Oh He Dead, on a short (and rare) West Coast run, recently stopped into Bellingham’s Wild Buffalo House of Music to play for an enthusiastic crowd. The second tour stop and first time in Bellingham turned into a raucous dance party as the band put on a stellar performance for the lucky ones there.
Oh He Dead’s music moves seamlessly between soul, rock, funk, jazz, and R&B, sometimes even within the same song. CJ Johnson’s powerful vocals propel the five-piece group with lead guitarist Alex Salser, drummer Adam Ashforth, Piano Whitman (yes, really her name) on keys, and Colin Sidley playing bass. The DC-based band, founded by CJ and former member Andy Valenti as a folk-rock duo in 2014, expanded to a quintet in 2019 and to date releasing three full length albums, dozens of EPs and singles, and continues to tour extensively. And that band name? When asked what happened to a cheating boyfriend who was shot by his lover in a song of hers, CJ responded bluntly: “Oh, he dead.” A band was born.
Stream Oh He Dead’s latest album, Ugly, on Spotify:
Over the past few years, the band has continued to cultivate a loyal fan base through touring and performing as often as possible. I’ve seen Oh He Dead perform four times since 2020. When I left Washington, DC, in 2022, the last show I saw featured the trio version of the band. Parting with DC was difficult. I lamented leaving a vibrant and diverse music scene that encouraged a cross pollination of styles and abilities that results in bands like Oh He Dead.
So when the Wild Buffalo announced that the band would be coming to Bellingham on June 5, I was elated. Perhaps, as the saying goes, you can’t go home again but sometimes, if you’re lucky, a little piece of it will come to you.
Watch Oh He Dead perform “Is It My Love” live at Richmond’s WNRN studios (check out Alex’s fantastic solo) via YouTube:
As if greeting old friends, when CJ and company took the Wild Buffalo stage, the crowd surged to the front filling the floor with happy, swaying, dancing, and singing fans.
The driving “Tell Me” from the August 2024 release UGLY (Wally Baba Records) immediately signaled this would be a good night. “All Night,” I Keep Forgetting,” and “Is It My Love” kept the groove going and folks on their feet.
A couple songs later, we got to Oh He Dead’s first bona fide hit, “Lonely Sometimes,” from the eponymous 2019 debut album. The song is a perfect example of Oh He Dead’s uncanny ability to move between genres, with its heavy funk verse morphing into a soulful, soothing chorus.
Setlist
- Tell Me
- All Night
- I Keep Forgettin’
- Is It My Love
- This Time Around
- This Weight
- The Situation
- Lonely Sometimes
- Blood in the Water
- Cover Me
- Lightning Drunk
- Artemis
- Strange Love
- Sledgehammer
- Moonshine
- Show Me Love
Encore
- California
- Valerie
The show’s middle third kicked off with the psychedelia of “Blood in the Water,” into the bluesy “Cover Me,” featuring Salser’s smoking lead guitar. The upbeat, poppy “Lightning Drunk” got people moving on the dance floor again before segueing into “Artemis,” its smooth jazz vibe providing a brief lull allowing us to catch our collective breath. “Strange Love,” one of Oh He Dead’s happiest, most upbeat songs with its irresistible melody and beat, followed. “Strange Love” is another of Oh He Dead’s songs that starts in one genre before ending as another-in this case, a rocking, almost grunge-like finish.
The night’s most unexpected cover came next, a true to the original, foot-stomping “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel. “Moonshine,” another rockin’ number, followed and featured Salser’s surf-rock guitar. The main set ended with “Show Me Love,” the ever-popular among Oh He Dead fans song that features CJ’s incredible vocals, her slight rasp reminiscent of one of her primary influences, Stevie Nicks.
Watch Oh He Dead perform “Show Me Love” live at Richmond’s WNRN studios on YouTube:
The two-song encore began with “California,” an older song that appeared on the 2023 album, Pretty. The 90-minute set closed out with another singalong, a cover of The Zutons’ (by way of Amy Winehouse) “Valerie.”
My wife Joscelyn (a long-time fan, as well) and I caught up with the band at the merch table afterwards. Alex and I chatted for a bit about the challenges faced by independent bands like Oh He Dead when trying to “break through” to larger audiences. (In fact, the show had been filmed for a documentary about life on the road for an indie music band). Such bands, by rejecting the financial and institutional support from a major label, run the risk of nights like this, where fewer than a couple dozen advance tickets had been sold, inducing a mild panic.
Luckily, by showtime, this night the floor had filled in with dancing, happy people prompting CJ to thank everybody for coming out and, hopefully, laying to rest any fears about future Oh He Dead gigs in Bellingham. As the Wild Buffalo emptied out and hugs, smiles, and well wishes exchanged, Joscelyn and I walked out into the warm night air, happy for the musical reminder from our old stomping grounds. And looking forward to Oh He Dead’s next Wild Buffalo gig.
Check out Oh He Dead’s music and live dates on the band’s website.
Here are some more photos of Oh He Dead at Bellingham’s Wild Buffalo House of Music on June 5, 2025. All photos courtesy of and copyright Mark Caicedo.
