Two former area residents are back in town next weekend to perform music from the Prairies along with songs from this great swath of land we call Canada.
Saskia Overbeek and Darrel Delaronde, who call themselves The Great Plains, are certainly no strangers to the North Okanagan, as they have lived in Vernon and have played music up and down every highway and byway in the Okanagan with their delightful, all-Canadian show they call Song of the Prairies.
“Once a year, whether we need it or not, we come to Vernon just because we are homesick for our friends and it still feels so much like home even though we moved to the West Coast,” said Overbeek.
The duo will perform a heartwarming blend of folk music with tales about miners, Prairie elevators, blue birds, war brides, Louis Riel, patchwork quilts, David Thompson and more for their concerts at Armstrong’s Valley First Music in the Park Friday, Aug. 8 and at Friesen’s Country Tyme Café in Coldstream Saturday, Aug. 9.
“This is true Canadiana; real songs drenched in our culture and heritage delivered in a comfortable highly skilled set with oodles of self-poking humour,” said Dutch-born artist Overbeek, whose partner Delaronde is Métis. “(There will be) a taste of Celtic, a dab of bluegrass, and lots of engaging stories wrapped around extremely ear-warming melodies.”
The duo is also known to break into Swiss yodeling, or sing in Gaelic, Spanish, Dutch, German or French.
Awarded top folk/roots album in Holland; artist, album, and songwriter of the year from the Saskatchewan Country Music Association, The Great Plains have toured extensively with cowboy crooner Gary Fjellgaard for the last 10 years and occasionally with folk legend Valdy.
“(We have) opened for too many Juno award winners to remember them all over the years,” said Overbeek, adding the duo has also enjoyed airplay on folk stations around the country and abroad.
The Great Plains take the stage at Armstrong’s Memorial Park, Friday at 7 p.m. (Donations will be accepted for the food bank). Their show at Friesen’s Country Tyme Café is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and info are at Friesen’s or call 250-549-3587.
