The Slash Across Mountains, by Carolyn Cuskey/cc by 2.0 (Creative Commons)
A border by cartography standards, the 49th parallel distinguishes Canada from the United States ̶ on maps, anyway. But try telling these musicians that as they sing themselves from side to side and back again! Making beauty out of coexistence and proving that lines are never quite what they seem, the five bards of the borderlands in our 8:00 pm Saturday night show exemplify the artist as ambassador. Sharing the Elko Convention Center Auditorium in Bridging the 49th are Jamie Fox, Alex Kusturok, Corb Lund, Sid Marty and Colter Wall: read on to meet them!
8:00 – 9:30 pm, Saturday, February 2, 2019
Tickets are On Sale Now!
$40 / $30 / $25
Next Generation Discount Available
Photo by Hannibal Bach
Jamie Fox of Harlem, Montana, is a fiddler of the Métis tradition, which grew out of a Celtic, French, Celtic, French, and Native American cultures. The Michif fiddle tradition on the Fort Belknap Reservation was on its last legs just as Jamie fell in love with the tunes. Jamie, through her love of the Michif tunes, brought new healing to an old discord between cultural sectors of the tribal society. As word got out, others on the reservation and along the Montana Hi-Line were incredibly enthused to see her taking on the music that was in jeopardy of vanishing. http://www.3fiddlers3traditions.com/about-3-fiddlers-3-traditions/jamie-fox/
Photo from artist
Alex Kusturok of Winipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a third generation fiddle player, traveling with his mother Patti to old time dances around Manitoba where he was enriched with the Métis fiddle from a very young age. By age 7, the passion for music became apparent and fiddle became the focus of Alex's life. Culture has always played a huge part in Alex's music and his life. His father, a treaty Indian from Wabigoon Lake First Nation in Ontario made sure that Alex learned of his aboriginal heritage which transferred into his music and gave him a set of values in which he lives his life.
Corb Lund and The Hurtin' Albertans perform "The Horse I Rode In On," at the 25th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in 2009. Corb is appearing solo at our 35th Gathering.
Corb Lund's musical diplomacy bridges the country and the city. Born and raised in rural southern Alberta, Canada, Lund comes from four generations of Canadian ranchers and cowboys. He grew up riding horseback, chasing cattle and rodeoing on the prairies and in the foothills of the Rockies. Lund’s Western heritage stays with him, no matter where he roams. “My whole life is sort of a dichotomy between being a cowboy kid and living in a city,” says Lund. “I guess that informs my music too.” http://corblund.com/
Photo from artist
Sid Marty's poetry, storytelling and songwriting travels like the Albertan wind. He and his wife live on a small holding in southwestern Alberta, Canada, south of Tyson and north of Zarzyski. He last performed at Elko in 2011. Sid began composing poems and song lyrics in the saddle while patrolling the mountains of Banff, Yoho and Jasper National Parks as a park ranger. There were no cows in the backcountry except cow elk, so he used his lariat mainly for pulling packhorses out of bogs and skidding firewood. Since 1988, Sid has worked as a singer-songwriter and freelance writer. http://www.sidmarty.com
Photo from artist
Colter Wall's songwriting blends the real and the magical. Wall, of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada, captures the spaciousness of the Canadian plains by relying on minimal production and his resonant baritone, which he’s strengthened into a mighty instrument in its own right. It’s a deep and knowing voice you wouldn’t expect of a man who’s not yet 24 years old. As a folk singer, Wall places equal importance on crafting songs as well as carrying older songs into the present day. http://www.colterwall.com/
About the Next Generation Discount for the 35th Gathering, January 28-February 2, 2019
Are you between the ages of 15 and 35? A limited number of Day Passes and evening show tickets are available at the discounted price of $20! Buy up to two (2) tickets per show as well as up to two (2) Day Passes. Not all shows are discounted, so look for the items in our Ticketed Shows list. Tickets are will-call only and all ticket/pass users must show valid proof of age at pickup. When purchasing tickets online, please use discount code NEXTGEN on the checkout form.
Interested in learning more about the 49th Parallel and the 5,525 mile-long border between the United States and Canada?
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/uscanada-border-slash (Intro photo is from this article)
https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/drawing-line-canada-usa-border
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
