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WWW.WHATSUPYUKON.COM
July 23, 2015
Atlin’s Ian Fest
The old cowboy rides again by Doug Sack
ing like an eastern banker tasked with telling you the loan has been denied, then shortly had every little kid in the tent dancing, laughing and running around to his tunes, like Raffi without the happy face. It was an interesting weekend of music and making new contact with old friends but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have. The event was so kid-centric I quickly realized I made a huge mistake and will never again attend an Atlin Music Festival without my grandchildren along to bug me for more godawful cotton candy and slurpies. PHOTO: Lee Gunderson They were in Victoria summer-visiting their grandLegendary Canadian troubadour Ian Tyson and mother on the other side, and I friend on his ranch in southern Alberta spent the whole weekend enviously watching other grandpas having he second best thing about a At one point Tyson stopped all the fun. Talking about feeling 68-year-old writer listening strumming his guitar to applaud lonesome in a crowd; that made to an 81-year-old singer at the ladies, saying, “Now THAT is me grumpy. And I couldn’t even compenthe 2015 Atlin Arts and Music Fes- the way country music is supposed sate by reliving my childhood, betival was feeling young again. to be played.” The first was admiration, knowAnd when the Texan “family”, cause there were too many griming the “Ol’ Cowboy” still has what who aren’t really sisters, ac- faced Mounties in town wearing it takes to captivate a younger companied Tyson’s signature hit bulletproof vests, as if the rabbits audience. from the ‘70s, “Summer Wages”, and squirrels might turn into jiIan Tyson gave me new hope guitarist Jenn Miori said to him on hadi suicide bombers. The Taku Kwann dancers that I will still be able to write a mic, “I grew up loving that song comprehensive simple declara- but I haven’t played it for so long (People of the Taku) opened the tive sentence 13 years from now, I almost forgot how. Thank you for fest with a traditional rain dance intended to assist firefighters batinstead of stumbling around in a writing it.” fog of dementia trying to find the When Tyson and The Carp- tling blazes all over B.C. and the diaper pail. ers harmonized on “Cool, Clear North, but it rained all weekend And I couldn’t help imagining Water”, it was the cleanest and on the festival instead. Maybe what the many 20-year-olds in the most beautiful rendition of that someone gave the drummer the audience must have been thinking old cowboy standard I’ve ever wrong area code. It’s the thought that counts. ahead to 2076 when they, too, will heard. Melissa carried it and Ian The organizing committee did be 81. smiled all the way through, joina wonderful job, with one glarTo Canadians generally but ing in for the chorus. westerners specifically, Tyson has His evening set alone with his ing exception. Whoever came up long been the iconic minstrel of own backups was more sedate, with the bright idea of putting an life in the West and North from his more easy listening and laid back 81-year-old entertainer on the early days with Sylvia through the in front of a full house with a lot same bill as a band called Death, loss and recovery of his voice and of crowd recognition on the intro needs to sign up for more intense his current status as the ultimate chords, probably motivated by sensitivity training. I boycotted Death in Atlin, not cowboy survivor and author of two nostalgia. timeless Canadian anthems, “NavTyson’s been making memories because I don’t like good Mo-town ajo Rug” and “Summer Wages.” for listeners for well over half a rock, but because i don’t like He played two sets in between century. He may not have been really dumb, attention-grabbing flying in and out on his first-ever familiar with Atlin, but Atlin was names for bands. And I’ve made visit to Atlin, saying, “I don’t know familiar with his music. It wasn’t it a lifelong habit to steer clear how I missed THIS place on my an exciting set, but it was certain- of death, Viet Nam being the sole exception. travels.” ly touching. Or, as Ian Tyson might have The first was a workshop session The rest of the music part of on the main stage with The Carper the festival was a potpourri of var- written it: “Life’s a gamble then Family called, “Old Corrals and ied sounds from around the world, gone like summer wages.” It takes good luck, lots of it, to Sagebrush” which turned into a from foot-stomping rock to Afrimutual vibe fest, mainly between can love ballads. It was all good, live for eight decades. Tyson and upright bassist Melissa but you never knew what you Doug Sack is still tickin’. Carper who plays like a combina- were getting until you got there. Contact him via tion of Stompin’ Tom on beer and The second top billing, James editor@whatsupyukon.com. Mother Maybelle on moonshine. Keelaghan, came on stage look-
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