Striking while the iron is hot, Vancouver Island Music Festival announced this week the rags-to-riches Sheepdogs will perform at the 2012 VIMF.
The iron is still hot only days after the Saskatoon quartet was nominated for three Juno Awards 鈥� New Group of the Year, Single of the Year (I Don't Know) and Rock Album of the Year (Learn & Burn).
The Sheepdogs ascended "overnight" last year from relative obscurity to the cover of Rolling Stone when they won a hard-fought contest to become the first unsigned band featured on the cover of the iconic magazine.
"The Canadian boogie rock revivalists," as RS described them, beat 15 other bands for the honour, which included a contract with Atlantic Records.
"Though the Sheepdogs' groovy, harmonic, neo-psychedelic sound is easy-going and relaxed, the guys have struggled in their quest to break out of their native Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and into the big time," RS reported.
Six years of relentless touring throughout North America honed their chops, preparing them to perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee as well as being mentored by Kid Rock."The closest thing I would compare them to is the Guess Who," VIMF artistic director Doug Cox said in announcing their participation in MusicFest this July in Courtenay.
Their myspace page lists the Allman Brothers, Humble Pie, Free, Supergrass, Derek and the Dominoes, the Bees, Curtis Mayfield, Sly and the Family Stone, Neil, Os Mutantes and the Beatles as influences.
Cox feels the Sheepdogs, who have a reputation for strong vocal harmonies (all four sing), will appeal to a wide range of ages.
Cox said he got to see guitarist Ewan Currie, guitarist Leot Hanson, bassist Ryan Gullen and drummer Sam Corbett at an event in Ottawa called Prairie Scene.
Cox said he booked them a little more than two weeks ago.
"We're lucky to get them," he added, saying the Sheepdogs have many dates booked in the U.S. "They wanted to play a Canadian festival this summer."
Cox, himself a veteran musician, marvels at their "overnight" success.
"One night they were playing to 25 people in a divey bar in Saskatoon and the next they were playing for thousands of people."
MusicFest is scheduled for July 6 to 8 at the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds in Courtenay. Besides the Sheepdogs, acts announced so far include Emmylou Harris, k.d. lang and Buffy Sainte-Marie.
For more information, visit www.islandmusicfest.com.
editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com
