photo by Geoff Wilbur

Sado-Domestics

Sanctuary Bar & Lounge, Maynard, MA

January 24, 2026

I had been looking forward to this performance. It was an early afternoon gig at the intimate bar at Sanctuary in Maynard, MA – a cool room for acoustic and soft electric music. Of course, this was the day before the big snowstorm, so I arrived a little late (30 minutes) after squeezing all of my weekend errands into Saturday. The afternoon’s Sado-Domestics line-up was a 3-piece, scaled-down version of the typically-six-piece band, featuring the singer-songwriter duo at the core of the band (Chris Gleason and Lucy Martinez), and the most in-demand, versatile mandolinist in the Boston area, Jimmy Ryan.

The first full song I heard was “Autumn Glow,” with Jimmy’s mandolin picking standing out in the 3 piece acoustic setting, in great support of Chris and Lucy’s vocal harmonies.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Next was “Move On” steadily thumping along with a relatively long, cool mandolin solo, followed by a soft and smooth version of “Tip of My Tongue.”

One of the fun things about the Sado-Domestics (and Boston’s other top Americana bands) is that, when they pull out a cover tune, it’s a good one. Of course, Americana isn’t a core genre for me when it comes to my personal music knowledge, so I’m never sure if I’m hearing a well-known genre favorite or a deep cut. (Blues, too, is another style I enjoy but don’t have deep roots in.) Anyway, the choice of Golden Smog’s “Radio King” was well-received and enjoyable, well-suited to the band.

The trio followed with a new song that is probably entitled “Let Go of It.” It’s a cool number, with a little bit of pace (within the context of a Sado-Domestics-tempod Americana set), a great addition to the catalog, and features a lyric that stands out, “let go of it/how much time has she spent/living in your head rent-free.”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Next up was “Wolf,” one of the band’s faster-paced songs. It’s one of my favorites – a cool, knee-tapper. After that, I sat back a little, stopped taking notes, and just enjoyed the rest of the first set. I did do a little googling, though, when Chris pulled out his bouzouki. Now, I’m not super-knowledgeable about less commonly-played stringed instruments, so I read a little about it while the band played… including how to spell it.

As expected, the band lost no steam in the second set. Personal favorites included “Get in the Wind,” Chancer,” and “Winter Coating.” Additionally, “Shale,” which includes one of my favorite lyrical phrases in a Sado-Domestics song, “dead-eyed American.”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

A couple Jimmy Ryan songs were featured in the second set, as well. “Hard Time” is driven by some energetic picking and a gruff, bluesy-Americana vibe, befitting Jimmy’s vox. And the band closed with Jimmy’s “John Brown,” softly and sincerely.

It was a great way to enjoy an early afternoon as the storm approached. The Sado-Domestics are one of the Boston area’s most highly-regarded Americana outfits, and there’s a reason for that. It was a great opportunity for those of us in the outer suburbs to catch a performance. That, of course, is one of the benefits of having a venue like Sanctuary out this way – moreso than any other venue this far out from the city, Sanctuary attracts a lot of top talent that you’d usually have to travel to Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville for.

To catch the Sado-Domestics, check out the calendar on the band’s website. And to see who’s on Sanctuary’s concert calendar, check out the venue’s website.

image courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

Album Review of Sado-Domestics: Getting the Ghost

The Sado-Domestics are one of metro Boston’s premier Americana acts, comprised of musicians whose talents aren’t limited solely to participation in this project. The singing-songwriting duo of Chris Gleason and Lucy Martinez are joined by Jim Gray (bass), Eric Royer (pedal steel), and Jimmy Ryan (mandolin) on their latest full-length recording, Getting the Ghost. Both Eric Harabadian and I have reviewed previous Sado-Domestics releases, so click through to our reviews here (Camouflage: Stories by T.J. Gerlach) and here (Beach Day in Black and White) to read a bit more about the band’s background and our takes on their other recent releases.

The latest record, Getting the Ghost, kicks off with one of its more memorable tracks, “Big Cat,” which is always wise – kick an album off with a song that’ll grab listeners from the very start. In the case of “Big Cat,” steady picking structure and exotic rhythm support Lucy’s slightly edgy vocal, while a rich-yet-noisy wall of sound pushes the song along in key parts. It’s a creative spin on the uniquely Sado-Domestics base sound, making it a great opener. It’s followed by “Good Day,” which is a more straight-up Sado-Domestics sound, a little off-kilter and rockin’ with some creative musical details and nuances thrown in to keep the listener’s ears busy.

photo courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

“I Don’t Know You Very Well” is a beautiful if haunting softer number, while “Autumn Glow” follows with a horse-riding git-along rhythm and a pleasant travelling pace. “The Getaway (Major Motion Picture),” next, inspired by the 1972 film, continues the previous song’s vibe but with a bit more energy, a more prominent rhythm, and some effective, enjoyable instrumental flourishes.

I’m not quite sure why, but “New Logo” is probably my personal favorite on the disc. Its opening few measures remind me 0f the opening of Clint Black’s “A Good Run of Bad Luck,” though they’re not a copy. The sound is heavy, the vocals crisp but persistent. I mean, it’s a cool delivery, on the rockin’ end of the Sado-Domestics’ usual range. But it’s probably the lyrics that seal the deal for me: “Same old brand with a new logo.” A fun take on “a leopard never changes his spots.” The next song, “Wolf,” maintains and even builds upon the energy and pace before the band slows things down with the twangy, country and western dancehall-sounding “Chancer.”

“Tip of My Tongue” continues the twanginess, leaning into one of Lucy’s sweeter, richly textured vocal performances on this record. “Killing Me Kindly” follows, and you may recognize this one. It’s a Sado-Domestics-flavored rendition of the song that was one of my favorites on Los Goutos’ Mighty release, Los Goutos being one of Chris Gleason’s other bands. (Yes, I reviewed that album, too.)

Finally, the record closes with “Balthazar,” a strumming, introspective, thoughtful number that provides a soft landing for the record. It’s has deliciously off-kilter, very Sado-Domestics styled vibe to it.

In the end, this was another strong release from the reliably exceptional purveyors of Americana music known as the Sado-Domestics. On the heels of this release, the band was deserving nominated in the 2025 New England Music Awards’ Americana Act of the Year category.

Looking Ahead

Per the “Shows” page on the Sado-Domestics’ website, the band currently has a few January and February shows booked in Massachusetts, with dates listed in Roslindale, Maynard, and Somerville.

photo courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

by Eric Harabadian, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of Sado-Domestics – Camouflage: Stories by T.J. Gerlach

image courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

Sado-Domestics are a Boston-based collective of singer-songwriters and instrumentalists that draw from heavy folk, blues, pop, rock and Americana roots. Chris Gleason and Lucy Martinez lead the charge vocally and composition-wise. They are joined by Jimmy Ryan on mandolin, Eric Royer on pedal steel, Jim Gray on bass, and Jeff Allison on drums.

The band has a series of releases out, with their latest being based on fictional short stories by author T.J. Gerlach. All the songs on this album were inspired by Gerlach’s process of “die-cut” word play. The author would take significant words from various other authors’ books he admired and create his original nuggets of fiction derived from snippets of borrowed words. Hence, Gleason and Martinez employed that same approach to the songs. The result creates a world that resides somewhere between the literal and the impressionistic.

photo courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

The dozen songs here feature the exquisite harmonies of Gleason and Martinez where the stories are right up front and the band totally supports the message in subtle and nuanced reflection. Songs like “Dusk” and “Shale” run the emotional and musical gamut from ambient, tuneful and melodic to a slow burning country feel, with Royer’s tasty pedal steel work running throughout.

Martinez simply shines on the song “Hands.” It features a crisp and brisk mid-tempo rock feel. “Shades” ushers in brilliant harmonies from Martinez and Gleason. Ryan’s mandolin and all the other elements converge to give this one a decidedly Celtic and bluegrass intent. “Phantom Punch” sounds like it could be an outtake from a latter day Byrds or Little Feat record.

photo courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

Other tracks that seem to jump out and emotionally grab you in multiple ways are the dreamy ambience of “Corridor,” the traditional country lilt of “Deep Blue,” the melodic alternative and sparse rhythms coupled with angelic vocals that define “Photographs,” the lackluster Tom Waits-like “Everyone is From the Past,” and the slightly experimental and eerie, yet melodic “Apocalypse.”

Camouflage is a great listen and should appeal to fans that appreciate all facets of Americana music and its offshoots. But, lyrically, it differs from other albums in the Sado-Domestics’ catalog in that they base all their concepts on Gerlach’s somewhat unorthodox methods to storytelling. However, kudos go to the brain-trust of Gleason and Martinez.  As primary songwriters they chose to go off script in a fresh and creative direction. Some of the songs may seem obtuse or obscure, but they are so worth the emotional investment.

More Recently

Since the release of Camouflage, the Sado-Domestics have released three more singles – “Big Cat,” “Good Day,” and “Chancer” – which can all be found on the “Music” page of the band’s website.

photo by Jenny Jarrad; photo courtesy of the Sado-Domestics

Looking Ahead

You can find several upcoming performances on the “Shows” page of the Sado-Domestics’ website. (Notice that you should click “Next” at the bottom of the list of shows to see additional dates.) There are several shows listed above and beyond the “Second Sundays” shows at the Square Root in Roslindale, MA.