The Cowboy Concert will return to Martin Exeter Hall on Feb. 16, featuring the likes of Jason Ruscheinsky, Hugh McLennan and Tim Hus.
“As always, it’s a supporter for the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame and the student scholarships we do,” said Mark McMillan, the event’s organizer.
McLennan, the host of The Spirit of the West radio show, will be acting as the MC for the event as well as sharing some ranching stories, poetry and possibly a few songs according to McMillan. Usually, McMillan does it himself and while he will still thank all the sponsors, McLennan will be doing all the artist introductions.
The Spirit of the West is a once-a-week hour-long syndicated show picked up in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, and some states in the U.S. It is also online.
“Hugh will do cowboy music, but he’ll do interviews. He’ll interview a rancher or a horse trainer, it could be anybody in North America. A lot of his show is based on that interview with that person. There is also a horse training file and what’s called the Range Land News, which is kind of [about] upcoming cattle market sales and cattle market sales and cattle prices. The show ends with a piece of cowboy poetry,” said McMillan.
As for his segment, McLennon will be talking about his experiences as a rancher in the form of cowboy poetry. McMillan compared him to the likes of Bryan “Bj” Smith, who performed last year. However, it will more likely be more storytelling than outright poetry.
Hus, who is based in Calgary, will be the main event.
“Very entertaining. He’s got a real wit and sense of humour; just a real entertainer,” said McMillan. “His type of music is not really cowboy and it’s not really country and it’s not really folk. It’s kind of what is referred to as Canadiana. He sort of follows the lines of Stompin’ Tom Connors.”
Connors was one of the biggest artists to come out of Canada, winning multiple Juno awards, appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada, and one of his best-known songs – The Hockey Song – was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Hus performed in Connors’ band as well as opening for Connors, while on a two-year cross-country tour from Newfoundland to Vancouver. Hus also played Man With the Black Hat, which he wrote about Connors, at Connors’ memorial service in 2013.
The elder artist often called Hus his natural successor due to the similar Canadian-based content.
Ruscheinsky is a local from Bridge Lake and was a competitor in 2012’s Cariboo Idol, where he placed in second.
Tickets (20$) for the matinee show at 2 p.m. are already sold out but tickets are still available for the evening show (7 p.m.) and can be purchased at 100 Mile Feed and Ranch Supply, Work N’ Play and the PMT Chartered Professional Accountants LLP in 100 Mile House.
