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Music festival was tremendous, where were you?

Over the past weekend, we enjoyed our second Central Alberta Music Fest held on the beautiful Norem property north of the city on the old C&E Trail.

Re: the fourth annual Central Music Festival, 2010

Over the past weekend, we enjoyed our second Central Alberta Music Fest held on the beautiful Norem property north of the city on the old C&E Trail.

Friday evening, opening with the local hip-hop band, the Half Chance Heroes, steadily improved weather-wise, the music ending under the stars with the very popular, talented Trews from the Maritimes. Well known bands got the place rocking and people dancing; Red Deer’s outstanding St. James Gate putting on a fantastic performance, as did the Ron Hubbard Band from Benalto and the Montana group Great American Taxi.

Saturday unfolded warm and sunny, the great music emanating continually from the grassy, natural amphitheatre all afternoon until just before midnight, the Doll Sisters from the Rocky area opening, Shane Yellowbird closing to a small, happy and tired bunch of music-lovers.

The musicians were very talented and entertaining; a few exceptionals of note: the Doll Sisters, Jenna and Shelby, captivated the crowd with their own well-done material plus a few covers, the guitar and fiddle combination very easy on the ears. The Command Sisters wowed the crowd with their singing/song-writing, wit and high energy, remarkable considering their ages.

Jim Byrnes, Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones, Red Deer’s Oldbury, along with the individual talents of people like young Lucus Chaisson from Cochrane, Chris LeBlanc and Steve Coffey inspired the crowd. Dick Braidek of Big River, Sask., played and sang pleasant songs to a very relaxed and comfortable audience, happy to be sitting in the sun in such a beautiful environment.

We are very fortunate to have this musical opportunity so close to Red Deer, just minutes away from anywhere in the city. It would be a terrific blow to our cultural fabric if this fantastic festival fails because of the disinterest and inaction of Central Albertans.

Our thanks goes out to the organizers, volunteers, sponsors, vendors (delicious, varied options) and especially Stan Norem for the use of his beautiful, scenic and almost mosquito-free natural amphitheatre surrounded by our gorgeous parkland. The clean porto-potties with hand-washing stations conveniently situated on the periphery were also much appreciated.

The Central Alberta Music Festival deserves a better response to its very credible and worthy efforts to give people from Red Deer and area such a high quality summer music venue and family experience. Maybe next year. . . .

Pete and Barb Weddell

Red Deer