Rough and Ready Book Launch x The Sadies Live

Written by BSM Director & Senior Curator, Elizabeth Semmelhack and published by Rizzoli, Rough and Ready includes engaging narratives, insightful interviews with Lee Miller, Lisa Sorrell and Jamie Nudie, and vibrant images that showcase the evolution of the cowboy boot through five transformative eras: “Real” explores multicultural origins and the authentic cowboys who wore them; “Rodeo” examines Western mythmaking through Wild West shows, early film, and dude ranches; “Rhinestone” delves into country western music, Nudie Cohn’s designs, and the shifting archetypes from Gene Autry’s moral code to John Wayne’s tougher persona; “Right” investigates the boots’ emergence as luxury commodities during the Reagan years and Urban Cowboy phenomenon; and “Reclaimed” presents contemporary reinterpretations from the Western-inspired fashion of Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams to modern bootmakers. Complementing the authoritative foundation are in-depth essays by BSM Curator and Manager of Exhibitions, Nishi Bassi, and Assistant Professor of Indigenous Knowledges and Fashion Design, Parsons School of Design, Justine Woods.

Elizabeth Semmelhack is the Director and Senior Curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, where she has curated over twenty exhibitions, including the blockbuster traveling exhibition Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. Previous titles include Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting Edge Kicks, and Collab: Sneakers x Culture. Elizabeth applies her extensive cultural and art history background to guide the Museum’s mission forward while exploring the multiple roles and meanings of footwear through innovative exhibitions. With over 20 exhibitions curated, Semmelhack has helped transform the Bata Shoe Museum into an internationally recognized center for footwear scholarship, revealing how shoes illuminate our understanding of diverse social, political, and cultural histories across time and geography.

The Sadies are Toronto-based country-rock veterans who have been blending cosmic Americana, garage psychedelia, and surf-infused twang since 1994. The band currently consists of Travis Good, Sean Dean, and Mike Belitsky, carrying forward a legacy built alongside founding member Dallas Good, who passed away unexpectedly in 2022. Sons of Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame members The Good Brothers, the band merges their deep roots in traditional country with punk-fueled energy and experimental edge.

Known for extensive collaborations with artists like Neko Case, Blue Rodeo, Jon Langford, Gord Downie, and Neil Young, The Sadies have built a reputation for both their own acclaimed recordings and as one of North America’s most versatile backing bands. Their 2022 album Colder Streams, created with Dallas Good, won the Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize, cementing their status as Canadian music icons whose genre-defying sound continues to captivate audiences worldwide.