Interstellar Rodeo

Interstellar Rodeo

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On a grassy slope under the prairie stars, icons of modern music history will take the stage for the first ever Interstellar Rodeo, a celebration of music, food and wine, making its debut in Edmonton’s Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park, July 27-29, 2012.

The Interstellar Rodeo is humbled to welcome Sinéad O’Connor this first year. A cultural revolutionary, creative firebrand, and electrifying performer, Sinead is the fearsome voice of a generation, intimidating both for her talent and for her conviction. Sinead recently released a new record to worldwide acclaim, and it is exciting to present this iconic artist as she returns to the spotlight.

We are thrilled to announce that Blue Rodeo, the sweethearts of summer nights and soundtrack to our best memories, will perform. As this year’s inductees to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Blue Rodeo symbolizes our pride in homegrown talent. Their creative longevity and incredible list of hits reinforces our belief in the romance and power of beautiful music.

The stars have also aligned to bring Randy Newman to Edmonton. Newman is a songwriter’s songwriter, and his name is always included our favourite artists’ lists of influences. We are overwhelmed by his talent and by his achievements.

Six Shooter artists confirmed on this inaugural year include Whitehorse (featuring Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland), Jenn Grant, and The Beauties. Weekend pass buyers will also receive a free album by the participating Six Shooter artist of their choice. The Interstellar Rodeo is also pleased to welcome Hawksley Workman, Richard Buckner, Shakura S’Aida, The Sojourners, Michael Rault, Jason Plumb + The Willing and more. Interstellar Rodeo presents an opportunity to celebrate artists we love and admire, and all of these acts will inspire and electrify Rodeo goers.

The Performers:

THE BEAUTIES

Called “Toronto’s Velvet Undergound,” by ‘Wild Thing’ gambler/songwriter Chip Taylor himself, The Beauties’ brand of working man bourbon blues fuses the musical legacies of Nashville with New York, New Jersey with new wave. The band was crowned Toronto’s Best Roots Band, but their infamously raucous live show attests that The Beauties don’t rest on their honky tonk laurels. They’ve shared stages with Broken Social Scene and Alejandro Escovedo, Drive-By Truckers and Jim Cuddy. The band has also backed up such noteworthy songwriters as Ron Sexsmith and Serena Ryder, and their talent and versatility makes them the musical backbone of choice for artists across Canada. Six Shooter is proud to be a home for The Beauties – it’s no coincidence that The Beauties have been on stage for some of our favourite shows of the past few years.

BLUE RODEO

From the outskirts to the centre, Blue Rodeo has been the beating heart of the roots-rock scene since the 80s, and has shaped the soundtrack of perfect summer nights for nearly three decades. In fact, we couldn’t even imagine this music festival without our friends on the bill, it just wouldn’t be right without them. With 12 records that include an unbelievable number of iconic hits to their name, as well as an impressive 7 Junos on the shelf, the band has set the standard for excellence and longevity – “Blue Rodeo still crank it for all it’s worth,” said the Edmonton Journal on their last visit to town. The classic contrast in styles of frontmen Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor has fostered a rare creative partnership that grows more fertile with age. Now, in 2012, the band will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

HAWKSLEY WORKMAN

Delivered from the mythic Muskoka wilderness, Hawksley arrived on the scene over a decade ago with a fearlessness rooted in an undeniable vocal panache. This Juno Award winning wild card has already cemented his place as an emblem of Canadian culture here and abroad. From the compelling opening yodel found on his debut album, For Him and the Girls, to this very day, Hawksley roams like a rogue force, bouncing from pop tunes to country jangles, from anthemic rockers to hip-hop dance beats to gut-wrenching ballads, making his notably excellent performances as unpredictable as they are dramatic and exuberant. We know him well and we give the Six Shooter pinky swear that Hawksley’s live show, complete with Mr. Lonely by his side, is simply incomparable.

JASON PLUMB + THE WILLING

The best thing about launching a festival is having all our friends right there with us. We’ve worked with Jason Plumb, the flagship artist on SoccerMom Records and we’re proud to have him on the Interstellar Rodeo stage. This roughrider has been in the music business for a long time, formerly as frontman to 90s stars and Juno winners band The Waltons, and brings Saskatchewan Pride to every thing he does. With his band, The Willing, Jason Plumb plays country rock with a prairie heart. Jason along with each and every member of The Willing will release a new album at the same time this year on SoccerMom.

JENN GRANT

Click your ruby shoes three times and imagine a modern day Judy Garland, an artist with a technicolour voice and mischievous spirit. Jenn Grant’s voice is widely recognized as one of the most mellifluous, melodious and melodic out there, and Six Shooter Records is proud to have released two beautiful records by this talented east coast nightingale. “She’s one of the best singers in the world right now,” says frequent collaborator Buck 65. We’re not the only fans – Jenn has also performed for Royal newlyweds William and Kate, a fitting audience for songs from the Juno-nominated album Honeymoon Punch.

MICHAEL RAULT BAND

Edmonton’s own Michael Rault crashes, booms and bangs with blatant talent and a brash appetite for musical exploration. From the family tree (his dad is local blues man extraordinaire Lionel Rault) to indie EPs to his recent solo work, Rault has moved in punk, rock, blues and roots circles since an early age. The latest incarnation of this western wunderkind reveals a traditional rootsier bent, which Rault twists into new shapes with the help of unexpected instrumentation, ranging from unique minimalism to thick soundscapes. We’re proud of all things YEG, so what better way to launch a festival than by showing off such a great homegrown talent.

RANDY NEWMAN

Ask a songwriter who is on their list of influences and you’ll hear the name Randy Newman – an artist for whom the Oscar category Best Original Song seems specifically created. Known for his sharp, sardonic eye and melodic ear, Newman crafts stories, characters and opinions that set the modern standard for songwriting and lyricism. While his work is often covered, Newman’s voice leaves an unmistakable stamp on all his work, whether it be a song about corruption in New Orleans in 1927 or a toy cowboy come to life. Nominated an unbelievable twenty times for Academy Awards (he’s won three), Newman is also a three-time Emmy and five-time Grammy award winner. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002, and as a Disney Legend in 2007 for his work scoring animated movies, including Toy Story and Monsters, Inc.

RICHARD BUCKNER

Six Shooter’s fondness for cult icon Richard Buckner is more than just fandom – his record The Hill was one of the first albums in our catalogue (and he’s even lived in Edmonton!). We go way back. Buckner is an original pioneer – since his debut record Bloom in 1994, his albums have been major influences on the resurgence of traditional folk, roots and country movements in music today. Buckner’s poetic lyricism is expressed in many ways, from the simplicity of acoustic troubadour styles to more experimental avant-garde forms, and Pitchfork calls him “one of the most intriguing songwriters working”. We are excited to present him at the inaugural Interstellar Rodeo. In August, 2011 Buckner released the long-awaited new record Our Blood on Merge Records.

SHAKURA S’AIDA

The word vocalist does little to express the versatility and potency of Shakura S’Aida’s talent. Known primarily as a blues singer-songwriter, the global adventurer worked in world music, jazz and backing vocal gigs before embarking on a blues belting solo career that has brought acclaim and awards. “Shakura’s voice just might be the sound of the blues in the 21st Century,” writes one critic (PopMatters). In 2011, Shakura won both the Maples Blues Award for Vocalist of the Year and the Indie Award for Best Blues Artist, and she’s also earned multiple Juno nominations. We are big fans of this impressive woman (we’ve even been on a date with her!) and her performances are thrilling each and every time.

SINÉAD O’CONNOR

Our musical awakening began with Sinéad O’Connor and we know we’re not alone. Sinéad’s appearance on the music scene in the 80s with her debut record The Lion and the Cobra (a copy of which came with us on our first road-trip across Canada) was thunderous. Sinéad’s intensity and originality was like a magnetic force. Her formidable and controversial character then appeared stark contrast to the vulnerability expressed in her world-stopping Prince cover of Nothing Compares 2 U (complete with its iconic video), which stands as one of the most memorable musical moments of the 90s. Sinéad is immediate and intimate, her voice “tender and cutthroat in equal measure” (NPR) in a way that brings her music right into the tips of your fingers and toes. We are drawn to strong women in music, and Sinéad is one of the mightiest examples. Her new record, How About I Be Me (And You Be You)? has been met with rave reviews, and Sinéad’s glorious return makes us all the more thrilled to have her headline the first ever Interstellar Rodeo.

SOJOURNERS

Formed as an improvised backing group, there is nothing accidental about The Sojourners’ success. With three original members who grew up singing in churches in three different states, and a fourth picked up along the way, the Sojourners both make authentic gospel music and make good on their name. It’s not just for Sundays – the Sojourners’ approach is self-described as equally at home in a road-house as in a revival tent, an unbuttoned mix of doo wop, R&B, country and blues. Comprised of Marcus Mosely, Will Sanders, Ron Small and Khari McClelland, The Sojourners have released two records made with Canadian roots kingpin Steve Dawson. We first heard them at the Western Canadian Music Awards last year in Whitehorse, YT and we were blown away by their performance. You will be too.

WHITEHORSE (featuring Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet)

Six Shooter Records’ Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet tie the musical knot with the debut of their new band, Whitehorse, marrying their talent and chemistry on stage as a smoldering duo. Gutsy and resolute in their pursuits of sound and substance, Luke and Melissa’s fusion of the personal and professional brings to mind the road-tested romance of Johnny and June. Whitehorse is the culmination of years of honing solo skills as singer-songwriters. Luke and Melissa have worked side by side for nearly a decade, contributing to one another’s records, touring and performing together, unknowingly yet instinctively moving towards the day when each would entrust their life and work to the other. More than the sum of considerable talents, Whitehorse showcases the rarity of true give and take in partnership, uniting falcon with songbird to dramatic effort. We get goosebumps when they take the stage.

Start + finish times:
Friday: Gates open at 4:30, music starts at 6:15 pm, last call at 9:30 pm, concert ends at 10:00 pm.
Saturday + Sunday: Gates open at Noon, music starts at 1:15 pm, last call at 9:30 pm, concert ends at 10:00 pm.

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