Maritime Countryfest continues to pick up steam
Organizers and locals are hoping this will be their strongest year yet.
This weekend Fredericton's downtown will come alive with the sound of acoustic guitars, pedal steels, and Telecasters as Fredericton welcomes the return of the third annual Maritime Country Music Festival aka Maritime Countryfest. This year's event welcomes some of the hottest tickets on the Maritime country scene today including Steve Waylon & Rebel Ridge, The Hardcore Troubadours and Moncton's outlaw favourites The Divorcees. Headlining this year's event is Grande Prairie, Alberta's own, Emerson Drive.
Event organizer Tom Hoyt has been a major supporter of country music in New Brunswick for several years now and is excited about the event's growth over the past few years.
"The festival has grown in many ways since last year's event," said Hoyt. "Last year we expanded the festival by a day, offering a free show on Thursday night, an evening show on Friday, and a songwriter's circle on Saturday afternoon. Then of course we had our headlining show with Prairie Oyster on Saturday night." This year's festival is spread over four days and Hoyt, along with rest of the organizing team, is hoping this year's festival will bring hundreds of music fans to the city's downtown to enjoy some of the best country artists around.
"We've expanded to four days this year which will include a gospel show on Sunday. We also have a free concert on Saturday afternoon we call the Maritime Country 'Kidsfest', and we're very excited to have Emerson Drive coming this year," added Hoyt.
Emerson Drive, one of the top touring country acts these days and favourites on Country Music Television, are expected to draw a large crowd for their performance.
Hoyt was inspired to create the country festival after seeing the success of the city's Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. At one point, members of the New Brunswick Country Music Showcase approached the Harvest crew about adding a country tent to their festival lineup.
Feeling the country fan base in the area was large enough, they encouraged Hoyt and others to get their own festival running and that's just what they did.
Hoyt feels the city has been more than accommodating over the past few years and is the perfect spot for this festival.
"The city has not only OK-ed the festival, but they embraced it and have helped in many ways," he said. "They've been very supportive to us." The organizers of the MCF learned a lot of valuable information in their first few years and are confident in the importance such a festival represents to fans of country and roots music.
"The feedback right from year one was good," said Hoyt. "Fredericton is a tough market. It seems here you have to grow your audience and it takes a while. Turnout in our first year was modest at best. The second year was more successful and we feel we're going to round-the-turn this year."
Ross Beckett, a guitar player with Fredericton's Hardcore Troubadours, has performed at the MCF every year so far and is excited to see the festival continue growing.
"It's nice to have a country festival right in the city," said Beckett. "Most of the ones I've gone to take place on the outskirts of town. Fredericton is a nice city and if Harvest can do it, why not have a country festival too?" Beckett thinks country music, like any other genre of music can draw a lot of variety from the many sub-genres they feed from.
"There's lots of music affiliated with country music," said Beckett. "You've got bluegrass music, alt-country, new country, and outlaw country. There's a big umbrella to incorporate all that stuff into a festival like this.
"There are definitely strong followings for each of these genres within the city." Beckett and his band have made their name playing classic country favourites, drawing heavily from the repertoire of outlaw greats like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Steve Earle and he feels there's a renewed appreciation for the older music and the classic-country sound.
"We play the classics and people love it. I believe there's a resurgence in interest for the classic days of country music," he said. "There's something to be said about the simplicity of that music. I think it's all coming around. It's always been there, I just think people forgot about it."
The festival runs from May 29 through June 1 in Fredericton's downtown historical garrison district, with 0all shows except for Kidsfest taking place under the big tent. Tickets are available through the Playhouse box office and Morris Music in Saint John.
To learn more about the festival, its performers, and to purchase tickets for the shows, check out the their website at www.maritimecountryfest.com
Maritime Countryfest ‘08 at a glance
What: The third annual Maritime Countryfest
Who: Headliners Emerson Drive, The Divorcees, The Hardcore Troubadours, and many more local country acts are set to perform
When: Thursday, May 29 - Sunday June 1
Where: The Historic Garrison District, Fredericton, New Brunswick That’s right, under the big tent, outside
How much: KHJ All Access Passes - $80 (admission to all 5 shows)
Thursday Night Pass - $25
Friday Night Pass - $45
Saturday Afternoon “Kidsfest” - Free Show
*Kidsfest is the only show not located in the Garrison District it will be outside in Officers Square (weather permitting)
Saturday Night Pass - $30
Sunday Afternoon Gospel Show - $10 How Can you get tickets? Tickets available at the Playhouse Box Office, by phone at 506-458-8344 or online at www.theplayhouse.ca
Also available at Morris Music, Saint John, Rothesay and Sussex
Maritime Countryfest Schedule
Thursday, May 29 - Doors open at 7 p.m. 19
NB Country Music Showcase, 8 p.m.
Clay Harrison, 9:45 p.m.
Divorcees, 11:30 p.m.
Friday, May 30 - Doors open at 7 p.m. 19
Mike Bezanson, 8 p.m. (first set)
Emerson Drive, 9 p.m.
Mike Bezanson, 10 p.m. (second set)
Steve Waylon & Rebel Ridge, 11:30 p.m. (19 show)
Saturday, May 31 - Afternoon show - (Gen Admission) - Maritime Countryfest “Kidsfest”
- Night show, Doors open at 7 p.m. (19 ) Maritime Kitchen Party with the Hard Core
Troubadors, 8 p.m. (first set)
Kevin Chase, 8:30 p.m.
Ryan Cook & Sunny Acres, 10 p.m.
Hard Core Troubadors, 11:45 p.m. (second set)
Sunday, June 1
Afternoon (Gen Admission) - Country Gospel Show - Caledonia Drive, 2 p.m.
No folding chairs allowed
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