The Windy City Opry welcomes back an old friend to open up the 2018 edition of the popular roots music series.
Kory Istace returns to Lethbridge, Wednesday, Jan. 10, to play a big show with Aryn El Hefe and Boots and the Hoots.
“It’s been about five years since I was in Lethbridge,” observed Istace from Saskatoon, where he has called home for the past three years. He lived in Lethbridge for many years, while attending the U of L in 1998 and used to play with Windy City Opry founder Shaela Miller quite a bit.
“I want to start something like the Windy City Opry in Saskatoon and Boots (Graham of Boots and the Hoots who has the Pinecone Opry in Red Deer, which inspired Shaela Miler to start a similar series here) will be there too. So I look forward to to picking their brains about it,” he said, noting he has been busy not only writing music, but finishing up a two year contract as one of the organizers of the Ness Creek music Festival.
“It’s a two hours north of Saskatoon by Big River. It’s a little like the South Country Fair. It draws about 4,000 people, but unfortunately it’s at the same time as South Country Fair, so I’m unable to go to South Country,” he said.
“I’ll be playing a few songs and I hope to play a few songs with Shaela. And I’m doing a quick tour with Aryn El Hefe, who I know from working with Ness Creek. He’s an amazing guitar player and songwriter,” he enthused, noting they will be playing individual sets, but may also play a couple songs together.
“We know each others’s music,” he said.
The Windy city Opry begins at the Slice, Wednesday, Jan, 10 at 8 p.m. There is a $10 cover for the show.
