The Hillbilly Homestead outdoor music venue in MacDowall is celebrating their 10th Concert season on Sunday at the EA Rawlinson Centre.
The concert is a celebration of the success of the venue and bring a bit of country to Prince Albert according to Hillbilly Hostess and Hillbilly Homestead founder Audrey Neubuhr.
“We have been going since 2013, that’s when the first concert started and I just was surprised by the response of the people like we had such good turnouts and I’m 26 kilometers away from Prince Albert, so it’s not like it’s easy place to come to,” Neubuhr said.
She said that the venue and the name go hand in hand.
“I’ve got little critters around the yard, like donkeys and sheep and ducks and people just love to watch them when the concerts are on too, so. We’re getting entertainment from all kinds of areas.”
“This is the 10th season, so that’s why I was so excited about having this with the Rawlinson Centre in March. I’ve had many at Rawlinson Centre, but usually at the end of January and it’s always so bitterly cold, I just thought now because of it’s, this is the 10th season I’d have it in March and hopefully have a good kickoff to the to the summer,” she said.
Concerts are each Sunday throughout the summer and the 10th season kicks off on May 19 with Stacy Springall and Romeo Klyne.
“I haven’t got my total run down yet, but I’ll have it ready for the concert on Sunday, cause I want to give out posters.”
Sunday’s concert will feature Terry Lasko on lead guitar, Rod Gjerde on rhythm guitar Corey Grand on bass, Jody Giesbrecht on steel guitar, Phyllis McTaggart a piano player from Prince Albert, Patty Heisler from the Debden area and a special guest.
“And my daughter, this is another reason I had to choose a very awkward date because I know it’s Easter weekend, but my daughter is a tour guide from Nelson, BC and she’s always gone, very rarely ever gets a chance to come home and take part in these concerts I put on. So this time it just worked out that she could come home,” Neubuhr said.
“Her name is Mindy Sjogren, and she’s from Nelson, BC. And she’s one heck of a good singer, so I’m just excited about having her on the show.”
The show is on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the EA Rawlinson Centre, the cost for adults is $33, 12 and under is $11 Neubuhr said that she is hoping for a good crowd.
“I know ticket sales aren’t looking too good right now, but I think we’ll get quite a few walk-ins and you know, if I if I had to base everything on how many people were there, I would never do anything.
She said that she is noticing that attendance has dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“ So it’s just a different, a different atmosphere now I think so, but I’m not going to keep doing it because we got to keep the music going and I just love this kind of stuff. I mean, it’s so bittersweet in so many ways,” Neubuhr said.
She said that it was special to have her daughter coming on Sunday because she used to sing with her when she was a child.
“I would never trade that memory for anything. So that just makes it all worthwhile,” Neubuhr said.
She is also bringing another part of the Hillbilly Homestead to the Rawlinson.
“Well, I’m giving away free spudnuts at the show, well, that’s what I do here at the concerts with the admission price, they get a free spudnut, so that might as well do that at the Rawlinson Centre too,” she said.
