Fri, Jun 13 | 9 PM (8:30 PM door)
Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys
$8.00
Tavern | All ages
CLICK FOR MORE INFO
After he walks into the room and introduces himself, the first words out of Sasquatch’s mouth are, “I need a beer.” I have seen this man’s band many times, and based on his stage antics, I was prepared for the worst. I’ve seen him kick a bottle across a room, throw a shot glass through a window, and light his pubic hair on fire. The band consists of Dave ‘Sasquatch’ on vocals and guitar, Johnny Custom riding the standup bass and the glamorous Miss Natalie banging the drums. Dave sings like he’s fighting a demon in his chest while the rhythm section gives his songs the backbone that keep them propped up. The first few times I saw The Sick-a-Billys, I was almost too caught up in the show to notice how technically proficient they are. Things like the giant bass, the cleavage behind the drums, and the guy with the hair grease flipping you off tend to steal your attention. Once you get settled in and you can really watch these cats play, however, you realize they’re not screwing around. Johnny slaps his strings at such a pace that sometimes his hand is nothing but a blur, and Natalie works the skins like a champion, playing with a ferocity that shows her Hardcore roots. Dave’s guitar playing skills shocked me as well, once I actually took a step back and noticed. He doesn’t fall into the trap of having songs that are seldom more complex than strummed chords,like many rock singer-songwriters do, with emphasis only on the vocals and lyrics. He knows when to let the guitar sit back and give the vocals room, and he knows when the guitar needs to carry the song. He also understands the importance of the guitar solo. Almost every song has one, and they have as much in common with the grind of Kerry King as they do the squeal of Chuck Berry. The perfect way to describe the band’s sound to the uninitiated would be - like a mix of rock and roll, scary/heavy melodic punk, and outlaw country.
A Rhode Island native, Sasquatch did live in Texas for a few years. While there, he picked up some respect for dark country music like Hank Williams and Wayne Hancock. He brought that back to Providence to start the Sick-a-Billys, and here he remains. The road is a recurring issue in Sasquatch’s lyrics, with songs like “The Road is Callin’” and “R.A.M.B.L.I.N.” He says, “I have wanted to go on tour since I knew what going on tour was…Traveling was maybe an early instant metaphor that I needed to reach a lot of people. And the whole open highway, radio on, arm out the window- Just to ‘be.’ That’s, I think, the American dream. Not to be lazy, or be powerful, or be successful, it’s just to be. I think I saw that in rock & roll.” If rock and roll is supposed to be the Devil’s music (and it is), then this man is a dark savior.
For More information and to buy ticket visit: http://www.beachlandballroom.com/
| Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billys posted on Friday April 25, 2008 |
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