It’s always a treat when Canadian rockabilly psych-soul stalwarts, the Sadies find their way back to Rochester, NY. They visited the area in August as an opening band for “The Dead South” at the Perinton Amphitheater in a show that they should have headlined (in the rock room’s humble opinion). On October 3, the Flower City was lucky enough to host the band at the Skylark Lounge, the perfect retro rock and roll stage, accompanied by the Texas Headphones who provided a well received opening set.

Since the tragic loss of founding Sadies member Dallas Good in 2022, his brother Travis (guitar, vocals), Sean Dean (stand up bass), Mike Belitsky, (drums) have carried on as a swinging trio playing a nightly tribute to their fallen comrade through song.

The long-standing group continues to command live stages across the US and Canada playing a panoramic plethora of originals, instrumental pieces, and deftly chosen covers like the Byrds, “Wasn’t Born to Follow,” and Love’s “Message to Pretty.” Both cuts illustrating a fine representation of the group’s deep and eclectic song choices.

Their 75-minute set collaborated punky country and western grooves, tastefully tremolo’d guitar and prickly pop jams.

In a set bookended by acoustic numbers, the group opened with the aptly titled and traditional song, “Little Sadie.” A rock attitude and sultry swing so prevailed through the set and played out in a double time reading of “Cheat,” hailing from the band’s debut LP Precious Moments.

The rhythm section played with a loose nuance and displayed their rhythmic interplay on rock, waltzes, and the finger picked funk of “Cut Up High and Dry,” A stunning reading of the haunting “More Alone,” from Colder Streams spotlighted Travis Good’s piercing hollow bodied tones, big strums, and perfectly placed sonic hums.

“Northumberland West,” barreled ahead like a lost Buffalo Springfield instrumental, and the group paid proper tribute to Canada with a homage to the “Band” that started it all, with a serrated’ cover of the Canadian Squires cut, “Leave Me Alone.”

The trio cranked through their set in a brisk business-like fashion, culminating in a reading of the “Ridge Runner Reel,” that that increased the tempo rounding each bend until it threatened to run off the rails.

It’s and incredible and lucky stroke of luck that rock and roll music from a band on the level of the Sadies is still readily available and able to be sussed out in intimate venues and with like-minded music listeners. As the Sadies closed out the encore and the evening with their song, “No One’s Listening,”  they had to be acutely aware that there are several of us who are.