FME is a marathon, not a sprint, and we were coming up on the last mile. I schlepped my tired bones from the SUUNS secret show over to main stage for The Sadies sunset set. Despite my weariness, as the plucky guitar and throaty upright bass started up, I was drawn magnetically toward the front. Soon, I turned around and saw I wasn’t alone- behind me, the crowd had multiplied to seemingly include the whole population of Rouyn-Noranda. This was fitting, as the show was part of the free festivities to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the town.
The music meandered from rockabilly to surf rock to full desert saloon. Frontman Travis Good was our fearless leader, looking like an older, sadder cowboy Kramer in his Sunday best. Noting that summer is now coming to an end, he launched into “Another Season Again,” dedicated to his brother and founding member of the band, Dallas Good, who died in 2022 and wrote it about how much he hated summer.
Near the end, the Toronto band played “Ridge Runner Reel,” a maddeningly toe-tapping instrumental country romp that increasingly picks up the pace until the audience can barely keep up. This perfect end to my festival weekend, The Sadies had me riding out of Abitibi-Témiscamingue on a slow horse with one brain cell, two left feet, and three names.
