by Scott Roos
Started up by well known, local, and respected country music troubadour Larry Krause, the ten show concert series entitled Live @ Broda Lounge, based at the Anderson Community Centre in Christopher Lake, is an eclectic affair featuring performers across several styles and genres. Krause, who, close to a decade ago, had a similar series out of Northside adopted the same format for the Broda Lounge. Born out of the necessity to create performance opportunities not just for the Saskatchewan artists within his sphere of influence but for himself as well, Krause realized that, once again, he would need to take the bull by the proverbial horns. The COVID restrictions had eased but, unfortunately, the venues and opportunities to perform still seemed to be at a premium.
“There's no point in sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. You eventually realize that you're gonna have to get up, get out there, and do something to make things happen,” Krause told NSMZ.
Krause’s goal, from the outset, was to provide wholesome, family entertainment for the folks in Christopher Lake. The first show, which happened back in December, featured Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys, who have had a meteoric rise to the top of the Saskatchewan music scene since forming in the spring of 2021. They turned out to be the perfect act to kick things off with. Vaadeland’s Broda Lounge show, like many of his 2022 shows, was sold out.
“He seems to have kind of found his own little corner of the world that's coming up unique. It's fresh, it's wholesome, it's incredibly talented, and it's something that people are looking to be entertained with. It's family orientated,” raved Krause when talking about the Vaadeland show.
“The bottom line behind this series is,” continued Krause, “I've got a pretty good idea of my audience (in Christoper Lake) and the people there and what they're looking for and that is very much what I tailored all of the different styles of music to. I wanted to have something for everybody to enjoy."
Other performers in the series include Munroe and Patrick (who performed on Dec. 15th), Wade Fehr, Jolie Blue and Jefferey Straker to name a few. This Thursday, January 12th, Justin LaBrash along with his band True North (Carter Kent on Drums, Parker Nabis on Bass, and Micah Walbaum on Fiddle) will take the stage.
“He's got a great sound and is another one of these young guns that are climbing up the ladder and making some noise so I think people are really gonna enjoy that show,” commented Krause on having LaBrash out to the Broda Lounge.
LaBrash, a country singer-songwriter, having released his full length The Neon Palm Tree back in June, is looking forward to the chance to perform in front of the Christopher Lake crowd.
“We love playing in smaller communities because we all come from them. It’s like coming home, even playing in a town we’ve never been to. The people are always welcoming and know good music. So, we’re very much looking forward to visiting Christopher lake for the very first time,” LaBrash told NSMZ.
Tickets are available at the Village of Christopher Lake Office and cost $25. Tickets can be purchased with cash or e-transfer only (see poster above).