Hell Week: Lucifer Sam

Sadies: Lucifer Sam [purchase]

I love this picture of The Sadies because it looks like they're playing Hell's waiting room. Then again, who knows with these guys. They play 200 dates a year. I can totally see them scheduling a gig in Satan's foyer, in between dates at The Knitting Factory and Maxwell's Hoboken.

As everyone and their lysergically-inclined brother knows, "Lucifer Sam" is an old Pink Floyd number, done when Syd Barrett was running the show. But hey, why run interference for the Floyd when you can talk about the hardest working, ass-kickingest roots-rock band in the bidness. Other bands may give you pomp, circumstance, and shameless spectacle, but The Sadies bring encyclopedic versatility and old-school showmanship to the stage. Their sets credibly and seamlessly switchback through Byrds-inflected country-rock, surf instrumentals, rockabilly, gospel, old-school country, and spaghetti western. If that's not enough, guitarist and vocalist, Dallas Good, once played an entire show headless. Let's see your favorite band do that.

In 2006, The Sadies released not only the best record of the year, but one of the defining records of this decade ... In Concert Volume 1 ... from which "Lucifer" is drawn. Culled from a pair of shows at Lee's Palace in their hometown of Toronto, I do not lie to you, my brothers and sisters, when I say that it's this generation's Last Waltz.

I'll let that lofty statement settle in.

OK, I make this mildly hyperbolic claim for three reasons: 1) Like The Last Waltz, In Concert Volume 1 features a rotating cast of special guests, including Neko Case, Jon Langford, Kelly Hogan, Jon Spencer, Gary Louris, the Blue Rodeo guys, and in a roots d'etat, actual Last Waltzer and fellow Canuck, Garth Hudson. 2) Like The Band, The Sadies are perfectly comfortable serving as a backing band or taking the lead on their own songs. And 3) Like TLW, In Concert is a brilliant survey of the host band's career that also serves to highlight their immense musical vocabulary. And hey, if nothing else, there's no Neil Diamond. Advantage Sadies.

Here's a short video Bloodshot Records produced for their song, "Flash," which has kind of a "Tombstone Blues" feel to it.

The Sadies - Flash

Here's a cool clip featuring animated Sadies and a tune from their soundtrack to the Ed "Big Daddy" Roth documentary, Tales Of The Rat Fink.

The Sadies - The Horseshoe