My wife and I bought our tickets to the (I believe) 4th annual Central Music Festival this weekend. It is an event I’ve wanted to support in the past, but either holiday plans or weather have interfered. This year we decided to jump in and buy weekend passes. The festival has had a hard go in its initial years, with small crowds causing (I’m guessing) some financial hardship for the volunteer board. They are committed, you have to give them that and where others may have folded the tent and given up, this board keeps working toward their goal of having a successful festival featuring a variety of music within spitting distance of Red Deer. Full details at http://www.centralmusicfest.com/.
The Friday night lineup has some blues as wells as three artists I’m quite excited about seeing and hearing- St. James Gate, a popular local Celtic group; Great American Taxi, Vince Herman’s post-Salmon outfit; and Steve Coffey, one of this province’s finest singers and writers. Also, the local Backwoods Roots Revue is doing a tweener that should be enjoyable. Hopefully the kids come out to hear The Trews do an acoustic set to close the evening.
Saturday isn’t as much to my liking, so I’m hoping for warm weather and an open-mind. The Black Pioneer Heritage Singers and Jim Byrnes should be good, and I’m kind of interested in hearing Ponty Bone for at least a couple songs. Shane Yellowbird and others will hopefully pay the bills at the gate.
If you’re a Central Albertan, it is probably time to put your money toward this festival. It can’t survive without us.
Thanks for visiting Fervor Coulee.
Fervor Coulee- roots music opinion 