Packed house for the Sheepdogs (updated, 14 photos)

The Machine Shop at Mill Square was sold out Tuesday night as Cabin Media hosted The Sheepdogs.

Touring behind the band's October 2015 release, Future Nostalgia, the show included special guest opener Beat Cops from Montreal.

What many readers may not know is The Sheepdogs have pretty strong Sault Ste. Marie ties with bass player Ryan Gullen.

He told SooToday prior to the performance that about 70 percent of his extended family is from and resides in the Sault and area.

“I spent many a time during my childhood here and growing up,” he said. “I haven’t come back a whole lot in the last little while because I moved out to Saskatchewan when I was 10. But that’s the nice thing about being in a band - I get afforded the opportunity more often to come through than if I just worked a job in Saskatoon.”

While Future Nostalgia was given a 2016 Juno nomination for Rock Album of the Year, it’s not the band’s first trip to that red carpet.

In 2012, The Sheepdogs were awarded all three Junos they were nominated for - New Group of the Year, Rock Album of the Year (Learn & Burn), and Single of the Year (I Don’t Know).

But this type of affirmation is not what keeps the band going, Gullen said.

“It obviously feels amazing to get that affirmation for all the things you’re doing from the Juno music community. And we’re very proud of our new album and how it came out,” he explained. “But at the same time, we’re not making records to get nominations. It’s just kind of cool to get. If anything, it’s more satisfying to play shows for a bunch of people who are singing along to an album that you just put out, and that people are telling you they really like it. To me, that means more than a bunch of music industry people saying: ‘Good work’.”

“Whether we win or not, that doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just happy to be doing what we’re doing.”

Tuesday night's Sault setlist included Where Can I Roam, I'm Gonna Be Myself, I Really Wanna Be Your Man, Downtown, Bad Lieutenant, Jim Gordon, Plastic Man, Help Us All, Take a Trip, and Same Old Feeling from Future Nostalgia, as well as I Don't Know, The Way it Is, Who?, How Late How Long, and a killer version of the Allman Brothers' Whipping Post as an encore.

The Sheepdogs continue on tour through Canada with stops scheduled in Thunder Bay, Calgary, Vancouver, and others.

To keep up with The Sheepdogs, please click here.