The South Country Fair began with a blast on one fabulous Friday night, July 19. And not that it’s a competition, but the first night will be a tough one to top. While I missed Linda McRae and Petunia and the Vipers, who most of the people I talked to raved about, I arrived at the end of an energetic set from Reuben and the Dark. It was intense but less brooding than their usual show. Several fans jumped on stage and gave each other piggy back rides on the stage.
 Frontman Reuben Bullock showed his holey shoes and asked the audience to buy a CD so he could buy new shoes.

The band I was there to see, and who I was sure was worth the price of admission on their own, was Vancouver blues rock duo the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer who twisted traditional blues into their own massive monster. I was not disappointed. The duo made a lot of noise as promised in a previous interview. Harpoonist  Shawn Hall pretty much made his harmonica sing and had foot pedals at his feet, which I believe provided bass, while axe murderer Matthew Rogers, grooved and weaved as he stomped out thunderous, toe tapping beats on various drums set at his feet. They played a lot of originals and blues classics by the likes of Willie Dixon.

 They shook things up and got feet moving on “Shake It,”  from their most recent CD  “Checkered Past.” and carried on the energy with “ Love Me Before You Leave Me.”
The reggae influenced“ Do What You Do,” about a  red light district was a highlight as was “Wake Up,” also a highlight from “Checkered Past.”

 They proved they could make things sizzle as a duo, but as a bonus brought Broken Mirrors organist Tom Heuckendorff on stage to turn a hot sweaty, crowded, South Country Fair South stage  into a hot, sweaty crowded Chicago blues club on several tracks.

“We‘re just getting warmed up— but festivals, you know,” cried Hall as the crowd cried for an encore, which they were glad to supply. They ended a hot set with a  smoking version of their song “Get Out,” from “Checkered Past,” which he noted was about a mutual break up between him and a drummer he was dating. That segued into Muddy Waters’ classic “ Got My Mojo Working,” with which  they ended with. They could have played all night, but cleared the way for CR Avery.
 Members of the Broken Mirrors were familiar faces on Friday night.

 Their guitarist Noah Walker joined CR Avery on stage for his closing set. He’s gone, of all things, rap, which actually is a natural progression for Avery who can play any style of music and has in previous visits to Lethbridge and last year’s South Country Fair.
 While I  am not a huge fan of rap music, it is a natural fit for Avery, who counts slam poetry and  some mean beat-boxing among his many talents.

  His band included a DJ, an organist, possibly the Broken Mirrors’ Tom Heuckendorff as well as a drummer and a bassist.  Avery combined many of his talents  into this show, interspersing hot harp solos in between rants, raps, extended jams and grooves and assorted rock and roll. He vanished into the ’80s for a moment, performing some classic rap, then told a story  about his grandpa who passed away a week ago who was dating a 28 year old, then played an extended jam on one of the show’s highlights. they brought out the rock to end the show with a hot cover of the Clash’s “White Riot” and ended on a more rock and roll night with a rockabilly/ surf song about his Vancouver home  — “Commerce Street.”

 Today, Saturday, July 20 will be pretty amazing as well.
 There is a lot  going on in the afternoon.
Some of the highlights include Lethbridge born Keri Latimer and her Winnipeg based folk/ roots band Nathan make their long awaited  return to Alberta on the south stage at 2:20 p.m. They are also in a workshop p at 1 p.m with the Sunparlour players, Sweet Alibi and  High Society.  The evening will be great as well. If you missed Ben Caplan at the Owl Acoustic Lounge on Wednesday, don‘t miss his set at 7:40 p.m. on the South Stage. It will rock again with  Captain Tractor at 11:20 and Shout out Out Out Out closing things off.
 the east stage also has some great afternoon shows including  Corin Raymond at 3:15. And after seeing some of the band in action  last night, The Broken Mirrors hit the east stage at 4:20 p.m.

Saturday South Stage (MC - Steven Foord/Mayor Mark Sadlier Brown)


Noon: Nia
1:10 Workshop - Sunparlour Players, Sweet Alibi, High Society
, Nathan
2:20: Nathan  http://www.nathanmusic.ca/
3:30: Susan McMaster  http://web.ncf.ca/smcmaster/
3:45:  Minor Empire  http://www.minorempire.net/
4:45: Volunteer Photo


5:00: Sarah McDougall  http://sarahmacdougall.com/
6:10: Magpie Ulysses  http://magpieulysses.ca/
6:30: Mayoral Address with the honourableMark Sadlier Brown, Linda McRae and Luke Thompson
7:40: Ben Caplan  http://bencaplan.ca/
8:40: Magpie Ulysses  http://magpieulysses.ca/
8:55: JP Hoe  http://www.jphoe.com/
10:00: Songwriter winner Matthew Robinson  http://matthewrobinson.bandcamp.com/
10:10: Quique Escamilla   http://quiqueescamilla.com/
11:20: Captain Tractor  https://myspace.com/captaintractor
12:30: Shout Out Out Out Out  http://www.shoutoutoutoutout.com/


 

East Stage
Saturday East Stage MC - Gillian Moranz



12 p.m.: Jesse & The Dandelions  http://www.jesseandthedandelions.com/


1:05: Luke Thomson & The Howl         http://lukethomson.bandcamp.com/


2:10: Sarah Burton  http://sarahburton.ca/


3:15: Corin Raymond  http://www.corinraymond.com/


4:20: The Broken Mirrors  https://www.facebook.com/TheBrokenMirrors


5:25: High Society 


 Lotus Land Stage Saturday 


6:00 pm: Prairie Tales 14 http://prairietales14.blogspot.ca/


7:00: Erin Dingle  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZUvDSnK8Oo


8:00: Paul Finkleman  http://www.paulomusic.com/


9:00: Steven Ross Smith  http://www.fluttertongue.ca/


10:00 Prairie Tales 14 http://prairietales14.blogspot.ca/