There were five skilled musicians backing George Canyon’s headline act at the Rainmaker Rodeo last Saturday. But the moment he hit the stage singing Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire, it was just him and a guitar. Even though it was around 11:45 p.m., the crowd still had enough juice to belt out a roar.
Urban cowboys/cowgirls braved the chilly night air and packed a gravel parking lot at Kinsmen Korral where it was standing room only. These dedicated fans had bought tickets to see Gentleman George, Aaron Pritchett and Edmonton’s own Lisa Hewitt. When Canyon finally appeared, some had waited since doors opened at 6 p.m.
This devotion comes from a wide cross-section of fans, fresh-faced 18-year-olds to grey-haired seniors. For the classic country fans, he belted out George Strait’s Amarillo By Morning with the same honest appeal as Let It Out, a song he penned with Johnny Reid.
Whether he sang Somebody Wrote Love, If I Was Jesus, or Pretty Drunk Out Tonight, a tune he jokingly dedicated to the crowd, his music embodies a timeless charm. And it doesn’t hurt that he looks the picture perfect western cowboy —strong, silent and rugged.
Conscious of a need to pack as much as possible in his 90-minute slot, Canyon initially rushed through his set. But when he slowed down to share stories between songs, you saw a glimmer of the man behind the guitar.
While Canyon brings out the nostalgia of hearth and home, Aaron Pritchett seems to promote the image of a cowboy mothers warn their daughters about. His music has a harder edge, a more full-throttle push.
In his debut song, he explodes on stage singing Let’s Get Rowdy, a driving, pumping tune that gets the crowd cheering and whistling.
He looks like he’s on an adrenalin rush skipping, hopping and jumping across the stage. By the time he sings Lucky for Me, a cute, seductive love song, he throws in an extended growl for effect and fans pump their arms in the air.
Pritchett is a professional at reeling in audiences. He asks the 18-year-olds to put their hands up and sings Big Dreams to them. For the older traditionalists he whips out a solid remake of Gerry Rafferty’s Right Down the Line. And his appropriate closer is the raucous, but oh so funny Hold My Beer.
Opening act Lisa Hewitt added a dash of feminine glam to the evening. Accompanied by a five-piece band headed by St. Albert’s Gordie Matthews, she sang various songs from her new album Fearless that included the contemporary stylings of Better In Texas juxtaposed against a rollicking, rendition of Balls, a tune about women needing more than looks to handle life. “I’ll bet that won’t get played on radio,” chuckled a friend beside me.
There were two other opening acts — Six West and Eddie Van Whalen Band, both better suited to the bar scene than festivals. Their addition extended the concert to about six hours.
The one downside to this concert was that it was too long. By midnight, fans were streaming out the gate in the middle of Canyon’s set. He was working hard to put on a great show, but after standing six hours, the cold and sore legs took a physical toll on people’s bodies. Speaking as a fan, I’d rather see three really good tight acts than endure a couple of extra filler bands simply to sell more beer. In this case, less would have been more.
Review
George Canyon, Aaron Pritchett, Lisa Hewitt
Rainmaker Rodeo
Saturday, May 23
Kinsmen Korral
