The Sadies

We first saw The Sadies when they backed up Neko Case at the legendary Lounge Ax club in Chicago in 1998. She had kept saying she had this band of Canadian tree-like men who were the best band in the world.  We quickly agreed.

Once we got our jaws off the beer-soaked floor, deals were made. We went back to Bloodshot Rob's place and listened to Coasters and Tarheel Slim records all night. Our love was cemented.

When the Sadies first hit the scene with their sound, people were agog by the sonic mash-ups, by the improbable ease with which they morphed and mutated so many influences.  People were at a loss at what to call it or how to describe it.  Nowadays, we can just say "it sounds like the Sadies" and it makes perfect sense.

We like The Sadies because they can play ANYTHING better than anyone else. Surf, cool cowboy psychedelia, electric bluegrass, spaghetti western soundscapes, garage punk, whatever. They do it and do it the SADIES way. We also find their Canadian accents charming. We like the way they are always shrouded in smoke and the way the stage lights play off their shiny suits.

Fronted by the brothers Good, Dallas and Travis, who sing, play guitars (sometimes each others, at the same time!), fiddles and whatnot with lightning dexterity and skill, the Sadies will astound you with how impossibly easy they make it all look.

From their early days of playing Stanley Brothers tunes like they were the Sonics (and/or vice versa), they've moved onto a more icy and spacey psychedelia.  They've collaborated with John Doe (X, Knitters), Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion, Heavy Trash), Blue Rodeo, Mekons, Neko Case, and they've backed Neil f'n Young!  You should also do yourself a favor and explore their genre-shaking collaborations with Andre Williams on Red Dirt and with Jon Langford on Mayors of the Moon and Roger Knox on Stranger In My Land.

Why do all these people from such wildly different backgrounds seek out the Sadies?  Cuz they know what we do. The Sadies rule.