Sourdough Slim and his sidekick Robert Armstrong play Western classics, country blues, and string band favorites from rural America in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. You’ll hear virtuoso yodeling and masterful yippy-tie-yi-yaying, off-beat jokes and wisecracks, and heartfelt singing, along with nifty playing on banjo and harmonica, accordion and guitar, ukulele and saw. These two modern-day vaudevillians share a delight in America’s rich musical heritage and they know how to communicate that feeling to the audience.

The East Bay Express called Sourdough “the most entertaining cowboy singer-yodeler-accordionist extant.” The Newport News Times called him “the W.C. Fields of Western entertainment.” He was born in Hollywood and spent much of his childhood on a family cattle ranch in the Sierra foothills, but, as he explains, “my true calling as a cowboy was not on the range but rather on the stage.” Robert grew up in Pasadena and is a comic book artist and illustrator who helped found the Cheap Suit Serenaders with R. Crumb and Terry Zwigoff. Chico News & Review called Oh, Sweet Mama!, the 2011 album by Sourdough and Robert, “seductive,” “infectious,” “awesome,” and “Americana roots-reverence to the max.” Sourdough just put out a new album with Robert’s able assistance, Travelin’ Blues, and the Cowboy Poetry website promises that it’ll put a smile on your soul. For a show that’s fun and funny and full of great songs, catch Sourdough Slim with Robert Armstrong at the Freight.

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Photo by Vern Evans