The longest running outdoor country music festival wrapped up for a 35th time over the Canada Day long weekend. Despite poor weather on the first day of the festival, Dauphin’s Countryfest warmed up fans with the best in 90’s country and a little bit of classic rock.
Mother Nature was not kind to the festival on Friday, bringing rain and cold for much of the day. The rain stopped later in the afternoon which brought the fans out for the evening. The mainstage started at 5pm with the C-Weed band kicking things off. Manitoba’s Quinton Blair followed at 6pm. At 7:30 Jason McCoy, Michelle Wright, and Doc Walker took to the stage as part of their Great Canadian Road Trip tour. Michelle Wright talked to me about being an artist in the 90’s:
Carolyn Dawn Johnson took to the stage Friday night as well. The former Grande Prairie, Alberta resident broke onto the scene back in 2000 with her single “Georgia” and would go on to score several more top 10 hits throughout the early 2000’s. Johnson has a new song out now called “Stubborn Clock,” which is about pursuing one’s dreams because time is just ticking by. She’s also a very accomplished songwriter, which she talked about with me:
Friday night’s mainstage was capped off with the legendary Clint Black who played all of his hits while celebrating the 35th anniversary of his groundbreaking album “No Time to Kill.” He kicked off his set with his 1998 number one hit “The Shoes You’re Wearing,” followed by “Summer’s Comin’.” His show was filled with stories, quips, and nearly all of his most popular songs.
Countryfest has two other stages with entertainment running all day, the hilltop stage and the Cred Union Corral, which included various local performers, Manitoba bands, and Canadian acts like Jason Blaine, The Washboard Union, and Doc Walker throughout the weekend.
Saturday’s mainstage entertainment kicked off with the 90’s country ladies featuring Lisa Brokop, Beverley Mahood, and Patricia Conroy. I caught up with Lisa Brokop to find out how all three came together to make the show happen:
The Frontmen featuring Ritchie McDonald, Tim Rushlow, and Larry Stewart took to the stage Saturday night. All three played a few of their hits from their respective bands of Lonestar, Little Texas, and Restless Heart. This included a performance of “Bluest Eyes in Texas” from Larry Stewart.
Diamond Rio was part of the Saturday night lineup as well and had the whole crowd up and screaming out “Meet in the Middle,” among their classics like “Mirror Mirror,” “Unbelievable,” and “I Believe.”
Wrapping up Saturday was the legendary country supergroup Alabama. This band was one of the first bands to grace the Countryfest stage over 30 years ago and while the band and lead singer Randy Owen are much older now, they still managed to get the crowd to sing along to their hits. Several festival-goers noted how Owen looked frail on the stage thanks to some recent health issues that have sidelined him on various shows, however his voice is still on point.
Sunday evening started with George Fox, who filled in for an ailing Mark Chesnutt. Not only did the grandstand embrace George Fox, they were also dancing and cheering him on. He did a tasteful montage of Mark Chesnutt songs for fans who really wanted to see Chesnutt.
After Fox, Jo Dee Messina brought the energy to the stage thanks to songs like “My Give a Damm’s Busted,” “You’re Not in Kansas Anymore,” “Head Carolina, Tails California,” and “I’m Alright.” She also had the audience participating in a little bit of karaoke by singing rock songs as part of the show. She’s a hockey mom, too. The audience loved her stories of dealing with hockey tape. Only in Canada will a crowd cheer and scream over hockey tape!
Dauphin’s Countryfest ended on a bittersweet moment with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Earlier this year the band announced they were retiring and this was one of their last performances ever in Canada. Fans were not left disappointed Sunday evening as they closed the festival mainstage on a high note. Both original members Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden along with Hanna’s son, Jamie wow’d the crowd with songs like “Face on the Cutting Room Floor,” “Fishin’ in the Dark,” “Cadillac Ranch,” and “Mr. Bojangles.” The group received a standing ovation at the end of the night in recognition of a great show and an outstanding career.
