Sassparilla

Portland, Oregon-based outfit SASSPARILLA has been referred to as indie-roots, punk-Americana, and punk-roots.  Comprised of Kevin “Gus” Blackwell (vocals, cigar box guitar, national resonator guitar), the father and son combo of Ross “Dagger” Macdonald (harmonica) and Colin “Sweet Pea” Macdonald (washtub bass), Naima (vocals,accordian, washboard), and Justin Burkhart (drums), Sassparilla offers one of the most entertaining, sweaty live shows in the Pacific Northwest. Complete with dancing, sing-along numbers, and plenty of good times. And now, with The Darndest Thing, they deliver a record that gives fans a new side of the band, centered on the structure of the song and the lyrics more so than the party groove and liveliness of their earlier recordings.

Trading in influences such as Old Crow Medicine Show, The Black Keys, Tom Waits, R.L. Burnside, and The Devil Makes Three for Grant Lee Phillips and Joe Henrywith The Darndest Thing, the band’s latest offering is a testament to their diversity and continued growth as a band.