There were a lot of relaxed people chilling in front of the two stages at South Country Fair in Fort Ma
cleod, July 19.
For me, it was a chance to see some of the acts whose solo shows I missed as they were playing a variety of workshops.
I arrived just in time for the end of a great workshop on the South stage with Leeroy Stagger, Matthew Robinson and NQ Arbuckle with special guest Scott Duncan adding fiddle for them both. Arbuckle was suitably impressed by Leeroy Stagger’s that he quipped he wanted to sit back and bask and bask in the brilliance of Stagger‘s songs — more or less.
But I was glad I caught Arbuckle who was no slouch singing a couple different songs. Scott Duncan added impressive fiddle solos to both of them.
Also on the South Stage I caught a part of Sean Rowe, a New York songwriter with a big voice and an even bigger beard.
He entertained a good sized crowd flaked out in front of the stage with just an acoustic guitar. He broke a string mid set, so there was a delay before he started playing again. He had a big booming voice and played some hot solos.
My favourite surprise of the weekend came courtesy of Skye Wallace with special guest Rachael Cardiello adding extra viola to a rock tinged set of original folk music. She tossed her hair and got the crowd moving.
There wasn’t as much dancing as I expected at an East Stage workshop which was themed “ Dance Til’ You Drop.”
The crowd had pretty much dropped from dancing the night before, but as I missed it, I was excited to catch Edmonton’s Derina Harvey with the Good Ol’ Goats, who both played the night before accompanied by Brock Zeman and lead guitarist Blair Hogan.
They all played like they had been playing together for years on her songs like “Mull River Shuffle,” and their hot version of “Drunken Sailor.”
She asked if she could play something slow, but the crowd shouted at her not to. She eventually played a haunting version of “Dirty Old Town.”
She dominated the stage though everyone got to play their songs
Brock Zeman's east stage ending set did draw some dancers and a lot of enthusiasm as he played a variety of songs from his 11 albums.
Wendy McNeil played some accordion based folk songs to to wind down Sunday on the South stage.
The last workshop of the fair featured Jenny Ritter, The Misery Mountain Boys and Washboard Hank, who was named the new mayor of South Country Fair, taking over from Linda McRae. Things will get a lot weirder, politically incorrect and wild with the self deprecating Hank at the helm.
He noted he is getting tired of being asked if he made his washboard himself and if he ever hurts his head and promised to punch in the face anyone who asks him that question. That prompted someone to shout he could pass a law forbidding it that question.
But he and Sweet Muriel played quirky, upbeat, roots music for the audience and added extra washboard percussion to Jenny Ritter and Misery Mountain boys’ songs.
As is tradition founder Maureen Chambers ended the fair by singing a couple of songs and getting the crowd to clap and sing along. Having Washboard Hank as mayor means he will be returning for the 30th anniversary of the fair next July. Artistic director Jana MacKenzie noted they have some big plans in store for the big 3-0.
