Now into its twenty-sixth year, the South Country Fair is widely regarded as a summer vacation for the Lethbridge music community. And with beautiful sunshine, a nearby river to soak in and great music for three straight days, July 20-22, what could be a better vacation?
“ In the summer there is nothing better than getting in your van or truck and playing abroad,” said Randy Bailer guitarist for the band Punch Drunk Cabaret, who close off Friday night at the fair. They play a blend of outlaw country, rockabilly and steam-punk swing music. They have never played in southern Alberta, so they are excited about playing the South Country Fair for their first show south of Red Deer.
Longtime volunteer Jana MacKenzie was looking for a lot of variety for her first go at booking the south stage this year.
“Last year I was booking the east stage, but this is my first year doing the south stage. The hardest thing was to try to fill the big shoes Maureen Chambers left me,” MacKenzie said.
“There is more mellower music during the day and more upbeat, dance music during the night,” she continued.
“ You always want to get a good mix of both,” she continued.
“We were excited when we were asked to play. We’d heard of the South Country Fair of course. We’re really, really honoured to close off Friday night. It’s very exciting,” Bailer said.
MacKenzie is looking forward to a couple of acts including Alejandra Robles, a Latino pop/ flamenco singer who performs Sunday afternoon as well as jazz/ blues musician Shakura S’Bida who performs on Friday.
There are also a lot of familiar faces who have played Lethbridge in the past year including Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers who close of the east stage on Sunday. The Weber Brothers rock the South stage on Saturday before Edmonton reggae band Souljah Fyah close off the night.
Another important change is acts on the East and south stages will be performing at staggered times to allow patrons to catch everybody. It’s a good idea because the East stage also has some great acts including The Magnificent 7s and the F-Holes who play there Saturday as well.
There is also a lot of local talent including Dave McCann and John Wort Hannam who perform Friday and Saturday respectively.
Transgendered musician Rae Spoon performs on Saturday afternoon as well. Spoon will also be performing the volunteer appreciation party with C.R. Avery who also performs on Saturday.
“We‘re getting the bands to play more than once,” MacKenzie said adding there are also more workshops than in previous years.
There are five of them taking place over the weekend.
There are also a couple excellent world acts including Australian duo Wagons and Hungarian folk duo Tambura Rasa who play Saturday.
“I’m pretty pumped about this,” MacKenzie said.
“This year we’re having a lot more bigger bands— 5-6 piece bands while before it was mostly duos or trios.”
Camping rules remain the same as last year.
Like last year, campers will be charged $30 per vehicle to enter the campground. It will cost $30 every time they re-enter the campground with their vehicle, though it doesn’t cost anything to park in the main parking lot next to the grounds and walk to the campsites.
“ There was a lot of fuss about it when we started doing it last year but people think it is a good idea now,” she observed adding not having vehicles moving around the campground makes things much safer for everybody.
Both of Lethbridge’s primary live music venues, the Slice and the Owl Acoustic Lounge are closed that weekend, so the owners, staff and most of their customers can go to the fair.
In fact, Steve Foord, Owl Acoustic Lounge co-owner is playing the South Country Fair this year with Kelsey Jesperson with their new duo Redrum Triumph.
“It’s like Christmas for us. Not only do we get in for free, but we get paid to play there,” Foord enthused. They will be opening the east stage at noon on Saturday.
Redrum Triumph incorporate a variety of microphones, guitar, violin, cello and anything else they can find to make their songs about “depression, darkness and zombies,” really sing.
They actually formed because of the South Country fair.
“ We wanted to enter the South Country Fair Songwriting competition last year. We actually got to play on the South stage last year because (contest winner) Mike Granzow couldn’t make it,” Foord said. As he came in second in this year’s competition this year and Jana Keeley, the winner of the old pros category, couldn’t make it this year, he will also be playing his song “Three Chords” on the South stage at 9:10 p.m. on Saturday night.
The amateur category winner Cathy Hawley performs her song “Red Shoes” on Friday.
But it is not just about great music and good times with good people, The South Country Fair is also about poets and spoken word artists who share their work on the Lotus Land Stage throughout the weekend. That stage is where you have a lot of repeated performers. C.R. Avery, who also plays the South Stage on Saturday at 8 p.m., as well as takes part in workshops on Saturday and Sunday also performs in Lotus Land Friday and Saturday.
Lotus Land also features a book launch with poet Clayton Saunders at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers are planning a more stripped down show for the South Country Fair this year when they close off the East Stage on Sunday afternoon.
“This time we’re leaving the drums and the masks at home,” said bassist Lindsey Collins, recovering from volunteering at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The Winnipeg band is known for their rock opera of popular children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are,” during which they sport crazy masks based on the characters from the book and all jump in front of the stage in a massive drum off.
“We’re retiring them for now. We don’t want to be known as a gimmicky band. But we‘re working on something even more theatrical for the future,” he said adding he is looking forward to the band’s South Country Fair debut.
“ We‘re really pumped about it. We’ve never been there, but we’ve heard a lot of good things about it,” he said.
