The Sheepdogs visited Guelph on their nationwide tour to promote their new album Future Nostalgia
On Friday, March 4, 2016, The Sheepdogs took the stage at the Guelph Concert Theatre, playing to a sold out crowd of 1,300. The Sheepdogs played an impressive set, spanning 90 minutes of sweat-drenched rock and smoky blues, with just enough time for tequila shots for the entire band, and some trombone playing.
The Saskatoon rockers are on tour to promote their latest studio effort Future Nostalgia, which seems to be a fairly appropriate description of the band themselves, fusing the sounds of Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Allman Brothers, and fellow Canadian outfit The Guess Who, with some modern sensibilities.
Along for the ride on this 32 date tour across the nation are Montreal rock and rollers Beat Cops, whose members hail from various famed Canadian rock bands. The quartet is considerably heavier than The Sheepdogs, but their thunderous riffs and blistering solos kept eager fans captivated as they powered through tracks from their album Mean Streets.
In a brief interview with The Ontarion between sets, Beat Cops lead guitarist Pat Bennett discussed the origins of the band, recording their debut album, touring with The Sheepdogs, and tequila.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]…very much resemble the bands of the ’70s that influenced them.[/pullquote]
Bennett told The Ontarion that Beat Cops came together following the end of the members’ respective projects—Priestess, The Stills, Trigger Effect, and High Dials—through mutual friend Mikey Heppner, the former frontman of Priestess.
Bennett says that “Mikey is the main songwriter,” and that Heppner would bring tracks into the studio for the band to jam on. This influence is evident throughout the album, as many of the riffs are reminiscent of Heppner’s work in Priestess.
Bennett recalled some friendly competition between vocalists Heppner and Tim Fletcher while recording Mean Streets.
“They’d have one mic setup and take turns running in and out of the booth, trying to one-up each other.”
When asked how Beat Cops ended up accompanying The Sheepdogs on their nationwide tour, Bennett remarked “that’s a better question for The Sheepdogs, they chose us,” and recalls how Beat Cops played a show in The Sheepdogs’ hometown of Saskatoon, leading to the tour invite.
When the term “supergroup” is brought up, Bennett quips that they “prefer the term super-duper group” with a grin, and although he may have been joking, Beat Cops certainly live up to the term on stage.
The Sheepdogs made their way onto the stage around 10:30 p.m. to rousing applause, as dim blue lights illuminated silhouettes of the band, who opened with the slow-building “Where I Can Roam.” As guitar harmonies and organ swells layered on top of each other, the stage lit up, revealing the band, who very much resemble the bands of the ‘70s that influenced them.
Frontman Ewan Currie played his Les Paul Custom through vintage Silvertone amps, combining for a warm and thick classic rock tone, and his voice carried powerfully yet sweetly above the crowd. Currie’s vocals are as versatile as they are impressive, and he showed off his range and control throughout the set.
Bass player Ryan Gullen and drummer Sam Corbett kept the crowd grooving throughout the night, and Ewan’s brother Shamus switched between keys, tambourine, and trombone. The newest member of the band is lead guitarist Jimmy Bowskill, who showed off his six-string prowess with speedy and tasteful solos. Bowskill toured with blues legends like Joe Bonamassa and Jeff Beck prior to joining The Sheepdogs in late 2015.
The charm of The Sheepdogs may very well be in their simplicity, with catchy melodies and straightforward riffs propelling the band through hits like “Downtown” and “The Way It Is.” The Sheepdogs’ old school vibe is easily accessible for rock fans young and old, as evidenced by the diverse crowd in attendance; but most importantly, they’re undeniably fun. The setlist for the evening sampled from all three of the band’s major studio releases, Learn and Burn, The Sheepdogs, and Future Nostalgia, giving fans plenty of opportunities to sing along to their favourite tunes.
The Sheepdogs closed their main set with a spirited rendition of “I Don’t Know,” but returned after a few minutes of prolonged cheers for their encore. The encore began with a ripping cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s ultimate jam song “Whipping Post,” which seemed to be relatively unknown to much of the audience. The final song was a passionate and extended version of “Learn and Burn” that delighted the crowd.
The Prairie rock ambassadors left their mark on Guelph Friday night, and if you’re searching for some old fashioned rock and roll fun, look no further.