Murder By Death may sound like an intimidating choice of music, but the five-piece indie band coming to Fort Collins this Thursday isn’t exactly the deadly, screamo, hardcore emo band that the name suggests. 

Playing at Washington’s March 5, Murder By Death is bringing their spooky, Western, folksy sound for folks of all ages to enjoy. Doors will open at 6 p.m., followed by the Denver-based rock band Slim Cessna’s Auto Club at 7 p.m. 

The Murder By Death 20th Anniversary Tour is focusing on thanking the band’s fans for an incredible 20 years since their first show. To show their appreciation, the five members, Adam Turla (lead vocals, guitar), Sarah Balliet (cello, keyboard), Dagan Thogerson (drums, percussion), David Fountain (piano, percussion, mandolin, banjo, backup vocals) and Tyler Morse (bass), will be doing a fan-curated set derived from their eight albums.

These albums include, but are not limited to, “The Other Shore” (2018), “Red of Tooth and Claw” (2008) and their very first album, “Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing” (2002).

Murder By Death derived their name from the 1976 Robert Moore mystery film with the same name to give their lighthearted attitudes a tongue-in-cheek implication.

“We’re not super serious people,” said Turla, lead singer of Murder By Death. “Yes, it’s very dark, but there’s also some really fun songs and party songs.”

This 20th Anniversary Tour is really about showing appreciation for the band’s fans. 

“It’s an expression of our gratefulness,” Turla said. “We wanted to acknowledge the fact that this is a big milestone for us and that it matters to us.”

Each ticket holder will receive a free zine with a collection of images, including photos from Murder By Death’s past 20 years as a band. The 24-page booklet has pictures from almost every Murder By Death show along with fan-submitted photos of their Murder By Death tattoos and fan art dedicated to the band.

Murder By Deaths’ career is only growing from here, and the pride and appreciation from the band are present in their fan-devoted tour. 

Tickets can be found on Washington’s website, and more information about Murder By Death can be found on their website.

Greta Nelson-Bechtold can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @gretanelsonb.