As has been the case in recent years, Danceland was jam-packed with music lovers and dancers of all ages as the Salt Shaker Music Festival at Manitou Beach. The Friday night concert and dance at the hallowed Danceland was just one of the performance venues for an entire weekend of music.
JJ Lavallee opened Friday night’s entertainment with a mix of high energy country and traditional Métis fiddle music. The dance floor quickly filled to Lavallee’s mix of polka standards and reels and jigs. The two tempos were upbeat and breakneck for much of the performance.
JJ dug into the Cajun archives with a nod to Doug Kershaw and served up more spice than a shrimp po’ boy.
Just as comfortable with an acoustic guitar, Lavallee belted out some rockabilly numbers like “The Race is On” and “Guitars and Cadillacs” as an amped up boogie. For all the parrotheads in the crowd, a little Jimmy Buffet “Margaritaville” filled up the last empty pockets on the dance floor.
Lavallee’s set was a sure sign that classic country and traditional fiddle are alive and well.
The Garrys are always show stealers on their home stage. The alt surf-rock trio are a guaranteed showstopper at the show the Maier sisters resurrected in 2018 from precursor musical event. They’ve been a mainstay at the show since, and their fans don’t fail to let them know how they feel.
Their haunting surf inspired melodies, laced with tremolo and twang, are often homages to the Beach and its landmarks, including their closing tribute to Danceland itself. There were plenty of sixties throwbacks, redefined with the California beach treatment, like “It’s in his Kiss” and the always infectious “Loco-Motion,” that had the dance floor split in competition mode.
There was even a hint of 80’s in the surf-swing with a great version of the Go Gos’ “Our Lips are Sealed.”
The ethereal, almost prog-rock elements of the band are supported by the spine-chilling harmonies by Erica, Julie and Lenore Maier, and multi-instrumentalist brother Matthew who adds a dual guitar texture to the sound. As always, the Garry’s served up a salty delight.
Wrapping up the Friday night lineup were Edmonton alt-country rockers the Denim Daddies. Armed with solid originals, the Denim Daddies are straight-up versatile with a killer keyboard and pedal steel combo to serve up classic country or smoking southern rock.
From swinging two steps to waltzes and high energy to a smoother groove, Denim Daddies brought their own twin electric takes and renditions of greats like Hank Williams to the night’s mix.
Throughout Manitou Beach on the weekend, independent artists put on shows blanketing a wide variety of genres, proving once again that the only way to get salty is with a shaker.