In the tradition of cowboy storytelling greats like Stompin’ Tom and Ian Tyson comes cowboy crooner Tim Hus. Tim will be making a return trip to Watson at the Legion Hall on Friday, July 26 for another great show, this one featuring Saskatchewan favourite Jolie Blue.
For Hus and his incredibly well-crafted vignettes of people and places, it’s about preserving western culture, in the same fashion as Wilf Carter did. History is a big part of it.
“I guess I’ve always had an interest in the history and people and places and the storytelling aspect of country/folk music,” Hus says. “I guess I had a knack for writing songs, and people took to my music.”
Not only audiences took to the music, but Hus relates how he garnered the notice of one particular Canadian performer, and how one phone call changed everything.
“I was playing a little hotel up in Oak River, Manitoba, and I got a phone call on the bar telephone from the one and only Stompin’ Tom Connors. He said he caught wind of the songs I was writing and how I was trying to bring my show to every little town across the country, and so I got to tour for two years with Stompin’ Tom.”
Tim has stayed true to that mission of playing in virtually every stop in the country, bringing his special brand of Canadian imagery and lore to as many towns as have halls or bars. That includes repeat stops in Watson and the invitation of Jim Haussecker and crew, plus a stand at the Bella Vista in Humboldt. Originally from the west coach, Hus resisted the well-beaten pathway to Nashville and set up shop in Calgary, closer to the heart of cowboy country and tale spinners like Tyson.
“I’ve taken to writing a lot of Canadiana material; they’re all kind of hometown songs – songs from our part of the world.”
Those richly layered and lyrically witty songs extend from the early oil discoveries of Leduc, AB in ‘Alberta Crude’ to life in western Canada’s north with ‘Huskies and Husqvarnas.’ A little tongue in check, plenty of truth, and a true western vocal style that can only be Tim Hus.
As a welcome addition to the show comes Jolie Blue, whose humour and storytelling has notched him as a favourite on stages and festivals. Jolie is a great fit with Hus as his songs are also rooted in the west. Spouting the occasional western oriented political bent with ‘Canadian Convoy Rally Song,” Jolie is as down-home Saskatchewan as you can get. Again, it’s song writing with the spirit of Stompin’ Tom baked in, Jolie confesses.
“I like old-time Canadian country music. There seems to be a large Stompin’ Tom Connors fan base in Watson, and I suppose that’s why guys like me and Tim are always welcome back with open arms out there.”
Blue draws parallels to homegrown American expressions of life and patriotism, and he says that there wasn’t the same sort of expression going on in Canada until the likes of Hank Snow, Wilf Carter, Connors and Tyson brought our own tales to the forefront.
“He (Connors) was one of the guys who pioneered it, and now here we are, singling songs of the homeland.”
Hus and Blue go onstage Friday night, July 16 at the Watson Legion Hall. Doors open at 6:30 with showtime at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the doors. A limited number of tickets are available, so don’t miss out.
For tickets, call Carol at 306-287-3577, Lynne at 306-287-8052 or Arlene at 306-536-1899.