IN CONCERT
The Sheepdogs (with Yukon Blonde)
Where: Sugar Nightclub
When: Friday, 9 p.m.
Tickets: Sold out
听
Success hasn鈥檛 turned the Sheepdogs鈥� heads. Or so it seems. Their latest self-titled LP debuted at No. 1 on the Top 200 Soundscan chart. They were the first unsigned act to make the cover of Rolling Stone. And a new Sheepdogs documentary just premi猫red at the Whistler Film Festival.
Despite burgeoning fame, Ewan Currie of the Sheepdogs didn鈥檛 act cool and/or mysterious on the phone. Case in point 鈥� quizzed on his favourite bands as a teenager, the singer-guitarist immediately cited Chicago.
鈥淵ou know,鈥� he said from Kelowna this week, 鈥渢he band from the 鈥�70s with all the horns?鈥�
Chicago isn鈥檛 exactly the hippest act in the world. Remember all those gooey Peter Cetera ballads? But hey, back then, Currie was just a kid who loved playing the clarinet. Besides, the Chicago albums he dug were the first three. The good ones.
鈥淚 would give all of those [early] albums 10 out of 10. They had all these crazy medleys. That was really up my alley,鈥� he said.
North American fans have embraced the band鈥檚 no-nonsense boogie, which recalls rock鈥檚 late-鈥�60s/ early-鈥�70s heyday: the Allman Brothers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Band and the Stones. The Sheepdogs鈥� look fits their sound. True to their name, the long-haired, bearded band from Saskatoon is shaggy as all get out.
Typically, the Sheepdogs鈥� Victoria show was a fast sell-out (this being the last concert of a cross-sa国际传媒 tour, Currie promises a 鈥渂low-out鈥�).
鈥淸The tour] has been pretty crazy,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of shows, not much time off. But it鈥檚 a lot of fun. Getting to see so many people at our shows is a real treat. It makes you feel good inside that people want to see you perform.鈥�
The documentary The Sheepdogs Have At It, produced by Winnipeg鈥檚 Farpoint Films, chronicles the band鈥檚 dizzying trajectory since being featured in Rolling Stone in August 2011. The group scored the coverage by winning the magazine鈥檚 competition, Do You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star? The Sheepdogs also won a recording deal with Atlantic Records and a spot on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, exposing the band to millions of viewers.
Currie says he鈥檚 pleased with the documentary, directed by John Barnard. He believes it captures the Sheepdogs as they truly are.
Currie downplayed hoopla surrounding the Rolling Stone cover and the buzz that followed. The band鈥檚 aim isn鈥檛 to win competitions, he says 鈥� it鈥檚 to have a long career recording and touring. The Sheepdogs are in it for the marathon, not the sprint.
As a career role model, Currie looks to the Tragically Hip, who started out in 1983 and remain a strong concert draw.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a legacy act,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 mean that in any kind of condescending way. I mean that in a respectful way. The fans of the band, they know it鈥檚 quality. 鈥� I think it鈥檚 awesome those guys can just keep doing that.鈥�
Ask some bands about influences and they鈥檒l insist their sound is entirely unique 鈥� like nothing ever heard before. Not Currie.
He says what distinguishes the Sheepdogs includes an emphasis on vocal harmonies (Currie says having all members sing harkens back to the Band and Sly and the Family Stone). And there鈥檚 the unison guitar breaks offered in harmony 脿 la the Allman Brothers.
The Sheepdogs strive to avoid musical self-indulgence, Currie says. No 20-minute guitar solos. He keeps Tom Petty鈥檚 credo: 鈥淒on鈥檛 bore us, get to the chorus.鈥�
It may not be a fashionable stance in alt-rock circles, but Currie says he identifies himself more as an 鈥渆ntertainer鈥� than an artiste. When the Sheepdogs toured with John Fogerty, Currie 鈥� a big Creedence Clearwater Revival fan 鈥� noticed the 67-year-old rocker sweated hard over his 21脷2-hour sets. He, too, wants to give concertgoers a great show.
鈥淚 think about people throwing down their hand-earned money and coming out to a show. It鈥檚 like, 鈥�;If I bust my butt to make this money, I want some release. I want to be entertained.鈥� And I want to entertain them.鈥�
Currie and the Sheepdogs may be keen to entertain 鈥� but they鈥檙e not interested in pandering.
The Rolling Stone article ruffled a few citizens because descriptions of Saskatoon were less than flattering.
Currie noted the city is 鈥渋solated鈥� while another band member said: 鈥淭here鈥檚 an old saying, 鈥�;Saskatoon鈥檚 got nothing but hookers and hockey players.鈥� 鈥� The magazine writer described one city bar as a 鈥渟ex farm for blithering drunks.鈥�
Currie acknowledges Saskatoon鈥檚 portrayal was less than glamorous, but听 he believes the Sheepdogsdidn鈥檛 鈥渟ay anything negative鈥� about their hometown.
鈥淎 reporter came to hang out with us. We had beers at various bars and did the usual s--t talking that guys in bands do.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any apologies. Every night I go on stage and say, 鈥�;We鈥檙e the Sheepdogs from Saskatoon.鈥� 鈥�
