Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. at Rodeo Bar & Grill

What is a bunch of hillbillies doing in the tough town of New York? Is this a scene from Deliverance or O Brother Where Art Thou? It is a good thing for them that the street crime rate is down, or these would be picked off as easy targets immediately. Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., also known by its acronym, SIT & Die Co., is a New York-based hillbilly trio, performing old-time rockabilly with period-perfect instrumentation and arrangements. They sound like they look.

Vocalist and lead guitarist Michael McMahon and bassist Garth Powell formerly played punk rock clubs in the 1980s as the country-western Last Roundup. They now fill out their band with rhythm guitarist Jon Hammer. Together, they live out the band’s motto, "ballads, boogies & blues," and that is what they offered at the Rodeo Bar & Grill tonight. The group made old country songs sound new and new ones sound old. Most of the tunes were originals, a few were covers, and all performed period-perfect with McMahon playing jazzy licks and country twang on his hollow body guitar, Powell keeping the bottom up on his upright bass (with the absence of drums) and Hammer filling out the sound. With matching suits and state-fair-style between-song banter, the presentation was part satire and part homage to the early 50s hillbilly songwriting that they replicated so authentically. SIT & Die delivered an image and musical set that was as corny as it was enjoyable.

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. performs at Rodeo on the second Wednesday of every month, and at Otto’s Shrunken Head on the last Thursday of every month (this month on March 21, however).