The annual ATB Rotary Dragon Boat races will supply much of this week’s entertainment.
A full slate of performers will be on stage at Henderson Lake Park July 5-7, while the dragon boaters do their thing. They have a variety of musicians and dancers both local and from out of town this year playing a variety of different styles of music. On Friday, Hay U opens the races at 4 p.m. July 5 followed by Southern Alberta country singer Dusty Dee Litchfield, Calgary rock/ folk/ blues band the Firm Handshake are on after that followed by the Desert Wind Belly Dancers.
And if you aren’t going to the Aaron Pritchett show at Spitz Stadium, July 6 with opening act Shane Chisholm, don’t miss Chisholm’s set at the Dragon Boat races at 8:30 p.m. on July 5.
On July 6, things start at 11 a.m. at the Dragon Boat Races with local pop singer Pao Navarro. He will be followed by the rose ceremony at noon, then local country pop singer Alyssa McQuaid, the Hibikiya Drummers, local rock/ metal band Unzipped, folk/ jazz singer Bridgette Yarwood, Exisdance, local pop band, the Juarez Family band, local country-folk musician Shaela Miller, the Canadian Rocky Mountain Cloggers, blues duo Paul Kype and Steve Keenan and local rock band Who’s Yer Daddy ending things at 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 7 also begins at 11 a.m. with the E free Band, former Lethbridgian/ current Edmontonian Andrew Scott, Calgary based folk/ pop musician Jenny Allen, the Ammena Dancers, Medicine Hat folk/ rock duo Mahoney and Paul Kype and Texas Flood winding the event up at 3 p.m.
But there is a lot of music happening elsewhere during the week. Winnipeg’s fabulous jazz/ folk orchestra Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers return to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, July 5. The Slice has a big rock show with the Void, Law of Lucid and Cosmic Charley, July 6. The Slice has a big indie rock show as well, July 5 featuring betterhalf, The Mormon Girls and Commander Xander and the Carbon Copies. The Owl has a show of contrasts, July 6 with rapper/ MC Mitchmatic and Edmonton ’80s pop style musician Doug Hoyer as well as Regina pop /folk singer Tyler Gilbert who was just at the Owl a few weeks ago. Local indie rock performers Jesse and the Dandelions and Brenna Lowrie are also on the bill.
The Slice has some great Texas roots shows early next week with Texas alt country singer Bonnie Whitmore, July 8 and American folk icon Mary Gauthier, July 9 with Scott Nolan and Joanna Miler. Bonnie Whitmore has been compared to the likes of Neko Case, Kathleen Edwards and even Loretta Lynn.
Gauthier has been a mainstay on the American roots and folk scene for many years, has toured with Fred Eaglesmith and was even mentioned in a Ray Wylie Hubbard song.
The Owl has a great roots show early next week too as Winnipeg folk trio Sweet Alibi bring their beautiful, jazz tinged vocal harmonies back to the Owl Acoustic Lounge, July 8
For mainstream country, Aaron Pritchett plays Spitz Stadium, July 6 with Shane Chisholm.
