PREVIEW
Rainmaker Rodeo Music Festival
May 25 and 26
Kinsmen Park
47 Riel Dr.
Friday Rock Night
Bif Naked, Kim Mitchell, Captain Tractor and Purple City
Tickets: $35 plus fees. Visit www.ticketmaster.ca
Saturday Night Rock
James Barker Band, Dan Davidson, River Town Saints and Emo LeBlanc
Tickets: $40 plus fees. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.caBoth concerts: Gates at 6 p.m. Music at 7 p.m.
The 53rd annual Rainmaker Rodeo Music Festival is back and better than ever. If you’ve ever felt like kicking up your heels to a country line dance, this is it.
The St. Albert Kinsmen are dusting off their cowboy hats and set to launch the Rainmaker Music Festival on May 25 and 26, two nights of Canada's best rock and country.
Vancouver’s “Princess of Punk” Bif Naked headlines Friday rock night along with iconic Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell, Captain Tractor and Purple City.
Instead chart topper James Barker Band is the marquee headliner on Saturday country night with St. Albert’s own Dan Davidson, River Town Saints and Emo LeBlanc.
Below is a quick recap of the acts.
Friday Rock Night
Bif NakedPunk singer, rock star, celebrity writer. The complicated Bif Naked is all these things. She’s had numerous hit songs and 10 albums have gone gold and platinum.
She’s toured the world throughout her three-decade career always reinventing herself and remaining innovative, revolutionary and inspiring. She’s churned her way through ever-increasing hardcore bands to solo stardom.
In the process Bif has produced a flurry of notable tracks including Moment of Weakness, I Love Myself Today, Tango Shoes, We Are the Lucky Ones and Spaceman.
Kim Mitchell
One of Canada’s road warriors, Kim Mitchell enjoyed a celebrated career as lead singer and guitarist for Max Webster before hitting the road as a solo act.
“I never thought it would go on this long. I’ve had one career for almost 40 years. Most guys my age are on their third career or retired,” said a clearly mellower Mitchell.
And there’s no sign of stopping. He’s already laid out five tracks for a new studio album that may be released in 2018.
“Music is my golf game. I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the fun.”
Although semi-retired, the Ontario resident continues to fill venues with loyal fans eager to hear classic rock hits such as Go For Sodas, Patio Lanterns, America and Expedition Sailor.
“I try to simplify it. I get into the groove with the band and hopefully the energy connects with the audience. A pile of stuff can roll in based on what happens in the moment. But when it’s spontaneous, it’s a beautiful and exciting thing to perform live. No two shows are the same.”
Captain Tractor
It’s the 25th anniversary for Captain Tractor and the six-piece Celtic rock band will release a retrospective of their best songs.
“It’s going to be a vinyl record and we’re trying to make it the colour silver. Analog has physical grooves and a warmer sound,” said founding member Scott Peters.
The rest of the band includes Chris Wynters, Shannon Johnson, Jules Mounteer, Jon Nordstrom and Jason Kodie.
“When we started out we were not super serious. We just wanted to have fun and get free beers. Once we got going, people really liked us. They liked our tongue-in-cheek view.”
Captain Tractor released nine albums and the Sidetrack Café became their stomping grounds before it was sold several years ago.
Although the sextet’s big push to celebrate its 25th anniversary takes place in the fall, the Rainmaker will be a preamble of things to come.
Purple City
Progressive rock band Purple City was formed in 2009 but has played limited engagements.
“The Rainmaker has provided us the opportunity to get focused, get our original music and dust off the cobwebs,” said frontman Stuart Palace.
“We’re high energy. We have great rhythms and that means a lot of complex time signatures and changes.”
They will perform various styles from classic and progressive rock to funk and modern.
Saturday Night Country
James Barker BandThe James Barker Band completes a month of writing in Nashville before departing for the summer festival circuit. The four-piece rock country band has gained notoriety for their Top 10 singles Lawn Chair Crazy, Just Sayin’ and Chills.
Their extended EP Game On was released in April 2017 and attracted two Juno nominations as well as five Canadian Country Music nominations.
“We’ve had more changes happen to us in the last year than in the last 25 years,” said James Barker clearly ecstatic about the band’s upward momentum.
The seed for the four-piece band started in Barker’s teenage years when he paired up with bandmate Connor Stephen for a Battle of the Bands. At the time their style was rock alternative with a funk vibe.
But Barker had grown up on country and was comfortable with its laid-back story songs.
“We’re not tied down to any one style of song. We follow some chronological story songs and we also sing more abstract songs. We like to switch it up.”
If he could pick a preferred song, it would be Chills.
“It’s got this energy and we play it insanely loud.”
James Barker Band also plans to test drive two new songs – the romantic Lookin’ At You and I Want You In My Life.
Dan Davidson
St. Albert singer-songwriter Dan Davidson has morphed into a successful country act that has climbed the charts. He's won the 2018 Edmonton Music Award, received nominations for the Canadian Country Music Association Awards and nabbed a shelf full of Alberta Country Music Awards.
Perhaps the most career-solidifying event was joining Brett Kissel on the 40-city We Were That Song Tour.
He’s just shot a 30-minute documentary for New Cap TV and this summer he's on an international fling. First, he's off to Beijing on a tour funded by the Canada-China Business Council. He is also slated to be part of the American Tours Festival in France and Boot Hill Country Jamboree in Italy.
“We’re having the time of our lives,” said Davidson who is in the process of recording two new songs with record producer Jeff Dalziel before packing his bags for the summer festival circuit.
River Town Saints
River Town Saints developed almost by accident. Lead singer Chris Labelle competed in Canadian Idol Season 4 and won a contract with CP Records, a hip-hop, rock and pop recording company.
“But my heart wasn’t in it,” said Labelle.
When he broached the idea of recording country music, the label dropped him.
Pulling together several musicians for a country band, Labelle formed River Town Saints. But it was rough going for a year before the band landed a gig opening for a Tim Hicks tour.
“They threw us into the fire. We were on tour with Tim for 12 shows and it cost us so much money. But when we got back, we got the green light.”
Although their hit songs Cherry Bomb and Bonfire have made waves, “a lot of people don’t know who we are. We haven’t done a lot of push in marketing and coming out west will help that.”
One element that distinguishes River Town Saints from other rock country bands is its focus on harmony.
“We do anything with harmonies. We really want to show off our harmonies. If you’ve heard of us, thank you for your support. If you haven’t, come out and see our show. It won’t be something you forget easily.
Emo LeBlanc
Born in Massachusetts, living in Edmonton, Emo LeBlanc traded a steady paycheck in health care for the riskier music business. That was 11 years ago and the indie singer now works full-time touring and recording.
The Edmonton singer-songwriter has recorded a CD and released a few singles such as Where the Flame Goes packed with a rock vibe and Wandering Around, a guitar-banjo laced coming-of-age tale.
While he started out singing country, LeBlanc’s musical direction has shifted to rockabilly with songs such as Watch the Sun Go Down and You Better Run.
“We’re just looking forward to a great time.”
