We begin Lake Days’ eclectic weekend of music at 10 a.m., Saturday, with local favorites the Good Times Band, led by Elvin Hedden, who have been our opening act since before I started organizing the music.
I am told they play mostly at the Lake Cowichan Seniors Center, and they do mainly covers.
Vancouver Island singer/songwriter Jim Moffat is on at 11 a.m. He has a website you can visit and hear his excellent guitar and voice.
At noon we present Youbounian Darryl Alsbrook with bassist Bruce Johnson. Darryl is an excellent guitarist who performed last year as well.
At 1 p.m. Nanaimo trio Trinitude will treat us to tight harmonies and multi instrumentation. They, too, have a website.
At 2 p.m. we will feature the winners of the Lake Idol Contest, followed by the crowning of the new Lady of the Lake.
Following the coronation we will have a presentation of traditional English Morris Dancing provided by the Island Thyme and Quick’s Bottom dance troupes. They may be seen busking in the town throughout the day.
At 3:30 p.m. we will feature Victoria’s Rig A Jig, who will play traditional English and Celtic Country Dance, while caller JD Erskine puts us through our paces.
Rig A Jig is a long established band led by Molly Raher Newman, with two fiddlers and an assortment of other excellent musicians. They will play while caller JD Erskine leads us through traditional English and Celtic country dances. This is great family entertainment, and we should be joined by visitors from the lower Island’s traditional dance community.
We plan to dance on the green that will take us up to the Community Dinner at 6 p.m., where we will close the day with Cowichan Valley band Jane’s Way, led by Paul Ruzsel.
It might be mentioned that Trinitude, Darryl Alsbrook and Jane’s Way have all featured at Music In The Lake.
The Chickwagon Band starts Sunday at 10 a.m. with an hour of country, followed at 11 a.m. by Mesachie Lake’s Without A Net folk duo.
At noon we present the Cowichan Valley Concert Band, for an hour that will hopefully include at least one piece by John Philip Sousa. No town festival is complete without a big brass band.
At 1 p.m. Rhonda Lou Broadfoot and Mike Brooks, who played last year, will treat us to some originals and some old time standards. At 2 p.m. we welcome mandolin wizard James Whittall and friends for some old time and bluegrass music.
The Trophy Presentations will be made at 3 p.m., and will be followed at 3:30 p.m. by the Clover Point Drifters, Vancouver Island’s premier bluegrass band, who will close this year’s festival. The Clover Point Drifters also have a website, and were also previously featured at Music In The Lake.
I think we have an exciting lineup of performers, some local and some from elsewhere on the Island.
I am hoping to generate a few visitors with this lineup, and if I can I also hope to get the budget to expand to two music venues for 2012.