"In Concert Volume One" out August 8 on Yep Roc Records
Guests include Neko Case, Garth Hudson, Gary Louris, Jon Langford, Blue Rodeo, Kelly Hogan, The Good Brothers and more!

TORONTO, ON: Toronto's cosmic cowboys The Sadies, led by the lanky frontmen Dallas and Travis Good, with drummer Mike Belitsky and upright bassist Sean Dean, have been quietly building a reputation since their debut release in 1998. The band manages to juggle a heavy tour schedule, side projects and their own studio recordings with equal aplomb, releasing critically acclaimed albums and making believers out of everyone who's witnessed their mind-blowing live shows.

But for Sadies' fans, there's been nothing that captures the feel of the band's live shows, which can run to 40 songs and encompass everything from psychedelic country rock, surf, bluegrass and Ennio Morricone-esque inspired instrumentals.
That is, until now.

Gathering family and friends for a two-night stint at Lee's Palace in Toronto early in Feb., 2006, The Sadies put on two 4-hour evenings of music in front of sold-out crowd. To get the songs on tape, the band called on renowned producer and friend Steve Albini, who engineered the tracks. The Sadies played their own favorites and invited up friends, from Gary Louris, Bob Egan, Kelly Hogan, Jon Langford and Heavy Trash to Canadian faves Blue Rodeo and others. Also featured were the Sadies' parents and uncles (The Good Brothers) and frequent collaborator Neko Case. (As well as being the backing band on The Tigers have Spoken, the Sadies are featured on Neko's latest album, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.)

Highlights include live versions of songs from Favourite Colours, as well as Garth Hudson joining Travis Good and Case for a rendition of The Band's "Evangeline." Louris contributes "Tailspin" and does vocal duties on Belitsky's "A Good Flying Day." There's also a tripped-out set by Sadies' side project The Unintended, featuring Elevator's Rick White.

Faced with the grueling task of sorting through hours of music, the band selected 41 tracks for a 2-disc double album, "In Concert Volume One", mixed by the band with "no overdubs or any such nonsense." What you're hearing is a Sadies live show, albeit one jam-packed full of talented guests, and the energy and camaraderie is tangible. You can hear that everyone involved was fully into the moment, fully into being a part of these historic live shows.

For The Sadies, this live album was a chance to get together with friends and make an album; it's also a thank you to their fans. To those of you who aren't fans yet, just give a listen to "In Concert Volume One". I'll wager you will be soon.