For fans of Canada’s most underrated rock-and-roll export, next to The Tragically Hip, the last few years have been tumultuous yet uplifting. With the untimely passing of Dallas Good in 2022 – who led the band with his brother Travis – lovers of The Sadies wondered if, and how, they would continue. Yet the trio of Travis Good, drummer Mike Belitsky, and bassist Sean Dean pressed on and have miraculously done their best to fill the void left behind through a steady touring schedule. Anyone questioning the fate and sound of this band after 2022 needs only see them live to be reassured that The Sadies, though changed, are as strong and vital as ever. Such was the case when the band made their way through Portland, Oregon, on Friday, February 13th, for a packed show at the Star Theater.
Following a lively opening set by local country heroes Jenny Don’t and the Spurs, The Sadies hit the stage and got straight down to business with the acoustically picked work of darkened, bluegrass-esque “Little Sadie.” They switched into Canadian cowboy mode with the haunting “Oak Ridges” before ramping up the energy on a version of “Cut Up High and Dry” that saw Good laying down gradually spicier licks before the ferocious surf rock twang blitz of “Cheat.” The magic of The Sadies has always been their uncanny ability to switch from ominous Americana-noir to mind-bending instrumentals. “More Alone” offered perfect proof of this talent, as did “Through Strange Eyes,” while eloquent guitar work on “Message” shimmered with the vibrancy and mysticism of the northern lights. This was, of course, beautifully contrasted with a rollercoaster instrumental that saw Good incorporating heavy doses of surf guitar and Don Rich’s Bakersfield twang that bled into a barrage of thick 60s psych-rock fuzz. “Message” followed in a similar vein as the band rode the wave of mod energy before spiraling into rock and roll glory, and “No One’s Listening” was also brimming with acid-laced jangle.
With Belitsky and Dean keeping a tight-as-hell in-the-pocket rhythm, Good was able to let his guitar playing soar as he careened into too many styles to keep track of while also holding down vocal duties. In the post-Dallas Good era of the band, Travis pulls double duty with his playing, a gargantuan task that he has gamely taken on with class and vigor. Throughout the set, he dipped into everything from chicken-picking, twangified cosmic country to vintage rock and roll and even funk. By the time the band made their way to their take on the Canadian Squires’ “Leave Me Alone,” Good was in full garage-soul mode before immediately switching gears into the breezy instrumental “Northumberland West,” the latter a perfect showcase for The Sadies’ versatile approach. Other standouts came towards the end of the set, with “Another Season Again” chugging along with Stooges-style muscle and “Stop and Start” boiling with urgency and psychedelia.
Calling it a “Portland tradition,” Good welcomed legendary local fixture Scott McCaughey to the stage to join the band for a handful of spot-on Neil Young covers as something of an ode to the band’s Canadian heritage. “Albuquerque” was predictably sentimental, while “White Line” and “Revolution Blues” were both delivered with blistering fervor. This felt like a fitting bookend to another successful outing in the Rose City, once again reminding fans that The Sadies are in as fine form as ever and not going away any time soon.
