Live Review: The Sadies with Deano Waco and The Purvs

The Sadies
W/ Deano Waco and The Purvs
May 22, 2010
Lee's Palace, Toronto

Chicago's Deano Waco of the Waco Brothers recently joined Austin, Texas alt bluegrass rockers The Meat Purveyors for a couple recordings, all downloadable for free at deanowaco.com. Tonight, with only three of the four Purveyors on hand being Bill Anderson on acoustic guitar, Peter Stiles on mandolin, and Jo Cohen providing female backing vocals, Lee's Palace transformed into a forty-five minute hoedown with Deano Waco and the Purvs. Opening with "Workin' For The Devil," the considerably packed house instantly started bopping along with the upbeat music, reminiscent of 50s and 60s pop-country with a indie-rebel twist. They went on with more tunes from the album including "Reality Blues," "Box Store," "Bottle Of Wine," "Vacant Lot" kickstarted by a four-count boot stomp from Anderson, and a crowd welcomed rendition of an old Bill Monroe number. Deano joked about how he was privileged to sit on the throne of Lee's Palace before the set, keeping the fun, low-key atmosphere alive, on par with the band's easy listening shindig music. This was my first time witnessing one of the Waco brothers live, something I have now scratched off my to do list. Seeing Deano with The Purvs made the event even better. I highly recommend downloading the album, and start swingin' around your living room turned make-believe saloon right away.

After the bout of country fever from The Purvs, the continuously growing crowd at Lee's Palace waited patiently for hometown heroes The Sadies. As the promoter said pre-Purvs set, we were about to see the best live band Toronto has to offer, the "Blue Rodeo of their time." He was right on the mark.

The Sadies have been a busy band recently. Continuing on their infamous track of backing the underground's greatest singers such as Neko Case and Jon Langford, 2009 saw the Sadies team up with legendary X frontman John Doe on Yep Roc records to showcase their best acoustic country feels. Last Tuesday, The Sadies released their ninth studio album, Darker Circles, the reason for gathering at Lee's Palace tonight. The two set performance was largely utilized to showcase the new, instant Sadies classics on Darker Circles.

The main thing about seeing the Sadies live is that you are in for a party. The Good brothers are wildly flexible at throwing out any style whenever they want - they are true bluesmen capable of captivating your attention for hours on end. Tonight they walked onstage, Dallas in a psychedelic maroon suit and Travis in all black, and laid down a vibrant surfy instrumental. The Goods fervently played off each other's energy, turning toward and getting close to one another. They were cutting heads with a spirited presence of an old school blues duo like Keith Richards and Brian Jones. They got right into new stuff from Darker Circles, with the first track off the album "Another Year Again." The tune, an explosive rain of the brothers' ever-hooky psychedelic guitar presence, soared gallantly into the packed house. It is impossible not to be amazed by The Sadies's songwriting ability, and Darker Circles proves these guys are old dogs still with great new tricks. They played a pile more of new songs off Darker Circles for the adoring lot of plaided-out cowboys and girls, such as "Cut Corners," and "The Quiet One." Older favourites featured throughout the night were "Anna Leigh" off 2007's The New Seasons, and "The 400" from 2006's Tales Of The Rat Fink.

The highlight of the night, at least for me, was a Toronto-fitting rendition of the old Canadian Squires classic "Leave Me Alone." Travis belted out the vocals with dedication, his face straining violently to do the tune justice. I must also give special mention to the rest of the band. Sean Dean, decorated in a black vest and tie, slapped the hell out of his towering brown stand-up bass until he was dripping with sweat. He stood directly right of Mike Belitsky's metallic blue drum kit. Seated behind with a happy-go-lucky smile, Belitsky looked like he was having a shit-ton of fun while adamantly keeping his band on beat. And, once again, nothing can be said to promote the Good brothers enough. Whizzing through amazing ragtime, surf, and the best of fuzzed out psychedelic guitar lines, with an unbelievably captivating stage presence, they have more than a knack for performing - they have a God-given gift.

Published by Tangible Sounds Music Magazine