Concert Review: John Doe & the Sadies at the Bottleneck
John Doe & the Sadies are basically the world's greatest country cover band. Last night's show at the Bottleneck proved that. From the opening strains of "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)," made famous by Ms. Patsy Cline, through numbers such as Marty Robbins' "Big Iron" (which has "El Paso" beat all to shit -- I don't care which one's sold more copies), Roger Miller's "Husbands and Wives," and not one, but two Merle Haggard songs, John Doe & the Sadies knocked out chart-topping dance numbers the likes of which aren't usually seen on the Bottleneck stage.
A real, honest-to-goodness country show is a rarity these days, so it was a right pleasure to see people in the crowd stomping and clapping along to all the hits. The band was there to please, and it was kind of a kick to get to see Canada's finest in Lawrence, along with a punk rock legend. 
Nick Spacek John Doe
You'd think the band was a regular deal for everyone involved, considering the ease with which they knocked out tune after tune. Then again, the Sadies and Doe both possess extensive back catalogs and are damned talented performers to boot, so it's no wonder they were so calm and at ease on stage.
Now, the show was essentially a cover show, but while many of the numbers performed were straight covers, there were a few tunes that got a remake. The best song of the night was a version fo Willie Nelson's "Night Life," but done by way of the Animals' version of "House of the Rising Sun." It was country, psychedelic, and a totally unique interpretation of a song that is by now a standard. The honky-tonked take on "I Still Miss Someone" was fantastic, as well. The way the band knew how to take a slow, downtempo number and really punch it up.
The whole band looked pretty slick, too. Every member was in a suit, and it lent the show an air of countrypolitan class. Nobody had a Nudie suit, but still -- nice.
Opener Jill Sobule was the nicest thing of the night, though. Yes, she was the "I Kissed A Girl" girl before Katy Perry. Last night, she proved herself to be more than just that one song. 
Nick Spacek Jill Sobule
For one thing, she never played it, and the only time it was alluded to was during "Bitter." Considering "Bitter" is a song about the trials and travails of the music business, it's unsurprising that at some point, she did mention the girl who "stole the title of my song," saying she was going to "pop a cap." The song was intro'd with a story about how the label wanted her to re-record the song for a single, omitting the word "bitch." She did, replacing it with "cunt."
Sobule accompanied herself on acoustic guitar, which accentuated her clear, high voice. It was an arresting, entertaining performance. Considering the fact that it was just Sobule and her guitar, I expected people to be talking all over her. Not so. As a matter of fact, after the first few lines of her opener "Don't Fuck With Me," people were listening attentively and clapping loudly after every song. Sobule rewarded the attention with clever songs that were funny, but not novelty funny, such as her closer, "Cinnamon Park," which is about "doing drugs at the battle of the bands." During that, she managed to wort in a little bit of Yes' "Roundabout," as well as Kansas' "Dust In the Wind." She had everyone sing the opening "I close my eyes" bit, too.
Really, between Sobule and John Doe & the Sadies, you couldn't have asked for a better show. If you were the acts, you could've asked for a better turnout, however. The Bottleneck was maybe half full. Several of my friends had just learned of the show yesterday. There were no fliers I saw up around town, and you'd think a bill with a band that backed Neko Case, a punk legend, and an artist who's been all over NPR the past year would draw better. There were no casual fans, to be sure, but it would have been nice to see more effort put into promoting a performance this impressive.
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