Edmonton, AB
On the Road with WOG and John Prine

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WOG WANDERS TO EDMONTON

August 10, 1997
copyright 1996,1997 Jerry Briggs (WOG) 

Finding Edmonton, located almost in the middle of the Alberta Province, was no problem. Reaching it after about 325 miles from the United States Border, it was a pleasant surprise.

Expecting bears, Indians, gravel roads, and maybe some ice and snow, I found instead a beautiful, modern city. Temperature was about 25...but that's centigrade....it was hot! Breezes stirred the trees at all times this day, however, and while the sun was bright and the sky nearly cloudless, it was very comfortable.

Edmonton is the fifth largest city in Canada, and is very impressive. The streets are clean. The people are without exception friendly and helpful. Traffic moves efficiently. The town sports tons of golf courses, all of which seemed busy this Sunday afternoon. A shopping mall claims to be the largest in the world, and is claimed as the city's #1 tourist attraction.

Locating the site for the festival was easier than finding parking; as the park in which it is held is right in a residential area, and there is no easy way to get to the site without a lot of walking.

Once there, it was interesting to walk about and enjoy the smells of outdoor cooking, seeing the happy fans, and just wandering about the grounds. The festival is held outside, and the 1000-foot ski slope is converted for this event into an outdoor ampitheater. Ample speakers from a huge stage assure all who attend of clear listening to their favorite performer.

In a stroke of good luck, a cancellation from the previous evening caused the John Hiatt set to be moved to this afternoon, and I got my first glimpse of this Indianapolis songster. His show was well accepted, and he seemed to enjoy the crowd as much as they enjoyed him. "Tennessee Cadillac" was done, and so was "Georgia Ray," and "This Thing They Call Love." Hiatt played both the keyboards and guitar, and was greeted with much applause when he performed his novelty song, "Little Head."

An old acquaintance of John Prine's was Rosalee Goldstein, and she was happy to explain to me how she helped establish the Edmonton Folk Festival 19 years ago. She was a principal in the Winipeg shows, established much earlier. When Edmonton considered doing a similar show, they sat her down with a microphone and tape recorder and she just talked and talked, she says. Eighteen successful weekends for eighteen years, this show still grows and bears her mark.

Rosalee had a few thoughts about John and the Edmonton crowd. "They won't sing along to him here," she told me. "The crowd will listen to his words....they show the performers here all the respect for their music. They are not like other crowds!" She spoke with pride and enthusiasm and with the experience of many, many concerts.

She went on to tell me of a trip out of Nashville, years ago..."to Kansas City or Oklahoma City...or somewhere..." where she and John and another person rode to one of his shows...."I just sat in the back seat and listened to them talk!"

I got to speak with Iris Dement and her husband, Elmer McCall, again. They were seated in the hospitality tent, enjoying the late afternoon sun in preparation for singing with John later on. Iris is extremely quiet, while her husband takes the role of doing most of the speaking for each of them. I had seen him most recently at Wolf Trap at Vienna, Virginia, and he was able to recall our talks there.

Iris reports she will be contributing on a new CD by Dylan's company honoring Jimmy Rodgers, and told me that John would be on it as well....should be interesting! There were also hints but no direct statements that the future may bring some work with John....and Elmer expressed strong interest in the OH BOY company and their methods of promoting artists as a possible alternative to Warner's efforts...sort of a "big fish, little pond, rather than small fish, large pond..." This, too, may become interesting. Iris has been on Rounder records and now has two albums with Warner, but there have been many changes of direction by the parent company, Time-Life.....let's watch and see.

RB Morris was sipping beer in the hot sun, relaxed since doing his afternoon set at an alternative stage. He told me of arriving before John and the band, getting into town the night before. Moving so fast he got there before his guitar, he thought quickly when asked to do a number Friday night...

"Riding With O'Hanlon" was the perfect choice, performed as a poem, and RB was delighted with the appreciation he heard from the 20,000 fans. It was a fine way to debut this new OH BOY talent to Canada.

Mitchell, John's ever-present tour manager, was seen flitting in and out of the hospitality tent. Concerned with times, who is where, and getting everyone to their places on time, he was in good cheer and apparently was enjoying the Edmonton experience. John and the boys were sitting around in the tent, socializing with whoever sat beside them, dressed in their street clothes. Food was in ample supply, provided by volunteers. Free beer, mixed drinks, soft drinks, and water were all available to guests of the festival. Jason and David sat quietly sipping spring water, enjoying the breeze wafting through, and seeing other performers they seldom get the chance to socialize with. It was a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, and the crowd sitting on the sunny, treeless hill outside were cheering them all on, making each act feel good about their acceptance. This was a performer's choice crowd, as they appreciated and loved them all.

Limiting attendance despite the vast areas available, the concert sold out all the days of the concert within 8 days, according to one report. People come from all over, but it belongs to the city, and most of the attendees are regulars who live in the general area.
 

 WANDERING AROUND EDMONTON, CANADA
--Jerry Briggs (WOG)--

A beautiful summer day greeted the fans attending the four-day Folk Festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada as I pulled into town after a long trip beginning in Northern Montana.

Friendliness seems to be the keyword in all of Canada. I have never been so impressed with an entire group as what I have experienced ever since passing the border check many miles south.

Ever anxious to help and give directions, all Canadians approached were extremely helpful and friendly. I asked directions often, and invariably was greeted with a smile and helpful information.

A real surprise for me, I found myself driving around an 800,000 population city, beautiful, scenic, and extremely modern. Feeling I was halfway to the North Pole, maybe I expected cold weather, gravel roads, and funny-talking people. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Edmonton is just like any American city, only cleaner. People talk just like any others, only clearer. Weather on this day was sunny and bright, very warm, but a breeze continued to keep being outside comfortable.

  JOHN PRINE WRAPS UP EDMONTON FOLK FESTIVAL IN STYLE....

 It was a wild and happy evening at the Alberta, Canada city of Edmonton on Sunday night. After three full days of the finest folk music from around the world, the act promoters chose to put a period on the sentence, to close the show with class, and their choice was the John Prine Show.

No stranger to the show, John remarked to his cheering audience, "It's nice to be back at the Edmonton Folk Festival! It's been too long. I'll try to make it up tonight!" A man of his word, John and his crew consisting of Phil Parlapiano, David Jacques, and Jason Wilbur played their hearts out to the delight of the Canadian gathering.

Resembling at times an Indianapolis 500 pit crew, the band raced through their numbers, switching instruments quickly between songs. A total of 13 songs were heard by the fans, and they left the outdooor field quite satisfied.

While "Illegal Smile" had to be skipped this evening, Edmonton festival-goers were treated to "Sam Stone" and "Dear Abby," which the previous concert's abbreviated time at Big Mountain in Montana had not heard.

Of special note was the surprise appearance of a relaxed Iris Dement for John's efforts. When he called her out to the stage, 20,000 people were treated to her rendering of "Unwed Fathers." This song received lots of applause, and, as usual, was done with Iris' unique vocal skills. Fans excited by her appearance from the previous evening were delighted to be seeing her perform again.

John had help on his closing number, "Paradise," from Iris, as well as RB Morris, Chip Taylor, and Joe Ely. Applause for this group kept the music going two minutes longer than John's allotted 1-hour time slot, and the cheering gave credence to the festival's planners' selection of this final act for their huge production. John Prine was the right guy to make everyone realize what a fine array of talent they had seen for the past three days.
 
John's show featured lighted candles scattered throughout the crowd, up the 1000-foot hill. This is a final night tradition at Edmonton. Probably 500 of them could be seen all the way from stage edge clear up the natural hill looking down on the Folk Stage.
 
Full of smiles and quite active on the stage, John and his band gave Canada a fine show, one they will remember. It is a pleasure to see so many people exposed to talent that is now a USA heritage: John Prine....
 
  Concert: Edmonton Folk Festival Date: Aug 10, 1997 Length: 1:02 Crowd Estimate: 20,000 # Songs: 13

JOHN PRINE SET LIST AT EDMONTON FOLK FESTIVAL

 1. BLOW UP YOUR TV
  2. 6 O'CLOCK NEWS
  3. FISH AND WHISTLE
  4. PICTURE SHOW
  5. YOU'VE GOT GOLD
  6. ALL THE BEST
  7. AIN'T HURTIN' NOBODY
  8. ANGEL FROM MONTGOMERY
  9. DEAR ABBY
10. UNWED FATHERS
11. SAM STONE
12. LAKE MARIE
13. PARADISE
 

AFTER THE SHOW....

The Festival finally ended, and John's was the closing act. A local group gathered on stage to sing the traditional finale to the whole weekend, and it was done quite effectively. "Four Strong Winds" was done by a group of probably fifty, with perhaps six microphones. The show was over.

Back at John's trailer, after enjoying snacks from a party tray, the band sat around, still keyed-up from their great acceptance by this Canadian crowd.

Television cameras and reporters and radio people flocked around John and "quiet!" was ordered all about as he went through all their questions with his normal humor and sense of respect for those persons sent out to do their jobs.

John told me later that the subject of his "on-line" page came up, and he mentioned a certain group of nuts that were on a chat line. "I told 'em about you guys!" he said.
 
  CANADIAN ROCKIES--WANDERING WITH WOG
August 11, 1997

Realizing that everyone hates slides and no one reads a travelogue, I will make this brief!

Departing the John Prine concert at Edmonton, I went south for three hours to another beautiful city, Calgary. Checking the atlas, it looked like all the dots on the highways indicating "scenic" could not be overlooked on a trip back to the USA. Heading west, Highway 1 in Canada provided the most spectacular mountain views of any I have ever seen. They are higher and more beautiful than the Rockies in the USA. Unspoiled is probably the best word.

There are mountain streams, extremely good roads, and picturesque towns scattered clear across. British Columbia looks like the place all the old Western Movies were shot. I expected to see Randolph Scott ride up to the edge of my road at any time.

The pines growing out of rock, seemingly, are profuse. Glaciers still in existence can be seen for miles around, their strange color verifying that they are not snow up there, but ancient compactions of water.

Frequent "Moose Crossing" signs were seen, and at one point I passed several cars pulled to the side of the road, taking pictures of rams with long curled horns. Lake Louise offered the normal touristy attractions, but the view of this huge lake made the side trip worthwhile.
 

I found that John Prine tapes play splendidly at any altitude and at any speed,
so the trip was quite nice.  


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