Recently, The Sheepdogs returned to Victoria to play two back-to-back sold out concerts at the Capital Ballroom in support of their new album, Changing Colours.
Opening was Toronto’s Sean Coffey & The Iron Lungs, the type of band that you want to crush a keg of beer with. If you were having a house party, they’d be the band you’d want to play in your living room. They make that fun dirty rock and roll music that everyone can enjoy.
The denim vest-clad six-piece party rock band made due with what little space they had available on the stage that night. It seemed hard for any band member to get their rock and roll swagger on when the six members were almost touching. They still managed to get in the occasion jump and break free for a solo or two right at the edge of the stage.
The band ended their set with the anthem Tough, a song reminiscent of the legendary Thin Lizzy. During the final solo of the song, band leader Sean Coffey snuck behind the guitar player and they both played the double neck guitar. In that single move, they left the crowd wanting more, hoping they return soon for a festival like Rock The Shores.
It had been exactly two years and one week since the last time Saskatoon’s The Sheepdogs graced the stage at the Capital Ballroom (formerly Sugar Nightclub). For those of us who were there, it was notably one of the rowdiest concerts we’d ever been to in that venue. It was a night of sticky beer floors, people looking to party, and crowd surfers. It was a late February night to remember.
This time around, the crowd felt a little more subdued. It could have been it was a school night, or maybe everyone didn’t want to get bruised up before their dates the following day (Valentine’s Day).
The set leaned heavily on material from their new album, Changing Colours, which came out earlier this month. It was great for those of us who’ve had a chance to listen to the record already. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case for some of the crowd who were anxious to hear the hits.
The band’s big singles Who?, Feeling Good, The Way It Is, and I Don’t Know were peppered throughout the set, but were mainly focused towards the close of the show and encore. Whenever they’d bust into one of those songs, the crowd would turn electric with everyone singing along.
Sadly, The Sheepdogs didn’t play everything we at Rocktographers wanted to hear. Bad Lieutenant was left off the set list, but made up for with some deep cuts off of 2015’s Future Nostalgia.
The Sheepdogs remain one of best touring bands Canada has to offer. From their upbeat Allman Brothers-inspired sounds, to their interactions with the crowd, the lighting, and sound production, this is a band that we have no issues seeing in rock clubs, theatres, or music festivals. We know they are going to rock our socks off.
