Arts in the Park expanded for their Saturday, Aug. 7 show at Legacy Park, as they added a beer garden and an evening program on a separate stage in the gardens.
I couldn’t stay for that, but enjoyed a handful of songs from the Little Lethbridge Opera Society in the afternoon, who were also opening up the beer garden stage later on.
Their afternoon set featured Megan Wittig, Lisa Mulgrew and Joni Thompson performing a variety of selections from operas such as La Boheme.
White Buffalo Singers Larissa was up next singing traditional Blackfoot songs and accompanying herself on the drum.
New West Theatre favourite and Incura frontman Kyle Gruninger followed with his usual perky stage presence.
“ I’ll be playing songs you know and songs you don’t know,” Gruninger summarized before opening an acoustic set of mostly popular covers with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”
His set ran the gamut of classic rock and classic country with the odd ’90s favourite like Radiohead‘s “Creep.” But he also added an original called “Lost Inside.”
Staying in the ’90s, he played Big N Rich’s “ Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy” to wind down his set.
Local funk trio were the highlight of the afternoon as more people trickled into Legacy park.
It’s never too hot to get funky, and Adequate fit another sweltering day and slightly windy about perfectly.
The trio of Scott Mezei, Keenan Pezderic and Josh Thorlakson got funky in a hurry with their usual hyperactive set of R and B/ disco, reggae and pop covers beginning with “Dance to The Music,” featuring Thorlakson on guitar and speaking through a talk box effect.
They added several originals from their self-titled debut EP including the new single “ Bike Shorts.”
They even added a cover of the Clash’s “Rudie Can’t Fail.”
This week’s Arts in the Park returns for two days downtown at Civic Field park, behind the LSCO.
The shows have been moved up a couple hours to a 3:30 p.m. Start time. Willy Big Bull kicks things off at 3:30 p.m on Saturday, followed by a new, New West Theatre variety show called New West Theatre Singing in the Sun.
Dexter and Sons open things up at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15 followed by Singing in the Sun. There is no cost to attend.
—By Richard Amery, L.A. beat Editor
