Summerset Festival Fort Langley hits the Right Notes

Summerset Festival hits the right notes
written by Scotty Evil

For a festival that was sprung on us in the spring, Summerset Music and Arts Festival was a hit on several levels.

It was refreshing to see 3 different genres presented in tidy packages so fans could pick one or all for their musical entertainment (instead of weird indie artists sprinkled in a blues fest). Thankfully l was able to attend 2 of the 3 days…and I’m glad I did.

The long-weekend Friday crowd that trickled in were treated to a lineup that just raised the bar with every act. Vancouver Island boy Jesse Roper come on stage with his brand of blues infused guitar rock. With a masterful command of guitar tone to compositions full of great hooks and rhythms, he had the early crowd glued to every move he made. Personally I could have listened to him the entire night.

East coast representation came in the form of The Trews, who took the fans for a ride. They amped the energy up slowly but surely with highlights including guitarist John-Angus leaving the stage and taking his solo for a walk beside the VIP area. The sun went down, the volume went up and so did the performance on stage. Highlights included “Paranoid Freak” and their huge hit “Not Ready to Go” and the poppy “Vintage Love”. The sunglasses stayed on lead vocalist Colin until near the end of their set.

We could have honestly ended there and I would have been extremely satisfied except the Rival Sons came out and put on a rock clinic.

If anyone in the audience wasn’t a fan, they surely are now. With polished swagger (and the sound mix? Did I mention the sound mix? Give the sound guys PROPS for an outdoor event, it sounded amazing all the way to the main gates) and every note on point, the performance was frankly flawless. These guys have their roots deep seated in that raw, edgy rock guitar sound from the mid 1970’s combined with soulful vocals and posturing from frontman Jay Buchanan. Recent hit “Too Bad” was immediately reminiscent of the supergroup Arch Angels. Guitar work by Scott Holliday was slick and sexy.

And that was just the opening day!

Although I was sad that prior commitments kept me from the rock lineup of good old Coquitlam boys The Matinee and veterans April Wine and Kim Mitchell, I looked forward to the country sets on Sunday.

Having dodged bullets every day weather wise (rumours of a minor sprinkle at the end of day two) the sun came out and so did the crowds. The gates opened at 4pm and we were entertained by a roster of locals for their Star Search Stage (as was the case each day) and Robyn Froese took the honours.

East Vancouver boys The Wild North exploded onto the main stage with their brand of gritty southern country-rock. Elliot C. Way channeled his whiskey-infused Bruce Springsteen voice that had the early crowd grinning. They might wear their country roots on their sleeves but they do the music justice.

Local boy Kadooh was up next and won the award for most reflective lenses by an artist. His easy-going manner and radio-friendly charm was indeed reflected by the ladies up front who enjoyed his recent singles “24 Reasons” and “Something to Roll On”. The members of his band were clearly having fun in the sun-filled venue.

Another aside: this is a fantastic venue and was set up well to keep families happy. Interesting vendors, the ability to enjoy your adult beverages responsibly anywhere on the grounds and easy access to washroom facilities. The cornhole and Jenga games were busy all day. Security was friendly and staff were helpful. The only downside is food vendors were either over-priced, the selection wasn’t great and there wasn’t enough trucks to serve the crowd decently. The only one with fries had issues actually making them and was serving Costco hotdogs. Oh well, hopefully it’ll be better next time.

The buzz was happening when The Washboard Union took their places. Picking and grinning all the way, this trio have their act down pat. They sound even better live and had the crowd singing along with hits “Shot of Glory” and “She Gets Me” and well, pretty much everything else. Hard to believe such a down-home sounding country act comes out of Vancouver.

Veteran country artist Paul Brandt, black cowboy hat tilted down and shrouding his face in shadow, commanded the stage immediately. His baritone delivery was smooth as always as he marched through his award-winning hits, taking his time to reach out to happy fans from the stage. He spoke at length about leaving Warner Records and doing things his way before launching into his rousing cover of “Convoy” as the crew launched giant bouncy balls into the crowd. The few times his hat was up enough to see his face, he was grinning fro ear to ear. His band was tight and again, the sound mix was perfect. He returned to the chants of “encore” for a couple more. It was a satisfying end to the day and the festival in general.

Looking forward to year two!