The sounds of country music and indie rock will be heard amid the evergreens and mountains in Chilliwack River Valley this Saturday.
Tractorgrease Shindig is a free, family-friendly music event featuring several musicians on two stages.
“It’s kind of like what Southside Rocks was like. It’s a fun, free community event and (Shindig) is a continuation of that,” says Jeff Bonner of Tractorgrease.
He’s referring to the Thursday evening Southside Rocks concerts that took place in 2014 and 2015 in Sardis which he organized. Each summer featured three concerts with a handful of performers per show.
Shindig will be the same number of performances as Southside Rocks, all put into one 10-hour show. Plus, they’re all local musicians.
“I’m a big fan of people who write their own music and this is a good chance for them to come out and play their own songs,” says Bonner.
A total of 14 musicians will be taking the stage this weekend. They have all, in some way, been a part of Tractorgrease — either recording in the studio, during open mic nights, or performing in some of the other shows they’ve put on.
“Dion Weisbrod plays a country style like Corb Lund or Johnny Cash. Lakeisha Hewitt has an angelic voice and mellow vibes,” says Bonner. “The Great Atlas is an acoustic duo with guitar and violin. Naxx is like our own version of Gogol Bordello — like an Eastern European band with lots of stage energy. And The Outlaw Poets, they play Canadian country folk songs.”
The full lineup includes: The Tractorgrease Folk, The Great Atlas, Naxx, Rick Genge, The Location, The Outlaw Poets, Dennis Bouwman, Lakeisha Hewitt, The Dalegreen Band, Rain Penner August, Dion Weisbrod, Rockfish, Soundcheck Ed Gallant, and Stringer and Bru.
The main stage will be at the Chilliwack Fish and Game Club. In between performances on that stage, there will be smaller acoustic shows across the street at Tractorgrease Cafe.
Bring a blanket or lawn chair as the main stage is located in an open field.
People will be able to park at the fish and game club.
“It’s nice to see our little community up here get together to put on something that has never happened out here — and it’s beautiful up here,” says Bonner.
Here’s the lineup for Tractorgrease Shindig:
Main stage (Chilliwack Fish and Game Club)1:00 Soundcheck Ed Gallant1:20 Leah Taylor1:40 Dion Weisbrod & the Unbranded2:30 Dennis Bouwman3:00 Dale Green Band4:00 The Great Atlas5:00 The Location6:00 The Outlaw Poets7:00 Lakeisha & Rick8:00 The Tractorgrease Folk9:15 Naxx10:00 Rockfish
Secondary stage (Tractorgrease Cafe)1:30 Stringer2:45 Soundcheck Ed3:35 Leah Taylor4:35 Lakeisha5:35 Stringer6:35 Dion Weisbrod7:35 Dennis Bouwman8:45 The Great Atlas
Tractorgrease Shindig is Saturday, Aug. 20 from 1 to 11 p.m. The main stage is at Chilliwack Fish and Game Club (48685 Chilliwack Lake Rd.). The secondary stage, and food stop, is at Tractorgrease Cafe (48710 Chilliwack Lake Rd.). Admission is free.
More info: tractorgrease.com, the Tractorgrease Cafe Facebook page, or 604-858-3814.
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