A Longview musical duo has missed out on the chance to perform in their village’s music festival, but not this year.
Jim and Lynda McLennan are usually on a river or lake for their fly fishing business during Longview’s annual Longstock Music and Arts Festival, but this weekend they were able to squeeze the event into their schedule after watching the outdoor concert for the first time last summer.
“It was just so much fun and such a neat event,” said Jim. “It’s good music and you see lots of your neighbours and friends.”
Longstock takes place on Aug. 20 from noon to 9:30 p.m. and Aug. 21 from noon to 7 p.m. in the Smith-Fuller Centennial Park.
Jim said they’ve heard great things about the nine-year-old festival since moving to Longview six years ago, but their business kept them too busy to take part.
“We are out of touch in the summer, but there is a definite buzz about it,” he said. “One of the ways you can tell musicians like it is because everybody wants to play it.”
The McLennans plan to combine old and new tunes on stage this weekend.
“We’ve got a couple of things that people haven’t heard us do,” said Jim. “We haven’t played in our home neighbourhood for a while so there will be quite a few people hearing us for the first time.”
Jim said their last local performance was in Black Diamond a year-and-a-half ago.
“We want them to get a good cross section of what we do,” he said.
“One of the things you are always hoping for in the music world is that someone will hear you and want you to play another gig somewhere.”
The McLennans are among 15 performers at Longstock this weekend, which also include Cody Follis, Ray King Blues Band, Cliffhanger and Calgary-based, Grammy Award winning rhythm and blues legend Donald Ray Johnson – the event headliner.
The Travelling Mabels singer/songwriter Eva Levesque said she aims to maintain a balance of old and new acts when planning the festival’s line-up from year to year.
“It’s a whole mixture of stuff,” she said. “That’s what keeps the audience interested.”
Levesque said the festival continues to grow each year, drawing upwards of 1,000 people each day in recent years.
“Everybody that has come over the last few years keep coming back and they’re bringing friends and relatives,” she said. “I figure that 1,000 people a day is awesome for little Longview.”
The event is not only a favourite among residents and visitors, but Levesque said musicians across the region enjoy it as well.
“Every musician that I’ve ever talked to loves these outdoor venues,” she said. “It’s because the sound just floats into the air and goes through the whole town. There are no walls to bounce it back to you.”
Levesque said The Travelling Mabels make a regular appearance at Longstock. This year the folk and country trio will perform some old favourites, some cover tunes and three new songs from their newest album Postcards, which will be released this fall.
“We’ve got a mixture of rock songs and a lot of country-sounding folk stuff,” she said.
The festival will also feature 40 vendors and artisans showcasing their paintings, photography, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, accessories and crafts. A concession and food trucks will also be on site.
Admission is by donation, with a minimum recommendation of $10. Levesque said last year’s $2,000 in proceeds went to the Therapeautic Riding Association. The event costs approximately $15,000 to operate, she said.
For more information go to longstock.org
