If you're looking for a different type of music to tap your foot to, then the Brackendale Art Gallery may be the place for you. The BAG is hosting the fifth annual Brackendale Bluegrass Festival next weekend, and to top off the upbeat entertainment, audience members may even find themselves on CBC.
Running Friday and Saturday (May 4 and 5) the fest will not only feature four great B.C. bluegrass bands, but also give local musicians a chance to hone their skills.
"We're going to start around noon on Saturday and continue all day with workshops," said Cam Salay, the Paperboys member and event organizer who will MC the weekend.
"We'll have workshops for guitar, harmony vocals, dobro, mandolin and banjo."
The workshops, which have proven popular in the past, will cost $10 each.
"The lessons will be for beginners to intermediate," said Salay. "The workshops can be pretty inspirational, There's a good chance that there will be a lot of jamming going on too if people want to be hanging around with their instruments."
On top of the workshops four bands will be on hand over the course of the weekend, with Outlaw Social and the Breakmen playing on Friday night, and Viper Central and the Little Mountain Band taking to the stage on Saturday. Both shows start at 8 p.m. with tickets for each show $15 or $25 for both nights.
"I would say that Outlaw Social is a group of young musicians who discovered old music and given it a modern twist."
CBC will be on hand to film Outlaw Social and former Pemberton and Whistler resident Archie Pateman's band The Breakmen.
"This is supposed to be for a piece to be nationally broadcast so that is pretty special," said Salay.
The following night, young and old will cross paths as Viper Central and the Little Mountain Band both strut their stuff.
"Viper Central is a hot new band from Vancouver. Little Mountain Band is a hot old band from Vancouver. They've been around since the early 80s," said Salay.
"It will be a pretty cool contrast."
If the two-day festival leaves you wanting even more music, the BAG will also be hosting its monthly Grassroots Jam on Sunday night at 7 p.m.
