Atlantic Canada Concert Scene

[MonctonRad]

from the Moncton Times & Transcript

[MonctonRad]

Randy Bachman ready to take care of business
Published Thursday May 28th, 2009

Bachman-Cummings moved Winnipeg date to fit in Hub City show
By Eric Lewis
Times & Transcript Staff

When Randy Bachman's two daughters heard that their rockstar father was playing in Moncton with Bon Jovi on June 27, the legendary guitarist's phone started ringing off the hook.

"My daughters are so excited," says the co-founder of both The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. "They're in their 30s now with families. They called me (after the announcement of the Moncton concert) and said, 'Dad, you know, (when) we were teenagers ... we loved everything about Bon Jovi. You've got to bring us!'

"So I'm bringing my two daughters," Bachman says. "One's coming from Philadelphia, one's coming from Lethbridge, Alberta, flying all the way in the night before, see the show and hopefully get to meet Bon Jovi and get a picture taken. This is their teenage heartthrob."

Bachman was laughing over the phone yesterday when discussing his daughters, who had to explain to their father how "hot" they were for the dashing Jon Bon Jovi back when he first became a household name in the late 1980s.

Bachman was reached by the Times & Transcript at his home in British Columbia yesterday afternoon to discuss the upcoming Moncton date he has with musical partner Burton Cummings.

Bachman-Cummings will perform with Bon Jovi, State of Shock, Mobile and Alfa Rococo on Saturday, June 27 at the Magnetic Hill Concert Site.

"I was in (Ottawa) getting the Order of Canada last week and somebody (from Moncton) was there, and they were saying how Moncton is just turning into a great concert place because of (Magnetic) Hill and because you're drawing from three or four States and all the Maritime provinces and now it's a destination for people to go," Bachman says.

Word is spreading across the country how Moncton is turning into a destination spot for mega-concerts.

Bachman-Cummings is actually flying into Moncton from Regina, Sask., the night before the Moncton date. The duo then has to take off after the Moncton show to head for another concert in Winnipeg the next day.

Bachman says he and Cummings had to move their Winnipeg date to make room for the Moncton show.

"It's real rock n' roll to play a gig, get in a jet, fly somewhere, pass out, go play with Bon Jovi, get in a jet, fly back, pass out, get up and do another show," Bachman says.

At the show, the guitarist says he and Cummings will play all the classic Canadian hits we've come to know and love, from The Guess Who, BTO and each musician's solo careers.

We're bound to hear hits like You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet, These Eyes, No Sugar Tonight, Takin' Care of Business and many more.

The Moncton date is part of a larger summer tour for the duo, which includes both indoor and outdoor gigs.

Bachman says outdoor shows can be risky because everyone is at the mercy of Mother Nature, but he explains that there is nothing as enjoyable as playing music on a nice summer day.

"There's nothing like playing on a beautiful, sunny, but not too hot, nice cool breeze day," he says. "There's just nothing like it. It's the communion of people and nature and the elements and the music. It's just a fantastic experience.

"You know, most of the great concerts like Woodstock were disasters. They rained for three days, and even those are looked on as wonderful moments. So when you do have a ... great weather day ... not even sunny, just no rain and mud, it's a wonderful time."

In addition to the Bon Jovi/Bachman-Cummings gig on June 27, AC/DC will storm Moncton on Thursday, Aug. 6 with an opening act yet to be announced.

These shows are in addition to the recently announced Paul McCartney concert in Halifax on Saturday, July 11, and the KISS show on Saturday, July 18 also in Halifax.

In addition, there are many other outdoor shows throughout the Maritimes this summer.

While they are undoubtedly growing in numbers and popularity with each passing summer, Maritimers have always had a good time at outdoor concerts.

Shediac had a huge outdoor gig in 1993 with Def Leppard, Meat Loaf and others. In the late-1990s, a few classic rock festivals popped up on Magnetic Hill.

Fredericton's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival has been a much-loved festival for several years as well.

Jay Cleary, originally from Nova Scotia but now residing in Toronto, takes care of media relations for the Evolve Festival based in Antigonish, N.S.

The festival is gearing up for its 10th annual event this year. He says outdoor festivals are a phenomenon.

"It's a fantasy land where your favourite bands and favourite people all gather," he says.

He says egos are left behind, and people's problems are forgotten when they gather outdoors to celebrate the music they love.

"It's like a micro city that appears out of nowhere."

Evolve, a much-loved Maritime event celebrating music and the environment, brings about 2,500 people annually to a 225-acre site field in Antigonish.

The three-day festival, which takes place July 17-19 this year, was recently named one of the 25 best outdoor music festivals in North America by Outdoor magazine, based in Santa Fe, N.M.

This year, Evolve will feature groups such as Xavier Rudd, Ruby Jean & The Thoughtful Bees, Mishka and Gratefully Deadicated Soundsystem.

Meanwhile, back here in New Brunswick, another popular summer event, Sunseeker Ball, takes place in Chance Harbour, Aug. 21-22.

Jason McLean of Calgary partners with Marc Doucet of Saint John on the event, which is entering its fourth year.

Jason said yesterday that Sunseeker expects about 1,500 attendees this year who will see over 50 bands perform in only two days.

"I think that Maritimers' love for music is obviously a huge contributing factor to the success of these events," he says. "To be able to get away from the office for the weekend and throw your cares away. For most at our festival, it's all about the feel that the people you are with are family."

This year, Dr. Dfunkt, Universal Soul, Jimmy Swift Band and Moncton's own Les Paiens will play at Sunseeker along with dozens of other acts.

n Tickets to the Bon Jovi and Bachman-Cummings concert on June 27 are on sale now for $99.50. AC/DC will perform on Aug. 6, and tickets are also on sale for $99.50. Tickets for both shows can be purchased by phone at 857-4100, online at tickets.moncton.ca or at any NEEDS convenience store or at the Moncton Coliseum box office. For more on Evolve Festival, visit www.evolvefestival.com. For more on Sunseeker Ball, visit www.sunseekerfestival.ca

[MonctonRad]

Concert site flooding solved?
Published Saturday May 30th, 2009

Prep work at Magnetic Hill includes new buildings, wider walking path, lighting and drainage systemsA
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Last year, fans of the Eagles who paid handsomely for VIP grandstand tickets overlooking the stage at the Magnetic Hill Concert Site had to splash through ankle-deep mud to answer the call of nature at one of the portable toilets tucked away behind the big bleachers. Fans who parked themselves in front of the stage ended up sitting in the mud all day.


RON WARD/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
A bulldozer spreads gravel yesterday over the ground in front of the stage area at the Magnetic Hill Concert Site. This area became soggy and muddy during last year's concert by the Eagles. City crews have excavated the site to install new drainage pipes and are now backfilling it with gravel and recycled asphalt.


ALAN COCHRANE/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
The walking trail between the Magnetic Hill Concert Site and the zoo is being widened and will have streetlights installed to make it more convenient and safer for concert fans before and after future concerts.


ALAN COCHRANE/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
More portable buildings and permanent washrooms are being installed at the Magnetic Hill Concert Site leading up to this year's shows by Bon Jovi on June 27 and AC/DC on Aug. 6.

It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience for some and Raymond 'Boom' Melanson is determined that it won't happen again. Flooding problems around the stage area were among the top priorities at the site this year and is just about complete as prep work in advance of two big shows at the site get closer.

"We've dug down about two feet, cleared out the drains that were clogged with mud and put in new 15-inch drainage pipes that will carry the water underground to the woods behind the stage," Melanson, the city's supervisor of special events, told the Times & Transcript during a visit to the concert site yesterday morning.

With only a few weeks until the June 27 show by Bon Jovi and Bachman-Cummings, the site is buzzing with bulldozers, dump trucks and other equipment to get the groundwork done. It is expected that more than 20 tractor-trailers loaded with staging, lights and sound gear will start showing up at least a week before the concert.

Neither the city nor the promoters will say how many tickets have been sold for the Bon Jovi show at the end of June. The same goes for the Aug. 6 show by AC/DC.

Melanson said the groundwork includes digging down into the soft mud of the former farm field, laying the drain pipes and then filling it in with gravel will create a strong base for the thousands of fans that tread upon it during a concert. The groundwork will be topped by a layer of recycled asphalt, scraped from local streets during other projects. And when that settles, they will put down a layer of topsoil and grass seed to create a nice grassy area with a solid foundation of gravel.

At the top of the hill, the trail leading from the Magnetic Hill Zoo to the concert site is being widened -- with a row of street lights -- to give people entering and leaving the site a better place to walk. When the Eagles concert ended last year, the narrow walking trail was clogged with thousands of people and there were a few sprained ankles among people walking on the uneven ground in the dark.

A couple of new portable buildings have shown up at the site in recent weeks -- one complete with a boardroom, office, washroom and shower -- which will provide more accommodations for promoters and other people working at the site during concerts. Over the next few weeks, construction will begin on a permanent medical/first-aid building and another permanent washroom. Crews will need to complete work to the water hookups, electrical systems and other infrastructure to make it ready for promoters to move in during the last week of June.

"We're working hard to get it fixed up and doing a little bit more each year," Melanson said.

The city and province have invested several million dollars to the site to help create a turnkey operation where concert promoters can move in, set up, put on the show and move on to the next gig. The grassy area in front of the stage was left a sopping, muddy mess last year after large off-road forklifts tore up the soft ground while dismantling the sound and light towers in the rain. When city crews started to repair the damage they found the drain pipes were clogged with mud so water couldn't flow away from the site. That has now been fixed.

n General admission tickets for both the Bon Jovi show and AC/DC concert are $99.50 and available at the Moncton Coliseum box office, Needs Convenience stores and online at www.tickets.moncton.ca. Grandstand seats for AC/DC are sold out, but grandstand tickets for Bon Jovi are available for $199.50 plus taxes and service charges. Bon Jovi will be accompanied by the Randy Bachman/Burton Cummings group, State of Shock, Mobile and Alfa Rococo. The opening acts for AC/DC have not yet been announced.

[Dmajackson]

^Wow Moncton puts a lot of work into making the concert experiences better.

Here in Hali we just shut down the Commons put up a stage on what is commonly mud and pray it doesn't rain that night.

I'm personally getting into the idea that the Shannon Park lands should be turned into a proper outdoor stage with the Harbour as a back-drop. There would little to none noise complaints, easy access, close to downtown so buses could easily transfer people before and after the show(s) to downtown and other areas, no traffic issues because of the MacKay/Circ and when its not in use the area could be used for parkland, buskers, community events, ect. And the site is a natural hillside so everybody could see the stage.

[kirjtc2]

Another interesting festival announcement:

Croce, Max and Plaskett headline Deep Roots

Sat. May 30 - 4:46 AM

American songwriter and pianist A. J. Croce, son of legendary singer-songwriter Jim Croce, will come to Nova Scotia for the first time as part of the Deep Roots Music Festival in Wolfville Sept. 24-27.

Also headlining the festival are raga-blues master Harry Max and Nova Scotia’s Joel Plaskett and The Emergency.

For its sixth edition, Deep Roots will present over 25 acts including Juno Award winners Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko and Old Man Luedecke, who won in the best solo roots / traditional category. Deep Roots also brings back three of last year’s favourite artists: New York’s Ari Hest, San Diego’s Steve Poltz and Canadian singer Coco Love Alcorn.

The festival is shining a light on Joel Plaskett, who just released his career-defining triple-CD, Three. Deep Roots features three distinct performances by Plaskett, including a special show with The Emergency and guest singers Rose Cousins and Ana Egge.

Harry Manx anchors an all-star blues lineup which also features Manx’s frequent collaborator Steve Marriner and his band Monkey Junk, and 2008 Juno nominee the Garrett Mason Trio.

World roots acts include banjoist Jayme Stone and Malian singer and kora maestro Mansa Sissoko with their quartet for a live version of From Africa to Appalachia, violin-driven gypsy, flamenco and Middle Eastern trio, Sultans of String, as well as reggae roots band Andru Branch and Halfway Tree.

--------------

Also: the Sleuth in the Times and Transcript is saying Aretha Franklin could be headlining the Dutch Mason festival in Truro.

[kirjtc2]

Brad Paisley has just cancelled his Moncton show. The Coliseum can't fit his equipment.

[mylesmalley]

The coliseum is pretty long in the tooth.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

Brad Paisley has just cancelled his Moncton show. The Coliseum can't fit his equipment.

The low roof strikes again. Yet more ammunition in support of a new downtown arena.

[mmmatt]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The low roof strikes again. Yet more ammunition in support of a new downtown arena.

Wow...this is almost getting sad. This project seems to be #1 on everybody's wish list at the moment though, so hopefully we will see movement soon.

[MrChills]

Here's a little info on a NAS show that was scheduled a little while back in NL, what a mess..

http://thescope.ca/2009/05/so-what-h...-the-nas-show/

[kirjtc2]

Festival lineup has a lot of 'crossover appeal'
Published Tuesday June 2nd, 2009
A1
By ADAM BOWIE
bowie.adam@dailygleaner.com

This year's Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival will feature a slew of musical legends and barn-burning newcomers.

Festival officials confirmed Monday that multiple Grammy Award winners Los Lobos, legendary vocalist Koko Taylor, and hot blues-guitarist and singer Susan Tedeschi are among the autumn event's headlining acts.

Also performing at the festival are British blues buzz band Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Cajun favourite Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, New York folk artist Eric Bibb, and Atlanta's own Original P Funk - a group that features members of Parliament Funkadelic.

Newfoundland's indie-rock darlings Hey Rosetta!, jazz wizard Michael Kaeshammer, and 15-year-old Montreal jazz vocalist Nikki Yanofsky will help bring some Canadian flavour to the event.

Festival music director Brent Staeben said this group of artists will perform at the biggest showcases, but a number of other acts will be announced before tickets go on sale July 18.

"We came out of last year with some goals of how we wanted to improve the lineup," he said. "Heading into a recession, I think some people were wondering how we were going to respond to that, and I think we're investing more money in music than we ever have.

"This is just the creme de la creme. The rest is yet to come."

He said this year's lineup will take music fans in a slightly different direction than the screaming electric guitars of 2008 headliners Buddy Guy and Bloc Party.

"It won't have quite as hard an edge this year," he said.

"It'll certainly rock out a bit in places, but I think the emphasis is slightly different. Certainly Koko (Taylor) and Susan (Tedeschi) carry very, very strong blues credentials with them, but there's also lots of crossover appeal."

Harvest chairwoman Patti Graham said the festival is committed to providing a top-notch entertainment experience.

"We're making investments in ticketing and admissions systems and what we call comfort infrastructure. Overall, it's going to improve the way our patrons experience some of the best artists in the world," she said in a news release.

"We know that Harvest is about two things: great music and a great time. With today's announcement, and with announcements coming in the next few weeks, we're on track to make good on our promise to present Atlantic Canada's finest international music experience."

Staeben said more than 150 artists will perform in Fredericton during the six-day event, but he's especially

looking forward to catching Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam live in concert.

"They're a huge act out of the (United Kingdom) right now," he said.

"They played about 250 dates last year - they're playing almost every night. And they're just super-hot right now. They got picked up by a Hollywood agency and it was a major coup to be able to get them here for the festival."

Tickets go on sale at 8:30 a.m. on July 18.

People can pick them up at the Harvest office at 81 Regent St., by calling 1-888-NBBLUES, or online at www.harvestjazzandblues.com through the festival's new ticketing partner TicketPro.

[Smevo]

Again, country's a genre I don't know well.

http://www.capebretonpost.com/index....=257440&sc=147

George Canyon and special guest Tara Oram will perform June 19 at the Silver Dart centennial concert, Victoria Highlands Civic Centre, Baddeck, as part of Youth In Aviation Week June 14-21 celebrating the centennial of the first powered flight in Canada. The Canadian Press

Concerts, arts show and other activities mark centennial of flight

BY GREG MCNEIL
The Cape Breton Post

SYDNEY — The weather broke long enough in late February to stage a successful re-enactment of the flight of the Silver Dart in the village of Baddeck.

That Feb. 22 afternoon marked the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight in Canada, but it didn’t signal the end of a celebration of the country’s rich history of aviation.

In fact, organizers consider the re-enactment as simply a starting point for a year-long celebration that continues June 14-21 with Youth In Aviation Week.

“In February we were really concentrating on the history and the commemoration and it was so moving,” said Eleanor Anderson, Silver Dart project manager.

“In June, the weather has broken and it is much more of a celebration.”

Among the many highlights of the week will be the Silver Dart centennial air show, June 17, featuring the Snowbirds, the Canadian Forces’ performance squadron.

“They have a silver dart formation that looks like the Silver Dart. They are excited about doing it in Baddeck and we are excited about having them there doing it.”

The very popular CF-18 Hornet jet fighter/bomber cockpit will be back on display in the community and Anderson expects it to attract at least as many as the 2,700 visitors it drew in February.

Kite making and flying, paper airplane creating sessions with the Guinness world record holder for paper airplane flight and Power Point presentations on the Silver Dart are also part of the week.

The Cape Breton University starlab will also be available, along with star party tours of the night sky.

“We have really tied in space,” said Anderson. “It goes from the beginnings of flight to space and how quick that really happened and how much potential there is.”

The week also includes a centennial concert June 19 with country music singer George Canyon and special guest Tara Oram.

“There are some things that are the same as February, but other things are different that make it a little more celebratory,” Anderson said. “Not only the fireworks but the bands, flight suit night, the art exhibit, paper airplanes and the starlab.”

Numerous other events are planned for July, August and September, as well.

[kirjtc2]

Here's something lost in the shuffle in Halifax between McCartney and Kiss...

Pulsating with jazz
Kenny Garrett and Bell Orchestre among big names at 23rd festival featuring 500 musicians on 15 stages
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter
Thu. Jun 4 - 4:46 AM

THE THEME for the 2009 Atlantic Jazz Festival is Check Your Pulse, implying the 23rd edition of the annual celebration of jazz, world, blues and roots music will set hearts in Halifax racing.

Given that the week it takes place, July 10 to 18 also includes concerts by Paul McCartney and Kiss as well as the Tall Ships Festival, Haligonians should be hoping that Apple will come up with a pocket-sized iDefibrillator before the next five weeks are up.

Going by the level of enthusiasm at Wednesday morning’s media launch at JazzEast’s 1313 Hollis St. venue, there’ll be plenty of pulsating going around at the jazz fest, with one of its strongest, and most jazz-centric, lineups yet, shepherded by its new artistic director Lulu Healy.

Starting with opening night performer Kenny Garrett — an acclaimed saxophonist who began with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and recently collaborated with Pharoah Sanders — and continuing through a roster that includes Cuban jazz standard bearer Jane Bunnett’s 18-piece Embracing Voices, acclaimed loud and lively alt-jazz trio the Bad Plus, Canadian piano legend Oliver Jones and Nova Scotia native Mike Murley with brass icon Guido Basso, and you’ve got some serious talent to contend with.

Healy, who joined JazzEast four years ago as communications assistant before becoming education outreach and Creative Music Workshop co-ordinator, says her mission for year 23 was to "bring the festival back to its jazz core" and shift the balance with world music and blues, putting more jazz artists on the main stage as well as throughout the festival.

There’s still enough to satisfy every sector, with Grammy Award-winning bluesman Joe Louis Walker, joined by Garrett Mason, in the Festival Tent at Queen and Spring Garden on July 11, indie instrumental ensemble the Bell Orchestre at St. Matt’s on July 16 and 17, and a closing night gala with African Connexion III, hosted by Afro-Musica.

Healy, who’s also a musician, has a hard time coming up with a concise list of favourites, although she cites nabbing the Bad Plus, which has been praised from the Village Voice to Entertainment Weekly for its bold deconstruction of familiar rock anthems, as a major coup.

"They’ve been a very favourite of mine for a couple of years now, and they were the first band I booked, so it was very symbolic for me; ‘This is going to be the best festival ever!’ " she laughs. "But they’re brilliant and everything they do is so fresh and cool.

"Kenny Garrett, I’m so excited about him being in Halifax. . . . His music messes with your brain, it’s so good. I think he’s a really great showman, I’ve heard amazing things about his live performances (on sax and keyboards), and I also love organ projects, so he’s a perfect opening night concert. It’s like a blanket statement that this festival is going to be about jazz, with amazing, high-profile, world-class music."

For her first time out, Healy has done an impressive job of spreading over 500 musicians across 15 stages, as well as leading the JazzEast team in coordinating Jerry Granelli’s Spontaneous Combustion and Creative Music Workshop programs, the Jazz Lab free workshops with the Halifax Regional Library, the new Words and Music series at the Company House and a July 11 street parade.

For Healy it’s been a crash course in developing her intuition for planning a huge number of shows in a relatively short space of time.

"I just feel like there needs to be a good balance that speaks to the different venues, to the kinds of audiences that are going to these shows," she says. "We need to speak to every kind of listener, whether they like jazz already or whether they don’t know they like jazz.

"I try to put in a little bit of everything and not let personal preference determine everything. I was partway through the programming when I realized all I had were organ or keyboard projects. So I had to step back and focus on the music quality and the different kinds of audiences that need to be satisfied by the festival. It’s been really fun, and challenging."

JazzEast executive director Sarah Watling, who’s also psyched for the Bad Plus, Bell Orchestre and a huge gospel celebration marking the 175th anniversary of the abolition of slavery on July 12, says her challenge has been planning for a busy summer and a week bookended by two huge outdoor concerts on the Commons, but says the influx of people into downtown can be a major advantage for the jazz fest.

"I think there’s a way we can market our festival with an eye to where people are going to or coming from, and paying attention to what the other events are doing," says Watling after the hubbub of Wednesday’s gathering has died down. "I thinking communicating with them helps, like having this awesome collaboration with the Pride Festival, it makes it more than just these events that brush up against each other on the calendar.

"I think we’ll probably send an invitation to Sir Paul, he may be here for more than one day, and in the past Tall Ships has not been a detraction from what we’re doing. We know there’s only so many people and so many entertainment dollars, but there are going to be more people here as a result of these events and we have a program with some big names on it that people are going to recognize, as long as we let them know that we’re here.

"And we’re not really that concerned about the Kiss concert, that’s a very different audience."

[Dmajackson]

This also hasn't been mentioned but Z103.5FM THE BEAT OF HALIFAX is hosting its annual Summer Rush concert on July 25th in Halifax confirmed guests so far are;

Akon
Basshunter
Robin S
September
Girlicious
DJ No Luv (from Z103.5FM)
Supercrew

Its on Saturday July 25th at Alderney Landing. Show starts at 4pm. Tickets at $39

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by kirjtc2

Yeah, Virgin's announcing on Tuesday:


Virgin Festival Rolls Into Town With Some Big News

Canada’s hottest Festival announces even hotter line-up for Virgin Festival Nova Scotia

Halifax, May 8, 2009 – Virgin Festival is bringing the heat from coast to coast this year! On Tuesday, May 12, the team will drop into Halifax to announce the big time talent that will be making some noise at Virgin Festival Nova Scotia this summer!

A virgin festival?!


(http://www.geocities.com/reginamundi77/)

[kirjtc2]

Music-filled weekend
Published Tuesday June 9th, 2009
C1
By LAVERNE STEWART
stewart.laverne@dailygleaner.com

This year Maritime Countryfest is all about the talents of local performers.

Last year Emerson Drive was the headlining act. But organizer Tom Hoyt says many people told him they liked local act Mike Bezanson as much as the popular contemporary country band.

It cost $30,000 to bring Emerson Drive to Fredericton and Hoyt admits the festival lost money last year due to cooler weather and lower-than-expected ticket sales.

"The festival has struggled, to be honest with you, but every year we have learned from it and we are losing less money."

All 10 of the acts scheduled to appear between June 11-14 are from New Brunswick. That's not to say the festival hadn't tried to secure a headlining act. Organizers had been in negotiations with other big names that would guarantee a sell-out crowd but for various reasons, Hoyt says, those talks fell through and they weren't able to make a deal.

"We were talking to Merle Haggard. The reason we started negotiations with him was that that agency originally offered him to the festival for a $30,000 fee. Negotiations went on for months, back and forth. Not with Merle's people but with this agent.

Finally he came back and said 'Merle wants $60,000 US' and that was just way out of our budget and I wasn't prepared to take that kind of a risk.

"That's not to say next year we won't try to ink a deal with some major headliner if we can afford it."

Not having a main headlining act at this year's festival is also a bit of a risk.

But Hoyt tells people that he believes all of the 10 acts can carry this four-day festival because there is a huge amount of talent here.

Appearing at this year's festival will be Rik Reese & Neon Highway; The Divorcees; 1755; Mandy Silk and Overdrive; musical comedian Jimmy Flynn; Mike Bezanson; Casey LeBlanc (of Canadian Idol fame) and Razberry Skye; Clay Harrison; The Hardcore Troubadours; and The New Brunswick Country Showcase.

It's a blend of new and old country, comedy, country rock and Acadian tunes. The band 1755 is one of the top-selling French-Canadian acts of all time, and it has built an international reputation.

They play a mix of lively Acadian pieces and traditional French ballads. Hoyt describes them as The Beatles of the Francophone music scene. The band has been putting out albums since the 1970s and it's always a major event for their fans when they announce a live show.

This summer there are many major outdoor musical events happening in Moncton and Halifax. Hoyt knows people don't have unlimited money to spend on entertainment.

He says shows such as Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Paul McCartney, KISS and Brad Paisley may be out of the financial reach of many people who could afford this event.

The cost of this year's festival is $25 per night, or $60 for an all-access pass four-day pass, which he believes is affordable for most people. This is possible thanks to sponsorship of the province, the city and various businesses and organizations.

With a couple of days left before the festival opens - Thursday at 7 p.m. - tickets are still available.

Hoyt knows many people wait until the last minute to buy tickets for any event in this city. He's confident ticket sales will go well.

Last year's festival happened in late May and the weather was cool. Hoyt says he expects the warmer weather and the lineup of acts will draw more people to the outdoor festival, being held in the Historic Garrison District.

Unlike the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, which operates in many venues throughout the city, Hoyt says he thinks the Maritime Countryfest is best served as a sell-out event in one venue.

"We'd like to keep it here in Fredericton. Some people have suggested we go elsewhere. They said if we did this in Moncton, it would sell out immediately. But this is my town and I want to continue to see it happen here."

Over the past four years, Hoyt says, people are starting to take ownership of this festival and it's his hope things will continue to improve each year they learn from the past.

For more information go to www.countryfest.com.

[kirjtc2]

And yet another festival:

Blues Dutch treat
Dutch Mason fest to blast Truro Aug. 7 to 9
By STEPHEN COOKE Entertainment Reporter
Thu. Jun 11 - 4:46 AM


In a summer overstuffed with large scale outdoor events, Dutch Mason Blues Festival producer David DeWolfe is confident that his Truro-based extravaganza will prove its staying power in its fifth year.

Taking place Aug. 7 to 9 at the Provincial Exhibition Grounds in Bible Hill, Dutchfest will feature a lineup led by its international ambassador James Cotton, with Canadian guitar maestro Colin James, blues-rock legend Rick Derringer, former Fabulous Thunderbirds member Jimmie Vaughan and Canadian stalwart the Downchild Blues Band on its 40th anniversary tour.

DeWolfe says the event — which also features returning favourites like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Sue Foley and Garrett Mason — is established enough, and unique enough, to hold its own against a parade of huge classic and alternative rock shows on both sides of the N.B./N.S. border.

"I could worry about it, if I let it get to me, but the way I look at it is, if you build it, they will come," he says with a chuckle. "So far, since we’ve been building this festival crowds have been increasing every year, we have a loyal following that makes it all work for us.

"Everybody has that big, one day outdoor concert that they want to go to, but they can still plan a whole weekend experience and I’m hoping the Dutch Mason Blues Festival is their weekend of choice."

One rumour that had been circulating was that this would be the year that DeWolfe would score his dream headliner, British blues and rock legend Eric Clapton. Although he’d been in touch with Clapton’s management, DeWolfe says there was too big a gap between the end of his tour dates in July and Dutchfest in August to keep him on this side of the pond.

"The problem with artists of that stature — we were also looking at Aretha Franklin, for example — it’s hard for them to find other dates closer to us to make logistical sense for them to come here," he explains.

"But you’re going to see Eric Clapton here some day; he knows about us, all of his friends have played here, we’ve had practically everybody that played his Crossroads Festival. So my game plan is to book all the artists that will walk off and tell him it’s a good venue to play and the people are warm and friendly."

Besides the headlining concerts there will also be a special pre-festival Blues Ambassador’s Dinner with harp master Cotton and acoustic roots blues performers on Thursday, Aug. 6, the Blues & Pancakes in the Park benefit breakfast for juvenile diabetes on Sunday morning at the Victoria Park bandshell, the Atlantic Canada Motorcycle Lifestyle Show and the Maritime BBQ Competition. Dutchfest also continues to be a showcase for East Coast acts like Matt Minglewood, late night jam host Joe Murphy, Bridgewater bluesman Catahoula Brown and the Hupman Brothers.

One special performance on the Sunday will be The Friends of Rick Jeffery Blues Revue, paying tribute to the late harmonica player and former Mason bandmate, whose final recording Thirteen Vultures is finally being released six years after his death. "There’s a lot of names there, it’s a who’s who of East Coast blues on stage at one time, doing a deserved tribute to Dutch’s bandmate and best friend. I think it’s fitting that they’re releasing his final recording at this festival," says DeWolfe.

Tickets for the Dutch Mason Blues Festival go on sale today at the Ticket Atlantic box office (451-1221 or www.ticketatlantic.com) and participating Atlantic Superstores, with a full weekend pass costing $125 plus tax and fees (limited daily advance tickets also available).

Call the festival at 1-866-99DUTCH (38824) or visit www.dutchmason.com for more information.

( scooke@herald.ca)

[kirjtc2]

And the washed-up parade continues...

Beach Boys coming to Summerside
NANCY MACPHEE
The Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE - Summerside, get ready to pick up on some good vibrations.

The Beach Boys are coming to Credit Union Place for this year's Lobster Carnival.

Tom Walker, president of Nite Star Events Limited, the promoter bringing the original California rockers to the city, confirmed the news this morning.

The Beach Boys will perform on Friday, July 17, in the bowl arena.

It will be a beach party feel, said Walker, with sand trucked to make an indoor beach for dancing. Following the concert the beach party will continue with a dance with The Ellis Family Band.

The Beach Boys have countless hits to their credit, including "Fun, Fun, Fun", "Good Vibrations", "Help Me Rhonda", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Surfin' Safari" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice".

Original members Mike Love and Bruce Johnston are in the current lineup.

Tickets go on sale Monday, June 15, at noon at the Credit Union Place box office and online at www.city.summerside.pe.ca.



For more, including comments from the promoter and from the Lobster Carnival committee, check Saturday's edition of the Journal Pioneer.

[mylesmalley]

God, they're actually trucking in sand? Why not take it up the road to Cavendish and do it on a real beach?

[josh_cat_eyes]

Man I wish that the leaders in my city were not so damn lame. They are actually bringing in sand...wow.

On a side note, this is EXACTLY what the lobster carnival needs! I am PUMPED for the show too!!!!