Concert on Pekisko a tribute to the land

Musicians who share a common love for the land will entertain crowds with their unique stories at a national historic site south of Longview this weekend.

The Bar U Ranch National Historic Site is hosting its inaugural Concert on Pekisko Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.

Three musical acts will tell personal stories that range from moving cattle to protecting national parks on horseback. Performers are Ryan Fritz, Tin and the Toad and The Wardens.

“We’re really excited to be welcoming all of these performers to the Bar U to tell the western story and help connect our wonderful story to people across southern Alberta,” said Bar U Ranch special projects officer Mike McLean. “It’s a great way to kick off the Old Time Ranch Rodeo.”

Vulcan vocalist and acoustic guitar player Cody Shearer said performing at the Concert on Pekisko will be a real treat for Tin and the Toad.

“Our music is built around western Canadian heritage so a place like the Bar U is pretty cool for us,” he said. “I haven’t been to the Bar U since I went on a school trip when I was a kid.”

Tin and the Toad is a western roots and rock five-piece band that performs four-part harmonies, said Shearer.

“Our music is very southern Alberta centric,” he said. “All of our members are from southern Alberta and four are from farm and ranch families.”

Gigs for Tin and the Toad range from Calgary bars to ranch brandings and family reunions, Shearer said.

“We’ve played a lot of gigs that no other bands play,” he said. “Sometimes they are outdoors in the middle of the foothills. I find that really exciting. Playing the same type of room can get old.”

With an abundance of farming and ranching experience between them, there are many stories to write songs about, said Shearer.

“A lot of it touches on the relationship people have with the land and water,” he said. “There is a healthy dose of horsemanship in there.”

Tin and the Toad released its second album Out of the Wind in March and will play many of their original songs this weekend.

The songs range from serious stories about ranching life to more humourous tales, such as the song Triple A Certified.

“It touches on the personalities of the cattle and the people who eat or don’t eat beef,” he said. “Oftentimes when we play outside of southern Alberta it almost feels like we’re cultural diplomats. People say they almost feel like they’ve been to the places from the imagery in our songs.”

Also writing about personal experiences is western folk band The Wardens - a trio of retired national park wardens who sing songs about working with horses, experiences with wildlife and their love of the backcountry.

“We write songs about life on the trail, mountain rescues, grizzly bears, wildfires and warden personalities of the past,” said Bradley Bischoff, a vocalist, guitar and upright bass player. “Our demographic is the farming and ranching community. We play small towns all over the west and it’s really those people with a connection to the land, with a connection to wild places or an appreciation for conservation and what national parks stand for that come to our shows.

“I suspect that will probably be our makeup for the Bar U show.”

Bischoff said the trio came together after meeting at a centennial convention for wardens hosted by Parks Canada in Banff in 2009. The trio, which released its third album Sleeping Buffalo in April, now lives in Canmore and performs across North America.

“Now we are doing about 50 shows a year all over western Canada,” said Bischoff. “We are such a good fit for the Bar U given our background and what we sing about and our subject matter and what we represent. It’s just a natural fit for us to be playing there.”

Bischoff began his career as a park warden in Jasper in 1981 and retired after 30 years of service in national parks across Canada.

Ryan Fritz is a southern Alberta raised musician who’s ridden ranches in BC and southern Saskatchewan and recently won the Western Heritage Award in Oklahoma City. Fritz plays western music with a focus on his ranching experience.

McLean said Concert on Pekisko follows a pilot concert held at the Bar U last year called Cowboy Concert.

“We’re looking for new and innovative ways to connect our stories to Canadians,” he said. “We wanted to come up with something to connect that ranching story and to celebrate Canada’s 150th year. We hope to fill up the lawn at the visitors centre this year. If we get 500 out there that would be wonderful.”

Concertgoers are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets to view the performers, who take the Calgary Stampede mobile stage overlooking the valley and Rocky Mountains. A concession will be on site.

Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at eventbrite.ca or the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, which will accept cash only. Doors open at 6 p.m.