The Seadogs are a group of performers (currently 15 in number) who perform Nautical music and songs, with a healthy injection of comedy and sailor-y theatrics. Several instrumentalists, along with an entire group of talented singers who perform a wide range of seafaring music… from old world shanties & work songs done in the traditional style, to more upbeat interpretations of classic sea-songs, to modern & original seafaring music. The Seadogs have been entertaining west coast audiences for over 20 years, and have a strong background in entertaining audiences both young and old in nearly every conceivable venue.

The History of The Seadogs

The Seadogs started out as the brainchild of a small group of workers at a Renaissance Faire gaming booth. They thought it would be fun and add to the ambiance of the booth if they were to decorate the building with a nautical theme and dress up as "pirates"…

Little did they realize at the time how far that idea would blossom, grow and take on a life of its own over the following twenty years!

With much more historical research on costuming and theatrics (pirates weren't really appropriate for a 16th-century renaissance festival), as well as a handful of songs and improvisational street gigs, the Seadogs became a group of renaissance sailors and sea captains. And in 1986, under the leadership of the group's first director - Eric Lethe, they premiered as their first year as an officially-recognized performance group at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Novato, California.

They were immediately thereafter accepted as a performance and singing group at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Agoura, Ca. Under the new directorial leadership of Robin Driskill, they added to their arsenal of performance a vast repertoire of sailor songs and shanties, and began to focus very heavily on high-quality improv comedy and street theatre. As the years went on, the Seadogs grew in number and notoriety, becoming one of the best-recognized staples of entertainment of many West Coast Renaissance-themed events.

In 1991, Steve Morales became the director of the group. Soon thereafter they began adding comedy stage shows to their list of entertainment — all based on nautical themes (Sinbad, Sam Starboard, Tales of Atlantis & Captain Hops to name a few). They also began to be respected by the Renaissance Faire community as one of the best-loved a capella singing groups around.

It wasn't long before they decided they needed to have instruments too — and what luck that several members of the group were accomplished musicians! And although the Renaissance themed venues were a lot of fun, they were also far too limiting for a group whose members were fanatical about sea-faring tunes… so it wasn't too much longer before the Seadogs ventured into the "two great" sea-musical eras: "Turn of the Century Maritime" & "Swashbuckling Pirates!". It's all up-hill from there…

Over the last decade, the Seadogs have spread their particular brand of performance to include a wider-range of nautical-themed entertainment. They have performance mediums for pirates of the swashbuckling era, mariners of the Dickensian times & golden age of sail, and renaissance sailors — to name a few of their favorites. Each performance style comes complete with appropriate themed costuming, themed acting (spoken accents and behaviors) and songs & music of the time. They have many instruments and professional musicians, professional-level actors who pass a rigorous audition and training process, craftspeople skilled in nautical handiwork, and have built up a vast stock of costumes, props and even themed construction with which they create Nautical performance areas & stages at larger events.

The Seadogs now perform at a wide variety of events throughout the year and are in high demand. Their venues range from Renaissance & Dickensian Festivals, to Yacht Clubs & Radio promotions, to pirate shows and winery events, from local fairs to Tall Ships Festivals. They have been credited as "The World's Largest Nautical-Themed Band" (once topping out at a group roster of 55 members) and only time will tell where they'll turn up next…

Fine products by The Seadogs

Everyone Loves Singing Pirates The Paddy West School of Seamanship