It was a great send off to summer on the Labour Day Weekend at the Manitou Music Fest Rock and Roll Weekend with shows and events scattered throughout the village site. Discover Humboldt took in some of the Saturday festivities at the Little Manitou Art Gallery, an anchor host for all the music.
Performers hit two stages at the Gallery this year. The upper stage played host to a number of solo artists, providing solo acoustic sets.
Michael McLean stepped in on short notice to perform a stripped-down set of classics including Steve Miller’s The Joker, Dead or Alive and Every Rose Has It’s Thorns.
Uklectic Fred provided a blue-folk-jazz fusion all interpreted through the ukelele. There was a bit on Leon Redbone, a smattering of Muddy Waters and plenty of great stories to go along with the songs.
On the main stage, Bruce Rawling and Buffalo Rising let loose on a set of Rawling’s originals. Like Neil Young, Rawling’s finely crafted songs shine in a solo treatment, but add his own version of Crazy Horse, with Buffalo Rising behind him, and the tunes take on a new edge and dimension. All the favourites were there – the love song Somewhere with You, the wistful coming of age tune Open Road, and the tribute to prairie homesteaders Brave Hearts.
The Great Fuss hit the stage and brought its energized funk-groove to the mix. Front man/guitarist Pete Oldridge and the band opened up on a string of their original and infectious grooves along with some neatly orchestrated blast from the past covers.
The night lit up with Spinja and JCrew and their mesmerizing fire dancing. The intricate costumes and ignitable designs with daring and well-choreographed moves never fail to captivate audiences with a visual treat alongside all the music.
And just like last year, The Steadies brought the house down with their reggae infused rock blend that’s affectionately been dubbed “island rock.” From the opening strains of the 70s classic Come and Get Your Love to their latest tracks from their upcoming album, the Steadies had the Gallery garden on its feet dancing the night away.
Other weekend musical adventures included Danceland offerings Rory Allen and the band England.
Summer may have come and gone, but the memories will no doubt linger on. With continued funding announced through Sask Arts, Sask Culture and Sask Lotteries supporting the event through Sask Festivals funding, music lovers can also dream about next year’s event.