Described as what it might sound like if The Maldives performed with Merle Haggard, the Seattle-based Country Lips will bring their outlaw-style sound to the Treehouse Café at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29.

In the words of Seattle Weekly: “Many, many years before the likes of Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton donned 10-gallon hats and began crooning about blue jeans and cheesy romance, country was the genre of choice for drunkards, rebels and rockers. Seattle’s own Country Lips pay homage to that proud tradition, cranking out debauched ballads with slurred-speech choruses that would make Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard proud. The eight-piece band has a reputation for rowdiness (as should any roots country revivalists worth their weight in Jack Daniels).”

Or, as The Stranger said, “Country music gets a bad rap, and it’s mostly the fault of goody two-shoes like Keith Urban and Garth Brooks. I mean, back in the day, country was full of bad boys. Seattle’s Country Lips sound and play more like classic country’s raucous and rowdy boys — and their live shows are becoming legendarily wild. It’s hard to stand still when eight-plus members are bringin’ the foot-stompers. Country Lips are putting the party back in the original party music. Somebody had to do it. It’s not always about tears falling in your beer.”

Admission is $15 (21-and-older only), visit www.treehousebainbridge.com to purchase and learn more.