McBean in a small boat with a holey hat,and his pants rolled to his knees as he sings.
Cooper McBean, guitarist, vocalist and tenor banjo player for The Devil Makes Three. The Devil Makes Three Winter 2026 Tour at Boulder Thea\tre, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Radio 1190/Nicholas Merl)
“I’m having a hard time / Walking a straight line,” sang McBean, “Wishing I could feel alright.”
Vocals returned to Bernhard as the band performed “Lights on Me.” The song’s poetic images of God, the devil and witches call upon the fantastic imagery within the band’s sound, and the lyrics feel like a story being narrated to the audience—as do many of the band’s songs.
Vivid images and pictures are described in the lyrics which makes the musical world of The Devil Makes Three come to life. As the band performed the song “Spirits” the audience was presented with the images of liquor and ghosts in a bottle, and the Tower card being pulled from a tarot deck, to weave together a somber, melancholic feeling.
“Too many spirits in my head,” sang Bernhard. “Too many spirits in that bottle / All I do is speak with the dead.”
The Devil Makes Three normally performs as a trio, but the band will bring in other musicians to collaborate on occasion. As was the case with Lightnin’ Luke, who appeared later in the main set to play the fiddle alongside The Devil Makes Three. The musician came onto the stage and crept through the shadows with a hunched back behind Bernhard, McBean and Swain.
The Devil Makes Three performs with accompaniment by Lightnin’ Luke on fiddle. The Devil Makes Three Winter 2026 Tour at Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Colo., Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Radio 1190/Nicholas Merl)
Late in the show Bernhard shared with the audience a theory he had come up with.
“I’ve noticed recently that there’s a lot of people out there who try to make us hate each other,” said Bernhard. “Instead of letting them win, and all hating each other, we sort of take a different tactic and decide to hate them instead.”
The audience screamed in response, and he reminded Boulder Theatre that there are “more of us then there are of them.” The band then launched into performing their song “Divide and Conquer.” The song mixes a busy chorus that bounces up and down and is punctuated by quieter spaces that seem almost like a monologue. Bernhard also demonstrates interesting dips and changes in the chorus, which makes for an interesting sound.
“Everyone has to choose a side again,” sang Bernhard. “Divide and conquer that’s the game, my friend / There ain’t nothing new under the Sun.”
The Devil Makes Three ended their concert with two songs that contrasted in melody but with shared themes of sadness. Their song “Graveyard” called back to the dark fairy tale that appeared at the set’s start and was present throughout. “Graveyard” submerged Boulder Theatre in a scene of shipwrecks beneath the sea with dead sailors and dark corridors without windows or doors—all narrated by a figure leaning on shovel in a “graveyard of dreams.”
The band’s final song “Hallelu” would seem happier in contrast. Where “Graveyard” used slow, somber composition of notes, “Hallelu” has a more excited melody paired with mentions of Jesus. However, the song reflects a theme of hopelessness at the fact that Jesus is walking and running.
“If you’re waiting on salvation / You’ll need candles and libations,” sang Bernhard. “Train ain’t coming in the station / Hallelu.”
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Want more? You can listen to Radio 1190 News’ interview with Devil Makes Three lead vocalist and guitarist Pete Bernhard here on Spotify.