Tales of the Old West

A theatrical western rock experience

The Old West, hot, dry, and a true mess…

It’s men and women needed grit, toughness, and a whole lot of luck to survive this newly claimed land. It was a time of feared outlaws, predatory cattlemen, braves, and grizzled sheriffs. A time highly romanticized, filled with its own wonders, myths, and legends.

All of this couldn’t be more true for this particular tale of the Old West. This tale is filled with hardship, music, dancing, and drama. Our story started in the town of Sinners’ End with a disillusioned Deputy who had been reduced to nothing more than a mere grunt and executioner until his conscience could bear it no more. He’d had enough of all the injustice. He turned on the authorities and did everything he could to give the innocent a chance at freedom and survival.

What then followed was a slow and steady escape from this hell on earth, facing dangers of the natural and the supernatural world. Dangers that included dances with the Devil himself, a stand-off between a sheriff and a menacing outlaw, and a banker who found himself an inch away from death’s door, and of course – the dashing conman too charming to be trusted and too lethal to underestimate.

Interested? I’m not surprised. Well then, come take a seat next to me on this train ride to Sinners’ End. First Class, of course! Courtesy of my employer. We can’t wait to meet you, so, see you soon.

Yours respectfully,

The Carolinian Gator

The cast

sunfire-satria

Billy Tanner

Lead vocals, guitar, banjo
sunfire-sophie

Madame Sawyer

Violin, vocals
sunfire-michel

Henry River

Bass, vocals
sunfire-berend

Deputy Frost

Electric guitar, vocals
sunfire-jeroen

Cole Burner

Drums, percussion, vocals

Testimonials

Tales of the Old West by Sunfire is not just a concert moved onto a theatre stage, but much more than that. It is a theatre production of its own right, that keeps the strengths of Sunfire as a band, but at the same time hits a whole new level in terms of taking the audience on a journey through time and space, bringing Sunfire’s version of the Old West to life through the tales from Sinner’s Town.
CeltCast, Germaine Kickert
Coming back to that theatre tour. It’s brilliant! Truly original in its setup, bringing the best out of the story telling qualities hidden within the band. Even bringing out their acting skills! You don’t want to miss out on this. Trust me, you really don’t!
CeltCast, Cliff de Booij
Bezoekers Theater de Kring, 13 Januari 2024:
- Geweldige voorstelling, heerlijke muziek, die uitnodigt om mee te bewegen, wat helaas niet mogelijk was.
- Fantastische show van Sunfire, zeer de moeite waard!!!
- Prachtige show van Sunfire.
- Eerste keer bezoek aan het theater. Wat een leuke en mooie ervaring. Jullie Hollanders kunnen er wat van. Top!! Gaan het jaarprogramma eens bekijken en komen zeker nog eens terug.
- Zulke leuke muziek en je kan niet bewegen.
- Het was weer een GEWELDIG optreden in jullie mooie schouwburg.
- Prima sfeer en altijd een leuke start om het nieuwe jaar mee te beginnen.
The songs are loosely based around a Wild West theme and the hard times and sorrowful lives that inhabit the occupants of the mythical Sinner’s Town. Throughout, there is an energy and vibrancy in the playing. Engaging and something here for every taste.
Lonesome Highway

Characters

Deputy Frost

Born in Texas on a cold December night in 1839, Bradley J. Frost grew up far too soon and much too fast. His father, the local sheriff, was killed during a stand-off with the Ol Red Hounds gang on the day the boy turned ten. Taken captive at first, the young boy proved to be an extraordinary gunman and became a proud member of the Old Red Hounds by the age of thirteen, mockingly given the name Deputy Frost. It didn’t turn long before the gang realized that they’d been had for years until one night the youngster avenged his father’s death. With careful planning and packing four Colts 5-shots and two Civil War Flintlock rifles. The gang of thirty dwindled to a number of two in a firefight that took approximately half an hour. In the accounts of the two that had gotten away, they expressed that the young Frost had nothing but a cold, focused, and emotionless glare when he got his revenge. According to the reports from town authorities in Hunt County, the two surviving gang members mysteriously disappeared from their cells on the night of the eleventh of November in 1855.
Two weeks ago, a couple of reports came in that the “Deputy” and a strange figure had been seen again after 15 years heading Southbound from Sinners’ End.

William H. Tanner

Raised on the banks of the Mississippi, very little is actually known about the one that calls himself William (Billy) H. Tanner. Occasionally found gambling at the saloon of the Mississippi riverboat The Princess, the man hardly leaves loose ends making it hard to track the peculiar outlaw.
Donning an iconic bowler or tophat, the wicked and cunning, dark-eyed Tanner does have a list of verdicts to his name. Despite the several accounts of robbery, prison escape, thievery, forgery, and financial infidelity, Tanner is notorious for having an obnoxious yet whimsical charm to him, especially when given a banjo or.. a six-shooter.

Sightings have been reported across 5 different states in the last 3 years.

WANTED DEAD or ALIVE. Send for a US marshal immediately upon sight.

Madame Sawyer

Born and raised in the thicket of Louisiana, Mary-Ann S. Sawyer was raised a ripper’s daughter to then follow her mother’s footsteps as a roper. Spending her childhood catching crawfish and singing songs for the alligators, she was discovered very quickly at the age of 16 by a traveling group of Roma, leaving behind a dull life of making nets and peeling shrimp.

Given an old fiddle, Sawyer mastered to play like a Romani over the years and had found ways to persuade and enthrall many with her enchanting fiddle style and emptied their pockets while she was at it.

Playing for many a folk in local establishments and brothels she became quite the deal after President Buchanan himself started showing up to one of her performances, earning her the names of “The Louisiana Heartbreaker” and “Madame Sawyer” shortly after.

Her whereabouts remain a mystery to this very day. A couple of reports came in from the Heartbreaker’s fans in April 1860 that she was frequently visited by a mysterious and intriguing man in a luxurious red velvet suit during her last few shows.

Henry River, the gentleman banker.

A classic story of the wrong man at the wrong time. The young Henry had garnered some attention in his early years for his sharp mind and his even sharper tongue.
Qualities which allowed him to burrow into the success of the wild frontier.
The blueprint of Sinner’s town’s one thousand-dollar safe? River’s idea. The 1200-page Sinner’s Town financial ledger, curated by yours truly. Every permit, legal writ, or contract pertaining to the town? You guessed it – Henry River. A true savant, the only Achilles heel he had was his bleeding heart.
15 years into a fulfilling career, the banker married a beautiful woman who gave birth to his daughter and a son. And was the driving force of the town’s financial success.
Alas, the people would not settle for Henry’s small acts of kindness. And of course, the predictable thing happened. He gave a hand to those in need and in return, they bit the hand that feeds. Henry River fell in love – or so he thought. An opportunistic vagrant, some sad storied wench dug her claws deep into his heart. Love made Henry careless – but his infidelity was what sealed his fate.
The worst fate a citizen of Sinner’s town can imagine happened. He got on the bad side of Heck Brown, the new mayor. A man feared more than the devil himself by its townsfolk.
Last we saw of Henry was him crying and bawling while being dragged through the streets covered in horse dung and cigarette burns. While his ex-wife tied the noose around his neck, his children spat in his face.
Once the dust settled, the only one left on the streets was the woman who ruined his life, counting a stack of bills outside of the mayor’s manor. Her reward for turning in a felon.

Cole Burner

The infamous Cole “Sidewinder” Burner. WANTED DEAD. Known to be extremely charming and deceitful.

Report #16 May 1855.
The mayor of Monticello was found with a note of his own suicide. The middle-aged man had hung himself in the orchard of his grand mansion located at westpoint. The note clarified that his daughter and wife had gone missing for 4 years and after many unsuccessful organized search parties, the hanged mayor was at the end of his wits.
His dear friend Cole Burner helped to organize these elaborate search events yet to no avail. Shortly after the man’s suicide the mayor’s vault had been broken up and emptied.

Report #8 June 1851
A young man is seen by the local baker’s wife, loading out a covered wagon in the dead of night. A loud knock would be heard on the door of the local saloon. The muffled wailing of 2 women was heard from the insides of the wagon. The man was seen entering the closed saloon and after a moment came out with a leather bag and left on horseback.

Meet the cast

Satria Karsono is Billy Tanner
Sophie Zaaijer is Madame Sawyer
Berend de Vries is Deputy Frost
Michel Beeckman is Henry River
Jeroen van Leeuwen is Cole Burner
Tycho Francis is Jebediah Wallace Dumont

Meet the crew

Sound tech: Thomas Odijk
Light tech: Robbert Hees
Stage hand: Luuk Dysis
Merchandiser: Xanthe Kampen
Management: Bianca Dekker

A theatrical western rock musical

Tales of the Old West by Sunfire is not just a concert moved onto a theatre stage, but much more than that. It is a theatre production of its own right, that keeps the strengths of Sunfire as a band, but at the same time hits a whole new level in terms of taking the audience on a journey through time and space, bringing Sunfire’s version of the Old West to life through the tales from Sinner’s Town.
CeltCast, Germaine Kickert

A journey to the old west in which Sunfire presents a dynamic combination of its signature music, compelling stories and even some theater-exclusive songs that immediately remind you of a salon with a dusty pair of boots.

Sunfire skillfully blends multiple genres, such as folk, Americana, roots, rock, and bluegrass, to create an original and niche sound. Once you hear and see them perform, you can’t resist falling in love. Expect raw vocals, enthralling tales, and irresistible rhythms and melodies. An addicting combination of story telling, theater and western folk.

Tales of the Old West by Sunfire is not just a concert moved onto a theatre stage, but much more than that. It is a theatre production of its own right, that keeps the strengths of Sunfire as a band, but at the same time hits a whole new level in terms of taking the audience on a journey through time and space, bringing Sunfire’s version of the Old West to life through the tales from Sinner’s Town.
CeltCast, Germaine Kickert

Playground Tales of the Old West