At Sweet Home on Sandy
Stringrays create sizzling jazz, blues, rock show
If you're looking for a comfortable neighborhood working-class watering hole, Sweet Home On Sandy is the place.
Located at 9003 N.E. Sandy Blvd., Sweet Home is nearby to both the airport and the northeast light industrial area and is within easy reach.
STINGRAY, L to R, John Wesson, Bill & Jeanie Sherman, Tim THE DEACON Doyle
(Photo by Kurt Johnson)
For entertainment, Sweet Home features live bands and until recently hosted Karaoke. With a solid clientele of regulars, along with drop-in visitors, Sweet Home stays busy throughout the day, afternoon and evening with lunch and dinner menus offering burgers, steaks, salads, soups and the usual late-night bar food fare.
There is a separate dining area with booths for more privacy and two pool tables are available for amusement. Along with pool tables, there is video poker, Oregon Lottery and continuous sports TV programming. Service is fast and friendly with an attentive wait and bartending staff. The chef in the kitchen makes sure that your food orders are just right!
On this evening's visit, The Stingrays entertained. A classic rock band that's played together for about two years, The Stingrays are a four-piece unit featuring lead vocalist Donna Beaudin out front. They also play jazz, blues, '70s, pop, '60s and '80s rock. Other band members include band leaders Bill (drummer) and Jeanie (bass) Sherman, John Wesson on lead guitar and vocals and Tim "The Deacon" Doyle on keyboards.
The Stingrays started the show with a soulful rendition of Otis Redding's Dock Of The Bay. The rhythm section laid out a solid and crisp drumming pocket with the bass laying down a tight, interlocking groove. The guitar work is sizzling and hot, always appropriate and never overbearing. Doyle is a master of rock organ and puts on an animated show that gets the viewer concentrating on watching his keyboard technique along with listening to the flavor and color he adds to the band's sound.
Vocals are strong, clear and clearly rooted in a blues style that underlies the different styles that the band performs. The result of it all is a performance that surprises with its technical competency and muscianship, not to mention getting people up and dancing with the very first song. Although not a blues or rock band by definition, The Stingrays are definitely worth catching for an evening's entertainment at one of their local gigs. Watch for them at Sweet Home on Sandy April 13, 17, May 1, 5.