Hell on Heels

Cody Canada And The Departed At The Granada Theater

Let me start by saying, first and foremost, I am a music fan.  That doesn’t always mean that I like what’s on top of the charts, nor does it mean I am a “music snob” who only tries to find the obscure music so I can impress my friends.  It means I like good music as defined by my own tastes.  With that in mind, I set out to find some good local live music in Dallas and happened upon Cody Canada and The Departed at the Granada on Saturday, April 6.

For those of you who don’t know, the Granada is an institution in Dallas.  Located on Greenville Avenue in the famous Lower Greenville section of town, it’s been around since the 40’s and was originally a 700-seat movie theater.  All these years later, it is now a fantastic place to check out live music, and the acts that come through literally run the gamut.

On this night, Cody Canada and The Departed (or simply, The Departed) were onstage.  Cody Canada was formally in a group called Cross Canadian Ragweed, which gained some level of fame in the 2000’s with their brand of Alternative Country, or as it has been called, Red Dirt or Country Folk Music.  His new band, The Departed, really tapped into several different genres of music.  If I had to define the influences, I would call it Willie Nelson country, crossed with a little bit of 90’s grunge, and a touch of ZZ Top/Stevie Ray Vaughn Texas Blues sprinkled on top for good measure.

Seeing The Departed at the Granada was a treat since it is such an intimate venue.  The acoustics are great and the crowd was singing along with every song.  Having gone into the show without any prior knowledge of Cody Canada or his brand of music, I came away extremely impressed.  The Departed is a 5-piece band where three of the members take over lead vocals at various times.  I have to admit, the lead guitarist, Seth James, has a voice that I really liked.  It’s much more blues influenced, while Cody’s voice has that country angle to it.

Overall, I would give the show a big thumbs up and would strongly recommend you check out Cody Canada and The Departed.  They have a new album that came out the end of last year called Adventus, and probably my favorite song of the night was the lead single off the record called Worth The Fight.   And if you have a chance, definitely get to the Granada.  Venues like this simply don’t exist anymore, so it’s an absolute treat to have one in town.

Keep it Loud, Keep it Local, and Keep it Live!

JP

For more information about The Granada or Cody Canada and The Departed:

www.granadatheater.com

www.thedepartedmusic.com