It's O-Down Hoedown time in the nation's capital. Ottawa's only country music festival had its kickoff at The Dominion on Thursday, its first show on Friday and moved into The Rainbow on Saturday with sets from Renee Yoxon, Montreal's Ol' Savannah and The Dusty Drifters.
Yoxon kicked things off with a set that was more jazz than country, though she did cover Dolly Party's Jolene among songs by Miles Davis and the old standard
Brother Can You Spare A Dime?
Renee Yoxon at the Rainbow, September 24, 2011
Her guitarist is also named Rene (Gely, that is).
Renee Yoxon at the Rainbow, September 24, 2011
Ol' Savannah frontman Speedy D. Clark has a growly voice that reminds me a lot of Mississippi Grover's; the band plays a kind of stomping mountain music that went back to Clarence Ashley's
The Coo-Coo Bird for a cover.
Ol' Savannah at The Rainbow, September 24, 2011
A copy of Willem Van Loon's
The Story of Mankind was also demolished on stage. I only mention this because I knew Van Loon's son Dirk and was childhood friends with his grandson Wim.
Ol' Savannah at The Rainbow, September 24, 2011
Ace bluegrass combo The Dusty Drifters finished the night off. They've undergone some lineup changes since I saw them play at Zaphod's just a shade more than two years ago. You can see Ball and Chain's Michael Ball on standup bass.
The Dusty Drifters at The Rainbow, September 24, 2011
Here's banjo player John Steele.
The Dusty Drifters at The Rainbow, September 24, 2011
Of course you can catch them at their regular Sunday gigs at Irene's; there's more Hoedown action tonight at The Elmdale, with
Lynne Hanson,
Trevor Alguire and
Orit Shimoni.
- Show reminder: Little Dog and Josh Charbot perform at The Rainbow tonight.
