At Steamboat Mountain Music Festival on July 7, the emphasis is definitely on home grown music.  Edgewater’s own Dry Gulch Ramblers are a case in point. Mark Fraser and Larry Newman are year-rounders, while John McRobbie and John Soby are seasonal residents who aim to become year-rounders.

The band has evolved from blue grass roots to a more eclectic and original style. At the festival, the band will be playing at least two of their own compositions, ‘Comes a Time’ by John McRobbie, and ‘Down the Road’ by Larry Newman – both songs based on Columbia Valley themes.

The band L8, which includes Pat Hess, Franz Grasseger, Bud DeCosse, Dwayne Diakiw, George Blissner, and Mark Dalton has become a go-to group for parties, dances, and other community gatherings. Their good times fun-rock is sure to get everybody in the groove.

Invermere’s Combo Akimbo with Deb Ede’s soulful vocals, Kurt Reichel’s smooth guitar licks and harmonies, and Brian Hoffos’ gritty sax, adds up to an irresistible rhythm and blues combination that can also swing with the best of them.

Originally from Edgewater, now based in Invermere, father and son Marty and Eli Beingessner are both guitar wizards, and while Marty is unapologetically country in his approach, Eli’s style can break out in any number of directions from flamenco to Celtic and beyond, always bringing in generous portions of that famous Beingessner humour.

The Halfsacks are a Fairmont and Radium-based band whose original tunes will take off on rollicking road trips through the valley and over the mountains. This group includes Scott Ivers, Christopher Howse, Todd White, and Peter Harding.

Between these acts, quick “tweener” sets will be played by a number of musicians from around the valley.  Edgewater’s great guitar guy Mickey Maione’s original songs are usually infused with his graceful, intricate picking and his irreverent satire. Edgewater up-and-comer ABBY will sing one of her original tunes. Another promising young singer, Paige Fuller and two other groups hail from the musical wealth of Harrogate: guitar and bass duo Beard’s Creek – Cathy Ferguson and Glen McRuer, as well as Mel Hynes and the Kootenay Legends, Sharon Hynes, Bruce Smith, and Tim Russell.

In the evening, there is a planned jam set where everyone will gather to pay tribute to Gordon Askey, whose 2011 death has left a huge hole in the local music scene. Gord inspired two generations of musicians and composed some very beautiful tunes that have become standards for mandolin players all over Western Canada.  As a performer, Gord’s lively stage presence endeared him to fellow musicians and audience alike.

The Steamboat Mountain Music Festival’s headliners include Chris Coole and John Reischman & the Jaybirds, who come from Toronto and Vancouver respectively. The other two headliners, Mark Koenig and Maria in the Shower, both have Columbia Valley connections.  Mark Koenig lived in Invermere through the 1990s and up to 2004, then moved to Creston. He still has many friends and fans here and draws his musical subjects and themes from this region. Two members of Maria in the Shower, Martin Reisle and Brendon Hartley, grew up in Wilmer and Edgewater and graduated from David Thompson Secondary School in 2001 and 2002.

Steamboat Mountain Music Festival organizers want to showcase the wonderful musicians of the valley, and with the proceeds of this event, establish a fund for musical scholarships and bursaries to help keep the music strong into the future. Tickets are available at many local outlets and on-line at: www.steamboatmtnmusicfest.ca

By Anne Jardine

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