Featuring Damian Follett, Hunter Brothers, and Old Crow Medicine Show
All Photo Credit: Tara Thompson
One of the most anticipated festivals in Newfoundland and Labrador is back for another season. Located on the banks of Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John’s, the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent is a sure sign that summer is about to begin. This multi-day festival was “created to showcase the unique culture, traditions, and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador alongside nationally and internationally acclaimed entertainment.” Taking place in a 38,000 square foot “big top” tent, this festival runs from June 19th to June 29th.
Damien Follett earned the opening spot to start the festival off right. Follett has been a part of the music scene for nearly 40 years, entertaining audiences in NL. According to his website, “Follett is an icon of the world-renowned George Street scene, acting as the popular and beloved house musician for the legendary Green Sleeves establishment for 20 years, as well as taking his one-man acoustic show on the road” from the smallest outport communities in NL to the different provinces of Canada and throughout the United States.
Follett, with his band of talented local musicians, started the night off in style.
Next up, Hunter Brothers. This band of five brothers is a Canadian country music group from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan. Growing up in the Canadian prairies, the brothers spent their summers singing in churches and their winters as a part of the hockey community. When they are home, time is spent working on the farm where inspiration strikes, and time is spent rewriting well-known songs with words inspired by farming.
The brothers released their debut single, ‘El Dorado’, in February 2016. By the Spring of 2017, their debut album, Getaway, was released, and there was no turning back. Since then, the band has released singles such as ‘Born and Raised’, ‘Lost’, ‘Hard Dirt’, and ‘Been a Minute’, which they performed during their set. I am sure this will not be their last time on the island.
Ending off night one was Old Crow Medicine Show. Starting their musical adventure in late September of 1998. According to their website, they left Ithaca, New York, and made their way across the Canadian border with a plethora of pawnshop instruments to street corners across Ontario to Manitoba to South Dakota to Vancouver. Old Crow Medicine Show saw numerous different arrangements of talented individuals before becoming a Grammy Award-winning group and being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2013.
With over 25 years of music and memories, “Old Crow Medicine Show has established itself as America’s most beloved Old-Time String Band and one of Nashville’s most revered musical torchbearers” (crowmedicine.com). The band is widely known for their signature song, ‘Wagon Wheel’, a song that everyone knows at least one version of. This track is “one of the most widely sung folk songs in history and was recently certified by RIAA as one of the top five country singles of all time.” With their contagious energy, Old Crown Medicine Show held the audience’s attention as they sang along to their favourites. This is one night that those in attendance will not soon forget.
With night one in the books, I cannot wait to see what the other nights have in store. Tickets are still on sale at https://icebergalleyconcerts.com/ if you are interested in seeing what magic is in store.