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Canada’s the Sadies renew ties to city
By John Benson
It was roughly 20 years ago that the Sadies started playing music in Toronto.
When band singer Dallas Good thinks back to the early days, memories of traveling through Northeast Ohio come to mind.
“I absolutely remember coming through Youngstown,” said Good, calling from Canada. “As much as those shows were always kind of debauchery and drunkenness, I remember them very clearly. The first Youngstown shows that I recall were at the Nyabinghi in the late ’90s. That’s also where we got to know Bob’s Country Bunker.”
He added, “I always love that city. It’s been great.” The Sadies return to Youngstown tonight for a show at Cedars with, you guessed it, Bob’s Country Bunker opening.
Over the decades that have passed, Good and his brother Travis have explored everything from surf and punk to alt country and rock. Specifically, in the early ’00s the outfit hit a fruitful patch with 2002’s “Stories Often Told,” 2004’s “Favourite Colours” and 2007’s Juno Award-nominated “New Seasons.”
Never complacent, the Sadies decided to explore dark themes with its award-winning 2010 effort “Darker Circles.” That was followed by its 2013 effort “Internal Sounds,” which Good produced with the idea of crafting a record that is the closest the band has yet come to capturing its live sound.
When it’s pointed out the album’s lead track, “The First 5 Minutes,” has a Doors vibe, Good points to a lesser known band as a better point of reference.
“I’d say Love is one of the biggest influences I have, and I think that Jim Morrison would have said the exact same thing, so I’ll take it, man,” Good said.
As for the ’60s sound, Good said as time goes on the band has become more comfortable with the style. He said, more importantly, that sound is finally translating onto the record. In fact, there are two songs on “Internal Sounds” that he feels truly epitomize the mindset of the new album as well as the band.
The first of which is “Story 19,” which Good describes as a psychedelic rave up in the vein of Dutch band the Outsiders.
The other is “We Are Circling,” which includes Canadian folk legend Buffy Sainte-Marie.
“I’ve been such a big fan of hers for all of my enlightened life,” Good said. “So having her on the album was such an incredible honor, and to have her perform in a tradition that I gravitate toward, that was a great opportunity. That’s something I don’t take for granted.”