The Sadies – Il Motore – Thursday, February 11th
O’Brien, who played solo last night, opened up the show setting a gentle and romantic mood, as tables around the room were adorned with candles. His voice, which accompanied his twangy acoustic guitar, had a sort of wise quality to it, as if he was a grandfather telling old tales. It was as deep as the ocean and ranged in style; sometimes being gruff and others as calming as that of Willie Nelson. On top of a Mark Twang track, Mike went back in time and played a Leon Redbone track which dates back to 1919, through which he charmingly stumbled through the chords. His set was of great variety, and was really different from anything I have heard in a while.
Young Rival came on next, and within seconds they were charging power chords left and right. Their set was irresistibly catchy, and foot tapping was rampant, if you weren’t already jumping up and down or dancing. “Another Nobody” was supplied with a monstrously roaring, powerful drum and bass solo. Aron D’Alesio’s voice, along with his mystical yet roaring guitar creates sounds which bring to mind the likes of The Vines, The Strokes and The Beach Boys. Young Rival put on an incredibly delightful and feel-good set. Oh, and their hair was wonderful too, but that’s besides the point!
Finally, after an anticipated wait, The Sadies took the stage at 11:00 PM. Fans both old and new were delighted with the set, as the band played songs from way back until their most recent stuff. The band treated the crowd and played the first song off of their new album, which is only due out in May and then went all the way back to 1999′s Pure Diamond Gold‘s “Higher Power”, which was very well received by the Montreal faithful. When Travis Good pulled out his violin, the crowd went absolutely wild. The room suddenly had an immense surge of energy, and the whole room was dancing. His Dylan-esque presence was a pleasure to watch, and the resemblances were sometimes uncanny. Bassist, Sean Dean, played his upright bass masterfully and it was a real treat to the eyes and ears. Although the band did not say much throughout their set, their sound was perfectly clean and tight. Not only did The Sadies sound incredibly sharp, but they looked it too. The whole band was dressed in classy suits, and Dallas Good’s had some awesome embroidery which you can see below. The Sadies put on an outstanding show, and I think it’s safe to say everyone left happy. – Amelia Robitaille
The Sadies
Young Rival
Mike O’Brien
Photography by David Gosselin
