June
30, 2005
Down-home
celebration
Dauphin Countryfest star-studded shindig
By ROB WILLIAMS
Yee-haw,
it's Dauphin Countryfest time.
And
this year, the shindig is bigger than ever. Organizers spent
about $800,000 to attract some of the hottest names in country
music, with party girl Gretchen Wilson, cowboy rockers Big &
Rich, hick-hopper Uncle Kracker and co-ed popsters Sugarland
booked alongside artists such as Jason McCoy, Paul Brandt, George
Canyon, Tracy Byrd, Corb Lund and Hayes Carll.
"Every
year we try and do something different and try to stay on the
cutting edge of what's new and current in country music,"
says artistic director Rob Waloschuk.
More
than 40 acts will play on three stages over the next four days,
with something for roots music fans of all kinds, whether it's
new country, singer-songwriters, western swing, old-time honky-tonk,
Americana, bluegrass, alt-country or gospel.
"I
don't ever try to stay with a theme of any kind except to get
the country of the day. We have our headliners, but in the afternoons
you'll see the diverse talent. I like to use the line, 'We'll
sell the tickets with the headliners and entertain them with
everyone else,' " Waloschuk says.
Over
the past 16 years the annual Countryfest has grown into one
of the largest, most successful festivals in the province, with
cumulative attendance of more than 40,000 over four days. Organizers
consider it a mission to improve every year.
"This
is life for a lot of people, and we're so blessed to be Countryfest
directors carrying a sacred totem for these people," says
president Eric Irwin.
After
a downturn in attendance in the early half of the decade --
a drop that coincided with a general decline of country music
CD sales -- the emergence of a new crop of national and international
stars led to a complete sellout for the 2005 festival. All 9,500
weekend passes were sold two months ago. All 500 day passes
and 3,000 campsites are also sold out.
Anticipation
is so high, campers started lining up at the gates of the Selo
Ukrainian site last Friday.
The
main site boasts a 10,000 seat amphitheatre, flush toilets,
food and alcohol vendors and three stages. There are 1,500 reserved
campsites and another 1,500 first come, first served sites.
All four campgrounds have hot showers.
The
non-profit organization spent $100,000 on site improvements
over the past year, with new showers, upgraded seating, a revamped
media viewing area, extra booths and newly gravelled roads.
The
festival opens tonight with a battle of the bands contest and
sets by Canadian acts Aaron Pritchett, Charlie Major and The
Rowdymen.
The
mainstage action begins tomorrow evening with Tracey James,
Deric Ruttan, Jason McCoy and Paul Brandt. On Saturday, Nathan,
The Foster Martin Band, The Road Hammers, Sugarland, Uncle Kracker
and Big & Rich share the stage, while the fest wraps up
Sunday with a gospel show and closing-night acts Moot Davis,
Hayes Carll, the Corb Lund Band, George Canyon, Tracy Byrd and
Gretchen Wilson.
The
Hilltop and Alternative stages run consecutively with artists
such as Major, Pritchett, the D. Rangers, Streetheart, The Swiftys,
Longshot and Alana Levandoski.
