Country classics

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This article was published 28/06/2024 (501 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dauphin’s Countryfest is gearing up for its strongest year back since COVID, which is like a hit song to the ears of the festival’s volunteer board of directors.

Organizers of Canada’s longest running country music festival went with a throwback theme, “35 and Still Alive,” featuring a lineup of classic artists, including Clint Black, Alabama and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to match.

“It’s doing amazingly well,” says Countryfest president Duane McMaster of the response to this year’s theme. “What’s really surprised me is the popularity of ‘90s and 2000s country. Even with young people who go to these shows and are singing along and know all the words.”

McMaster chalks it up to the changes in how listeners consume music through streaming services and AI-created playlists. Country music has also become one of the most popular genres in North America and is set to outsell hip hop, which dominated music sales for the last decade.

It’s good for the industry but poses a challenge for festival organizers who are trying to book top-notch entertainment without having to significantly raise the cost of tickets. Booking performers has tripled in cost over the last five years, which has caused organizers to lean on early bird ticket sales and be very conscious of cash flow, McMaster says. The venue’s limited seating capacity also plays into the equation.

“If the prices get too high, we just can’t sell enough tickets to pay for the artists. We’ve been trying really hard not to raise the prices. We want to keep the weekend as affordable as possible because we know people come here and they have a great time, and they make such fantastic memories,” he says.

“We’re also proud of the fact that we’re a non-profit, and we’ve been able to put money into all these things around town, like the cinema, the rec complex and the skate park in our little community of 8,000 people.”

Dauphin’s Coutnryfest kicks off today and runs through Sunday at the Selo Ukraina site 330 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. More than 50 local, national and international artists will play three stages over the next three days.

Countryfest welcomes back the Indigenous Music Spotlight for a second year. The festival partnered with Indigenous Music Manitoba to select 11 performers, including local favourites Nelson Little, Desiree Dorion and Don Amero.

Performers cashing in

While the rising popularity — and therefore associated rising costs — of country music have forced some festivals to call it quits, it’s been a boost for the performers, such as Canadian singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson, who appears on the mainstage Friday night.

Johnson, a successful songwriter who’s penned tunes for the likes of Patty Loveless, Chely Wright and most recently Chris Stapleton, is enjoying a boom in her career. She’s midway through a tour opening for Clint Black and released a new track, Stubborn Clock, earlier this month.

The renewed interest from die-hard country fans, along with new ones who are following pop-country crossover artists such as Beyoncé and Post Malone, benefits all musicians, she says.

“They’re making some good music. I think it’s been good for all of us because it’s bringing in some people who didn’t know anything about country. It’s morphing. People’s ears start shifting to something else because they’re kind of tired and they don’t even realize they’re tired,” says Johnson. Then something fresh and new comes out, and then it reignites interest.”

Jo Dee Messina, who plays the mainstage Sunday night, says she’s amazed at the resurgence of her career.

Messina, who is probably best know for the song Heads Carolina, Tails California, has enjoyed several major milestones recently, including a packed tour with Reba McEntire and selling out her first-ever appearance at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

“I think of it as a blessing to be able to do what I love. I think people can see that too when they come out to the shows. We have fun. We’re having a really good time; it’s like hanging with friends. There are eight year olds to 70 year olds and everything in between. So many young kids are finding the music and it tells their life’s story as well,” says the single mom of two boys, ages 12 and 15.

“To watch the way kids are growing up now and the things that that they have to deal with. It’s hard to watch, and as a parent, you want to make sure you’re guiding them in the right direction. We’re so focused on the world with the internet and all that stuff and social media and likes.”

That’s the crux of her forthcoming ablum, Just To Be Loved, set for release on July 7.

“Here’s a story ‘bout a girl I used to know. She was living free to chase her dreams. A fearless soul. ‘Til the door swung open to the world out there,” she begins, launching into an acapella version of the title track that sends goosebumps through the phone from Nashville.

“Social feeds, likes on a screen, she can’t compare. Then it got complicated. That girl, she started hating things that made her beautiful. Started changing who she was. Just to be loved.

“I can’t wait for people to hear it. I’m blessed to be in this position; to share and connect with people through my music.”

fparts@freepress.mb.ca