The Sadies Remain Triumphant with Guest-packed Portland, OR Performance (SHOW REVIEW/PHOTOS)

If there is such a thing as a band’s band, The Sadies are it. For going on three decades, the Toronto group has been cutting through the fog with their own style of what might best be described as Western gothic alt-country. Their road warrior status and their considerable chops as musicians have made them both favorites and collaborators of the likes of Neko Case, Gord Downie, Kurt Vile and Jon Langford to name just a few. Much of The Sadies’ combustible dynamic comes from the two-pronged guitar and harmony attack of brothers Travis and Dallas Good. For all of these reasons and the fact that it was just so damn unexpected, the music scene was hit by a wave of collective shock and sadness when Dallas passed away suddenly in February 2022 at the age of 48. Given his massive contribution to the band – essentially functioning as the front man – fans wondered if The Sadies could continue. Luckily, the three remaining members are determined to keep going. With arguably their best album, Colder Streams (REVIEW), still fresh, The Sadies are currently in the midst of one of their first full U.S. tours since the passing of Dallas and on Sunday, March 5th, they convened in his honor in front of a packed Polaris Hall in Portland, Oregon.  

Before The Sadies came on to work their magic, the crowd was treated to an opening set from local six-piece Federale playing their signature psych-rock-meets-spaghetti-western tunes. The group is fronted by local rock star Collin Hegna, also a member of the Brian Jonestown Massacre. On songs like “Aim For The Heart,” “Hero” and “No Strangers,” the group laid down sweeping, cinematic tunes that – with the help of pedal steel guitar and a trumpet – conveyed the vastness of a darkened desert landscape. “The Fire That Came Down From The Mountain” conjured up the kind of cosmic cowboy rock that felt like a tribute to The Sadies, while “Shitkicker” was a driving rocker that showcased Hegna’s supremely badass whistling skills. Other highlights included the noir rockabilly tune “Blood Moon” and a haunting cover of Nick Cave’s “I Let Love In.”  

Taking the stage looking as dapper as ever and backed by a tapestry donning an image of Dallas Good, The Sadies got straight down to business with the jangly mod rocker “Stop and Start” before a version of the eerie surf rocker “More Alone” that felt especially poignant given the circumstances. “Through Strange Eyes” saw Travis Good filling in both guitar parts flawlessly as if he was playing for two. This was a frequent occurrence as Travis unleashed the energy and guitar precision of two people throughout the set. With drummer Mike Belitsky and standup bassist Sean Dean holding down an impeccably tight rhythm, Travis was free to veer into the kind of explorations that drop jaws for guitar nerds. This means taking songs from surf rock jams and Apache-style riffage into stark Western gothic cowboy sounds and rapid-fire Don Rich-style country picking. The beauty was in the way was able to shift gears on a dime from this level of showmanship to more tender fare, as was the case when the grim and fuzzy “No One’s Listening” was followed by a Jon Langford-penned performed acoustically. As one might expect, the band also lean heavily into their most recent album Colder Streams for much of the set.  

Of course, this being The Sadies and this being Portland, they invited some local heroes to the stage, with local writer and musician Willy Vlautin joining the band for a stirring take on Dallas’ “Tell Her What I Said” and later in the evening Scott McCaughey would lead the band in a spirited rendition of fellow Canadian Neil Young’s “Revolution Blues.” On other songs like “Northumberland West” and “Cut Up High and Dry,” the audience was treated to the full spectrum of their dark interpretation of country music, while Travis finally got to don his fiddle for “Uncle Larry’s Breakdown.”  

The old saying ‘never miss a Sunday show’ was proven true once again in Portland as The Sadies let their set stretch past the ninety-minute mark. The loss of Dallas Good means the band has massive shoes to fill, and on this night they stepped up to the plate with a level of instrumental prowess and energy that one can only imagine would have brought a smile to Dallas’ face. It was also a reminder that, while many of us wondered how The Sadies could go on in his passing, now we have to wonder how they could have possibly called it quits when they are more than equipped to keep the torch burning bright. 

All photos by Greg Homolka