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KIM DICK
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The longest day of the year may include
camping and music under the stars as Hatters are invited to join
the Medicine Hat Folk Music Club (MHFMC) at the Cattle Creek Ranch
this Saturday, June 21.
Summer Solstice Under The Stars will
feature Okotoks singer-songwriter Darren Johnson, accompanied by
fellow musician Kit Johnson and opener Jim Baxter from Calgary.
The ranch is approximately a 45-minute
jaunt east of Medicine Hat, just over the Alberta/Saskatchewan
border, 16 km due east of Walsh.
Organizers are crossing their fingers for
nice weather, as is musician Darren Johnson, who predicts an
incredible show under the stars.
"I'm really looking forward to it," he
said. "I really enjoy playing with Kit and he really enjoys playing
with me . . . and it shows on stage when we play."
Lucky for Hatters, Johnson was introduced
to audiences during the MHFMC second annual winter folk festival in
February.
He heard a plug on air at CKUA about
Tongue on the Post folk festival and drove due east from his home
in Okotoks to play at the singer-songwriter night.
After his stellar performance on the
Friday evening of the festival, organizers asked him to play
'tweener' at the headlining show, where he was exposed to a
college theatre full of music lovers.
"They gave me a hotel for two nights and
let me hang around and treated me like royalty for two days," he
said. "It was awesome."
And Hatters didn't forget that night with
the singer-songwriter and soon Johnson was back to open for the
Blind Boys of Alabama at the Esplanade.
"It was just a great experience," said
Johnson. "Medicine Hat's like a home away from home. "It's just
flattering, I can't wait to come back and play."
Blues lovers who've hit the Calgary scene
since 2001 may have caught Johnson playing various venues, such as
Kaos Jazz and Blues Bistro, Inglewood's Ironwood venue and the now
defunct Karma (Marda Loop) and blues venue, Red Onion.
The full-time artist, who has released
four CDs in his career, says his last album Close to Home is the
direction he's steering his music these days.
For more information on Darren Johnson and
to hear some sound clips, visit him online at
www.darrenjohnson.net.
Cattle Creek Ranch gates open at 2 p.m. on
Saturday with the concert running from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
There will be an open jam session after
the show and people are encouraged to cart their instruments in
tow.
Camping is available (no services). For
details call Ladi or David at the Ranch at (403) 502-4776 or (306)
662-2449.
Supper at Cattle Creek Ranch will be
available from 4 p.m. on for $10.
The event is family- and
wheelchair-friendly and those in attendance are advised to bring
lawn chairs, bug spray, sweaters and jackets.
Tickets are $20, while children 12 and
under can attend free.
For detailed information, check out the
Medicine Hat Folk Music Club's website at www.mhfolkmusic.com.
Tickets are available for purchase from
Mike's Meats, Framing and Arts Center, Customer Service at the
mall, Zucchini Blossom or Sole Orthotics.
For directions to the Cattle Creek Ranch,
visit them online at www.cattlecreekranch.ca. |
