AD Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 The Sadies The Family Way By Jason Schneider July 26, 2006 The Family Way Waterloo had never seen a gathering of musicians like this. In the dressing room of the Starlight Club, Steve Albini and Jon Spencer caught up with Neko Case, while Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor and Elevator’s Rick White mingled with Canadian outlaw country pioneers the Good Brothers. The following night the party moved to Lee’s Palace in Toronto, picking up the Mekons’ Jon Langford, the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris, and the Band’s Garth Hudson. It was a scene worthy of Hudson’s final appearance with his original Band mates in The Last Waltz, but this occasion wasn’t a fond farewell, but the celebration of a band just hitting their stride. As the Sadies blasted through the high points of their five albums before inviting the parade of guests to join them, it was obvious that what Albini was capturing on tape was not going to be a typical postcard from the road. Indeed, The Sadies In Concert, Volume One tells virtually the whole story of how Dallas and Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitzky have, in the past decade, become the focal point of a musical community that spans genres, geography and generations. Bringing it all onto one stage is a logical way for the band to acknowledge friendships and collaborations, but it better serves to illuminate the wide-ranging scope of a band once simply tagged as “alt-country.†Now their influences encompass everything from bluegrass to acid-drenched psychedelia, Bakersfield country to dirt floor dance music, creating categories all their own, with room enough for anyone in touch with rock’n’roll’s primal origins. “The Sadies embody the spirit of that time when rock’n’roll really meant something in people’s lives, before it died out in the early ’70s,†says Greg Keelor. “They definitely bring out that spirit in me. They’ve become the wheel, and the rest of us are spokes.†The absence of a couple of those spokes at Lee’s Palace — notably R&B legend Andre Williams — couldn’t stop that wheel from rolling, and in its wake, Dallas Good now only recalls a blur of preparation. “The truth is we never thought we’d be able to get everyone in the same room — we just set a date and forged ahead,†he says. “We did whatever it took to make it happen, to the point of booking flights for people. But we also got really lucky, and I can’t stress that enough. We were drinking a lot backstage to calm everyone’s nerves about recording, which we knew could have made it sound sterile, and honest to God, I don’t remember playing the encores either night.†Travis Good agrees that the album was a challenge to pull off musically. “We’ve always known that our strength is our live show, and I’ve been wanting to make a live record from the start,†he says. “But we’d also been through it before with Neko [Case]. At the same time, it was nerve-wracking. We mapped out how we wanted the show to go, and then we got to rehearse with each person for about two hours. During the shows, I was concentrating so much that I couldn’t really afford to drink a lot. When I could finally sit down and have a beer and a shot, it was such a release, it was hard to believe what had just happened.†If there were any thoughts of using In Concert to actually mark a milestone for the band — as live albums tend to do — both Dallas and Travis don’t appear inclined toward that sort of sentimentality. But drummer Mike Belitzky, who bounced around the Halifax scene with bands like Jale and Jellyfishbabies, sees it as a testament to the work ethic that they, and their guests, have strived to maintain. “I feel humbled by the fact that so many people wanted to participate,†he says. “It did make me a little reflective, but this is just another step in our evolution as a band, and I guess as a family. Sometimes it gets dysfunctional, but whenever someone goes out of their way to work with you, you have to feel honoured. I hope people get a small sense of that with this album.†Dallas, who oversaw the album’s mix, adds, “I think the record in its entirety makes sense as a representation of our tastes as a band, and what we originally set out to do, as diverse as that may be. Having everyone there gave us a platform to finally get that on tape. It’s not like we’re session men; we still have to stay within the parameters of who we are as a band, and everyone had to remember that this was ultimately going to be a Sadies record. If we couldn’t get that across, then it was just going to end up being a variety show.†allas and Travis Good didn’t have much choice about becoming musicians. Not only named for country legends (Dallas Frazier and Merle Travis), their upbringing revolved around the Good Brothers, Canada’s premier country-rockers of the ‘70s, led by their father Bruce and uncles Brian and Larry. This trio ran with some fairly heady company, making their first album with help from the Grateful Dead and establishing close ties with Gordon Lightfoot. Travis received his first serious lessons from Lightfoot’s long-time guitarist Red Shea. The old joke that Bruce Good likes to tell about how he got his boys interested in music goes like this: “I took all the instruments in the house — guitars, mandolins, fiddles — leaned them up against the wall and said, ‘Don’t touch them!’†The ploy worked and it didn’t take long for him to recognise their natural talent. “We would look at how dedicated Travis was and think that he definitely had the potential,†Bruce continues. “But then Dallas came along and became sort of the quiet genius of the family. At one point I actually discouraged them from getting into the business, but they kept on developing their own styles, apart from one another, which now I find quite amazing.†By the time he finished high school, Travis joined the Good Brothers, first on bass then moving to guitar, fiddle, and backing vocals. “He played with us for about two years, and that’s when he got his feet wet doing this for a living,†Bruce says. “It’s funny now that I always had to remind him not to go on stage without his shirt tucked in, or with ripped jeans. As soon as the Sadies got going, they started wearing suits!†While Travis played small towns across Canada, Dallas was building a name in Toronto’s mid-’90s underground rock scene with his band Phono-Comb. It was here that he developed ties with Phleg Camp bassist Sean Dean and the pair set up shop in a rehearsal space on Dundas Street. It became a hangout for guys like Belitzky and Sloan drummer Andrew Scott, at that point in the midst of their brief “retirement.†Dallas had been toying with the idea of a country band, but this quartet instead formed a short-lived outfit called the Maker’s Mark. It proved to be the template for the Sadies, once Dallas embraced his roots and encouraged Travis to join following Scott’s return to Sloan. “Dallas’s relationship with country was always love/hate,†Dean says. “He grew up with it, so he got into rock as a kid to rebel against that. Even in Phleg Camp, I was feeling kind of trapped playing this punky art rock; I was interested in getting into traditional music a bit more. Dallas and I discovered that we had the same sensibilities, so the Sadies became this outlet for doing whatever music we wanted to do.†With Dean switching to upright bass, and the entire band adopting a stage demeanour that evoked frontier undertakers, the Sadies began winning devoted fans with sets comprised of Ennio Morricone themes, excursions into Byrds-ian psych-country territory, and blistering, minute-long instrumentals. One of those early devotees was Neko Case, who enlisted them for both her solo debut, The Virginian, and as her live band. At a show in Chicago, they won over reps from Bloodshot Records, resulting in a U.S. deal for their 1998 Albini-produced debut, Precious Moments, before most people in Canada had even heard their name. They grew off a steady diet of touring, finding natural allies in Blue Rodeo and the Jayhawks, and through Bloodshot, they were teamed with Andre Williams and the Mekons’ Jon Langford. Their charm was apparent to Greg Keelor the first time he met Dallas, when the latter was working at a Toronto guitar shop. “I was sitting there playing the Stones’ ‘Shine A Light’ and Dallas said from behind the counter, ‘You should play with me and my brother. We know every song off that record.’ We became acquaintances and I started to keep tabs on what they were doing. But I didn’t really get into them in a big way until they showed up at one of our ‘Blue Rodeo & Friends’ nights and did ‘Higher Power.’ After that, it finally clicked how great they were, and they’ve been my favourite band ever since.†Keelor donated his farm studio for the recording of the Sadies’ next two albums, Pure Diamond Gold and Tremendous Efforts, and co-produced ’02’s Stories Often Told. With each release, they advanced their unusual position as Canada’s most popular touring act not signed to a domestic label. Their diligence provided a much-needed shot in the arm for a club scene still recovering from a post-grunge/post-techno hangover, and provided inspiration for a new generation of roots-inclined bands like Cuff the Duke to get on the road. “I would never consider us to be a model for anything, but I think we are modelled after an entertainment tradition that’s more common in country and R&B,†Dallas says. “It’s great that it seems the further we go, the stronger our ties to that tradition get. We actually haven’t had a rehearsal in ten years, and I don’t say that to brag. We seriously do spend all of our time in the van.†He adds, “We have been very fortunate to have gotten this far doing everything ourselves. Keeping total artistic control was the most important thing, but being with Bloodshot also put us in contact with many people who wanted to play with us when we were starting out, which gave us a lot of confidence. We’ve always tried to keep expanding our immediate family, and that’s required a lot of work, since our first three records were considered imports in Canada.†The Sadies’ career is a shining example of taking the road less travelled, but receiving encouragement from Gordon Lightfoot makes the trip easier. “One of my first shows with the Sadies was for our Dad’s 50th birthday and Lightfoot came,†Travis says. “He told us afterward that he liked us, but he said, ‘Take some advice from me, if you want to be able to keep doing this, write your own songs.’ That didn’t sink in for a long time, and what’s even funnier is that we just released our versions of a bunch of Gord’s songs.†These tracks were done as the Unintended, the group spawned from an unlikely connection with Rick White over a love of Lightfoot. The self-titled debut album is a spooky, modern psychedelic gem, and a new full-length offering is expected before the end of the year. Since teaming with White, Dallas has become an auxiliary member of Elevator, while White’s influence is heard in the Sadies’ gradual move from country covers to textured songwriting. White first got involved during the making of Tremendous Efforts, recording some tracks when the band passed through Moncton and pitching in the cover art. But the partnership didn’t blossom until White’s move to Toronto soon after. “At that time Dallas and I were both in a dull creative area, so we ended up inspiring each other,†White says. “We’re both very similar people, but there were still things we could learn from our individual styles. We started playing garage covers right away, but also made a plan to form a folk-rock group, which is what the Unintended became.†White views their collaboration as a sort of role reversal; he leans toward the roots end, while the Sadies tear into space rock. “It was nice to hear Dallas say that the Unintended is the only side project they’ve done where they don’t feel like the Sadies,†White says. In terms of their approach to working with others, Travis says, “Every outside project has been done in a different way. Sometimes we’ve exchanged tapes in the mail, sometimes lyrics have been sent, and sometimes we’ve sat in a room and stared at each other blankly for hours until something popped up. The common aspect is that it’s been like having a first date with all of them.†The list of artists seeking their input seems endless, but the band are hardly complaining; they see every hole in their touring schedule as an opportunity to stay busy. An ongoing task has been to complete the soundtrack to Toronto filmmaker Ron Mann’s upcoming documentary on hot rod icon Ed “Big Daddy†Roth. Coincidentally, getting into a rockabilly mindset for that project proved beneficial when they received a call from Jon Spencer to back up he and Matt Verta-Ray for dates in support of their Heavy Trash album. The shows proved so successful that a new Heavy Trash album featuring the Sadies is slated to appear before the end of the year. “The funny thing is that Dallas and I were both huge Pussy Galore fans before the Sadies even started,†says Sean Dean. “We’d listen to those records all the time, which would annoy the hell out of most people around us. So to get asked to play with Jon almost seemed natural because we were already used to listening to someone use a gas tank for a snare drum.†Collaborations aside, the Sadies’ next studio album could be their biggest step forward yet; they’ll record with Jayhawk Gary Louris at the production helm, and his acclaimed craftsmanship is bound to have an impact on the material. “We’re going to try to get it all done in two weeks in November, and I’m really excited because we’ve had to put off working with Gary for the past year and a half,†Dallas says. It should be a case of perfect timing, since the deluge of activity has prompted all the members to contribute more to the songwriting process, especially Travis. “Your brain’s got to go in a lot of different directions with the amount of stuff we’ve been doing, and among the four of us we’ve been thinking of a lot of different shit,†he says. “I’m just hoping that we can take our time a bit more with the next record. Working under the gun can produce great results, but so can working under the sun.†Good Friends Andre Williams & The Sadies Red Dirt (1999) A surprising pairing at the outset of their career, the band are perfect henchmen for Williams’ fractured take on country-soul, saving him from obscurity — or possibly a fate more sinister — in the process. “Pardon Me, I’ve Got Someone To Kill†remains a defining moment for both parties. Jon Langford & His Sadies Mayors Of The Moon (2002) Langford gets to fulfil some rock fantasies, leading the band like Dylan led the Hawks in the mid-’60s. The results add more punch to his already passionate delivery, and the Sadies do well to find a place amid Langford’s dense lyrical imagery. The combination makes for possibly his most accessible work. The Unintended (2003) A Canadian psychedelic classic — in itself a true rarity — this album answers the impossible question of what would have happened if Gordon Lightfoot had hung out with Syd Barrett in the wilds of northern Ontario. The Sadies’ own material took on more day-glo hues after this experience. Neko Case The Tigers Have Spoken (2004) While Case’s sound has naturally evolved, hearing her front the Sadies still feels most right. This live set preserves her freewheeling side, albeit far too briefly, on covers of Loretta Lynn, the Shangri-Las, and traditional standards. It just goes to show that it’s hard to forget your first love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 (edited) You know, I love Exclaim! Sure Pitchfork gets a lot of praise and press, but Exclaim! is Canada's paper version, without the hidden agenda. Edited July 28, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Picked up my copy at lunch. Maybe I should start listening to this band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Yes. Yes, you should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 listening to the live release right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevO Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 (edited) Great article, thanks. I hope Dallas put in some more time with The Spades some day soon! The Rising Sons is the name of that side project.I wish I knew more about The Good Brothers' involvement with the Dead. Edited July 31, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 James & The Good Brothers were part of the Festival Express tour. Jerry Garcia and Bill Kreutzmann played on their self-titled first album, which was produced by Betty Cantor. I think Jack Casady played on it, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeps Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Picked up my copy at lunch. Maybe I should start listening to this band.Saw them on the weekend at Hillside.Overhyped can be the only way I would describe this.I think maybe it's the stage presence and the suits or sumpin that make the folks freak out.Pretty much straight up country music from what I was hearing. Root-5 bass lines and country shuffle drumming on pretty much every song. I'll have to check some recordings because the stories have got to be what's up. Stories don't come across live sometimes so it's gotta be that. IMO musically this was nothing but Alt-Nashville and didn't do much for me other than let me know that there's an alt-country band around that actually has chops. Lotta knee dancing. Not my thing.That being said my girl loved them. Deeps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Picked up my copy at lunch. Maybe I should start listening to this band.Saw them on the weekend at Hillside.Overhyped can be the only way I would describe this.I started listening to the new live album this morning and that's my initial impression too. "More of the same alt-country" is how I put it. Very competently pulled off but nothing has grabbed me yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 yep, I don't see what all the hooplah is about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 31, 2006 Report Share Posted July 31, 2006 Ok, the second half of the disc picked up a little, or I just started enjoying their sound more by that point. I definitely prefer the stuff that leans to punk ala Justine Alright. There is a lot of material on this album to digest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Sorry folks, point out where the ALT in 'Alt-Country' is in this band.Maybe the thing that grabs me about them is the fact that there is no other band that sounds like them out there. And if there is, I challenge you to name them. Surf / Garage / Country / Punk at the same time. More guitar prowess than you can see anywhere else. Incredible song list. Totally heartfelt.I don't think the live disc is where you should start, I think the live show is the answer to all your questions.I can't believe people (especially people on this board) are so quick to dismiss these guys.... From your comments it seems like the first time you've ever heard them and you have your minds made up?AD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 I definitely prefer the stuff that leans to punk ala Justine Alright. That is a Heavy Trash song (Jon Spencer + Matt Verta-Ray + The Sadies)Liner notes would do y'all some good for this disc. First disc is just the Sadies for the most part with their family (The Good Brothers) on a couple tracks, second disc is all the special guests who they've been the band for at times in their careers..Guests include Garth and Maude Hudson, Neko Case, Rick White (Elevator, Unintended), Gary Louris (Jayhawks), Jon Spencer (JSBX, Heavy Trash), Matt Verta-Ray (Heavy Trash), Kelly Hogan, Jon Langford (Mekons, Waco Brothers), Age of Danger and Andre Ethier (Deadly Snakes), Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo), Greg Keelor (Blue Rodeo, Unintended), and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 I can't believe people (especially people on this board) are so quick to dismiss these guys.... From your comments it seems like the first time you've ever heard them and you have your minds made up?But... there are no 23-minute funk-space jamouts, brah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 [but... there are no 23-minute funk-space jamouts, brah. Ah yes, another reason why I love them so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 But... there are no 23-minute funk-space jamouts' date=' brah.[/quote']Ah yes, another reason why I love them so. Ha-ha-ha, me too! I'm a little confused, though - everyone seems to be listening to the new live album, but I thought that it wasn't released until the middle of August? How did all you little monkeys get your grimy little hands on it? Promo copies for everyone? Oh, and any word on whether the DVD will be region-encoded? Many music DVDs aren't, so I'm hoping this one will be Region 0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 I am 'officially' dying to hear this album. People, dont let my days go by until I listen to it. Even if I become a carrot, dont let them pull me out until I get a chance to listen. Consider this my will. AND, if I am a carrot, put on Live Dead. Repeat if you are lazy or confused.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 It was leaked on BitTorrent at the beginning of July.... As for the DVD, there has been no news from anyone about it.... Is it still being released? If you have any info on it, please share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Sorry folks, point out where the ALT in 'Alt-Country' is in this band. They seem to fall in with the likes of of bands listed on the all-knowing Wikipedia's entry for Alt-Country here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 Maybe the thing that grabs me about them is the fact that there is no other band that sounds like them out there. And if there is, I challenge you to name them. Surf / Garage / Country / Punk at the same time. More guitar prowess than you can see anywhere else. Incredible song list. Totally heartfelt.James McKenty And The Spades, maybe?Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 I definitely prefer the stuff that leans to punk ala Justine Alright. That is a Heavy Trash song (Jon Spencer + Matt Verta-Ray + The Sadies) Liner notes would do y'all some good for this disc. So not only do I need to see The Sadies live but now I have to track down the liner notes before I can appreciate this disc? I figured half the songs on the album were covers and was not implying that Justine Alright was a Sadies song, just that of all the sounds I heard on the disc, that was the one I liked the most. And my opinion has nothing to do with a lack of 23 minute jams. I like jambands best when they reach the chorus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 (edited) They seem to fall in with the likes of of bands listed on the all-knowing Wikipedia's entry for Alt-Country here Ah yes, right beside Tom Waits, alt-country's posterboy. James McKenty And The Spades, maybe? Ug. Both good bands, but (I really really think) there is no comparison. WIthout the Sadies the Spades would have no place to hang their hats. (edit: Free show in Peterborough Wednesday August 16th, Sadies and the Spades, good chance to compare and contrast the two.) Whatever. They're my favourite band, I don't want to try to convert anyone anymore, they're playing August 17 I think at Capital Music Hall as part of the Folk Festival, maybe you folks will attend and make up your own minds. If not, fine, but you're missing out on the best Canada has to offer the world. AD Edited August 1, 2006 by Guest free show details Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodRev Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 I have never actually seen this band, but I'm told they'd become my new favourites if I did. I see they're doing two nights in Toronto in September, that might be the key.I know the Spades have a close association with the Sadies, but I don't know if you can say the former relies on the latter. I've heard a handful of Sadies tunes, all of which I considered 'good', but haven't grabbed me to the point where I'm obsessively listening to an album over and over again. I'm still waiting on the live show to bowl me over. On the other hand, The Spades' first record grabbed me immediately, both with James' guitar playing and their ridiculously good writing. Every show I've seen has been better than the last, and I really have the impression that they're forging ahead with their own thing. Sure, they're closely tied to the Sadies, but they're their own band whom I love independant of the Sadies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeps Posted August 1, 2006 Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 They were proficient at what they were doing but it seemd rather derivative of any other country music I'd heard before. I'll give it another shot when their through Guelph again I guess.The liner notes have no bearing on my personal tastes. In fact I feel when people guest about 16 musicians onto their albums it's a little gimmicky.CheersDeeps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted August 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2006 In fact I feel when people guest about 16 musicians onto their albums it's a little gimmicky.It's all in the context... They're that good a band that all those guests have used them as 'their band' for various tours / albums, and Andre Williams wasn't even there.... But anyways, I'm not making headway here.You do have a point in one sense though... I really like the second disc with all the guests, but what I really want is a full length show (just the Sadies, no guests) released as a live album, or (ug) for them to allow taping.AD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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