The Edge

When Canadian rock ‘n’ roll band The Sheepdogs took the stage at the 7th Street Entry at Minneapolis’ legendary 1st Avenue, I was skeptical. Their supporting act, Radio Moscow, featured a front man that wore not one, but two, different articles of suede fringe clothing and music that relied on gratuitously shreddy guitar solos to compensate for lack of cohesiveness amongst the overall sound of the band. Radio Moscow had the technical chops and instrumental proficiency, but they just aren’t there yet. So I was skeptical of The Sheepdogs, suspecting them to be trite rock ‘n’ roll wannabees, stuck in the glory days of 1970’s classic rock, and unable to conjure any definitive musical identity of their own.
But then they started playing. Sure, their music is a blatant throwback to likes of The Allman Brothers and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but The Sheepdogs were not attempting to create a carbon copy of their heroes. They pushed past the “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” mentality that many neo-classic rock bands often slip into and delivered songs with distinctive substance, complex vocal harmonies, intertwining dual guitars, and a killer rhythm section. As a band, they captured the groove of every song they performed, demonstrating an energy that electrified the entire crowded venue. Their stage presence was modest. The only glimmer of flashiness existed within their playing, which was so finely dialed in that it blew me away. It is clear that this band is a group of guys who care very deeply about making great music, music they want to listen to.
I’ve seen bands in the same vein as The Sheepdogs who would be better off just declaring themselves a Lynyrd Skynrd cover band. This is not the case with The Sheepdogs. They are the future of good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. -Amy

Photo cred: Brian Lucas