Sunday at South Country Fair is for people to recover from the two previous nights. This Sunday, July 17, was no exception.
I missed there Saturday night show, which was a good thing as some of the highlights were performing Sunday, albeit mellower set.
My priority was Terra Lightfoot, who was a highlight Saturday night and was up relatively early to open the East stage, at noon on Sunday.
Lightfoot and her band, six dates into the “No Relation” tour as she is not related to Gordon Lightfoot, but is always asked if she is, eased into their set which focussed on her“ Consider the Speed ”CD and some brand new songs.
She started slow with “ Empty House” and “ Wild Horses,” before voicing up the tempo for the highlight “Called Out Your Name ” was a highlight and “ It’s Over Now,” which had a ew folks singing along, seated in front of the stage.
Lightfoot sat to start her set, strumming her SG then switched to an acoustic and showed some skills on it while her band took a break.
She had the audience crooning along on “One High Note.”
She was called back for an encore, which she played in the middle of the audience while Jon Martin and the Lovers set up.
She played a new song about being a parent during the pandemic.“ I was wondering what I could do as a songwriter who is not a parent or grandparent,” she observed.
She stood up, strumming an old Telecaster and had most of the audience on their feet by the end of her set.
As everyone was there, most people missed a beautifully hypnotic set from the Mayhemingways’ Benj Rowland showing his prowess on a variety of instruments including bouzouki, hurdy gurdy, accordion and guitar.
“ I’m from Peterborough, the home of Washboard Hank,” Rowland said, playing a song about a beloved Peterborough venue that has since closed and where Washboard Hank among other had played.
There is always a new happy discovery at the Fair, even if they are old hat to some people. This time it was Beautiful Joe, a supergroup including Steve Pineo, Tim Leacock and Jane Hawley, all respected songwriters and players in their own right, backed by Ross Watson and Danny Patton.
They formed in the ’90s then parted ways, but reunited along the way.
They each took turns singing their songs, and added leads and harmony vocals to the others.
They played variety of covers and originals. Hawley added harmonies, fiddle and acoustic guitar when not singing lead on her own songs.
One of many highlights of a set that spanned blues, country, folk and alternative country was Pineo’s “ Too Bad For Me,” which Prairie Oyster recorded.
Former Lethbridgian Jon Martin and the Lovers played a laid back set on the East Stage, with Martin playing keyboards for most of their mellow, introspective set.
Martin picked up the guitar for a song about his son , “ Who I wanted to name Bluebird, but when I asked my wife, shesaid no, so I wrote a song for him called Bluebird.”
Trio Svin came all the way from Denmark to play South Country Fair. Apparently they were a highlight on Saturday night.
For their Sunday workshop with guitarist/ banjo player Eugene Chadbourne and keyboardist Jen Paches, they were in a more experimental, jazzy mood.
Soundman Steve Loree fought to get Laches’s keyboard working, and while it was being replaced, Trio Svin, seated on their amplifiers, launched into an experimental, jazzy instrumental jam, with Chadbourne adding some jazzy guitar licks.
Fair favourite John Wort Hannam told a few stories and played couple of optimistic songs from his latest CD “ Long Haul” for a too brief set on the south stage, backed by Ryland Moranz on mandolin.
“Only Love Can Save Us Now” was an immediate highlight. Hannam told a story about as his son asking who Donald Trump was, and answering “ what have you heard,” before playing “Love Lives On.”
He told another story about meeting an ex at a fair and played “Old Flame.”
He wound up his set with “ Other Side of the Curve,” from the new Cd, before making way for the last workshop of the Fair.
I stuck around for a second dose of April Verch and Cody Walters, who were a highlight of Saturday afternoon as well as Paul Silveria, who played on each others songs. Verch performed some more step dancing from across the country
— by Richard Amery,L.A. Beat Editor