The Sheepdogs are bringing Backroad Boogie tour to Lindsay
Band meets fans on its own turf with smaller-venue stops across Canada
Growing up in Saskatoon, Ryan Gullen wished more big-name music acts included his hometown on their tours.
Now part of his own big-name act, Gullen and his Sheepdogs bandmates are filling that bill with their extensive Canadian Backroad Boogie tour, which includes a stop at the FLATO Academy Theatre in Lindsay on March 18.
“For some reason, tours would often pass over (Saskatoon) and, if you wanted to see big international acts, you had to go to Winnipeg or Edmonton,” said The Sheepdogs’ bass player.
“Canada’s biggest music fans don’t just live in the major cities … This country exists in other markets and we wanted to spread out to smaller places … We’ve already done one leg of this tour and the biggest place we played so far had something like 70,000 people.”
Gullen noted the response to the tour has been “overwhelming,” making the energy of each show “second to none.”
“It’s been an awesome vibe,” continued Gullen. “People came out to party every night and showed us a good time … I’m told we broke liquor sales records at multiple shows.”
In addition to celebrating international acclaim for their latest studio release, “Outta Sight,” The Sheepdogs are paying forward their hardearned good fortune.
“On this whole tour, we’ve picked supporting acts we’re fans of, and are excited they are able to get exposure opening the night in some of these smaller centres,” said Gullen of the opportunity to introduce Ellen Froese and JJ Shiplett out west, Daniel Romano’s Outfit to the Ontario shows and Motherhood to the Quebec dates.
“We had to pay our own dues. We spent several years touring and losing money before we had our big break,” Gullen added.
“Success is never guaranteed and it’s far from permanent. We want to keep pushing forward and stay relevant and if we can help someone else out along the way, then it’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned.”
While their current tour features hundreds of dates across Canada — on top of a massive 15-country European tour in 2022 and ’23 — Gullen points out it’s a necessary part of the industry, albeit for different reasons these days.
“Historically, touring was a major part of getting exposure. That’s still the case, but now it’s also a major part of how you market yourself,” said Gullen, pointing out this was underscored by the pandemic, which saw many bands that had stepped away from touring years before hitting the road again.
“Touring is hard physically, but we’re fortunate to have been able to see so much of the world … Canada is a massive place and we don’t get to see too many of these (smaller) places,” he said.
“So, personally, it’s given me an opportunity to experience more of the Canadian identity.”
Tickets are still available for the show, which hits the stage at 8 p.m., via the theatre’s box office, calling 705-324-9111 or online at flatoacademytheatre.com.