What do you get when you combine metal, country, and jazz music? You get Bilmuri the band. When I first told friends I was going to see Bilmuri, the first thing they thought of was Bill Murray, the actor/ comedian. As fun as that sounds, Bill Murray the actor is not in a metalcore band. Bilmuri is a band like no other, mixing serious topics with jokes and memes. Reddit user u/uanuhur says Bilmuri’s serious music delivered in a jokey way “makes hard-to-swallow pills go down easier.”
Bilmuri is a band created by Johnny Franck, a household name in the early-2000s scene. Johnny Franck was the guitarist for one of the most influential metal bands of the early 2000s. Bilmuri formed in 2016, and its current members are Johnny Franck (creator & lead vocals), Zach Dubay (drums), Nick Edwards (bass), Reese Maslen (guitar), Joe Compton (pedal steel & banjo), and, last but not least, Gabbie Rose (saxophone and backup vocals). Why are they named Bilmuri? Johnny Franck thought it was funny, and it is an ode to the actor Bill Murray. I feel as if it perfectly fits the vibe of this band.
Before we get into Bilmuri’s performance, I want to talk about one of the openers. The first opener was French metal band Novelist. I had NO CLUE who they were before they came on stage, and I think many people were in the same boat. I feel so foolish for not researching this band before the show because they were AMAZING. I was NOT expecting the lead singer, Camille Contreras, to come out in a fluffy pink dress and sing the most amazing metal screams I’ve ever heard live. I love discovering women in the metal scene because there aren’t many. They have gained a new fan, and I can’t wait to enjoy more of their music and hopefully see them live again in the future.
I wasn’t very familiar with Bilmuri & their music when I heard they were coming to Reno to promote their KINDA HARD (The tour is named after their most recent album, released in April 2026). Before this tour, the only song I knew was BETTER HELL (THICC BOI). I decided to listen to more of their music, then bought a concert ticket to see them live. I knew absolutely nothing about this band besides a few of their songs. Imagine my surprise when the lights went out in the venue, and a saxophone player came out and played while the band came on. I knew then I was in for a treat. Once the rest of the band came out, they welcomed us with an amazing transition from the saxophone solo to the heavy metal riffs of their song KINDA HARD. The crowd jumped and had fun. The energy on stage and in the crowd was great. The band members danced, sang, and jumped around together. Bilmuri played many songs from the new album, as well as songs from their first couple of albums. Some of the song titles are … questionable, but the lyrics hit you emotionally; you forget the title. My favorite songs performed were THE END and BACK, THEN. I was surprised the venue wasn’t very full. I would say the general admission area was full, but I’d say 50% of the seats were empty. It’s possible it wasn’t a very full show because this band and this mix of genres is very niche. I would love for Bilmuri to come back to Reno, and for more people to discover and like their music.
I’ve linked Bilmuri’s KINDA HARD album here. I hope you find a song you enjoy on this album. I’d love to hear what you think below. I’ve included the setlist as well, but I will warn you: some of the song titles are wild, but trust me, the songs are amazing!
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