Sunset Country Music Festival Keeps It Real with Gritty, Honest Night of Local Country Talent

photos and words by Scott Roos

Mercy Glover performing during a particularly intimate moment of her set.

There’s something charmingly old-school about a field show under the prairie sky, and Sunset Country Music Festival knows it. Now in its fourth year, the fest - set on a quiet farm just outside MacDowall - gathered a crowd of about 200–250 this past Saturday (Aug. 9) for a grassroots night of country music, community connection, and support for a cause that’s close to home. Proceeds from the event go toward the River Valley Resilience Retreat, a safe haven for veterans, first responders, and frontline workers.

The bill this year leaned into emerging Saskatchewan talent, offering a mix of originals and crowd-pleasing covers. And while the vibe was relaxed, there was still room for growth onstage - and moments where that rawness worked to the performers' advantage.

Evan Baxter opened the night with a stripped-down solo set that was quietly compelling. His baritone voice has a distinct, lived-in quality that matched his lyrical themes - thoughtful, sometimes brooding, but never overwrought. His original “Storms of My Mind,” from his My Waste of Time EP, stood out with its hooky charm and off-kilter appeal. Still, Baxter could stand to loosen the reins a bit and lean more into his material with conviction. There’s good writing there; now it’s time for the performance to catch up - channel some grit, some edge, and maybe a bit more confidence to really drive the songs home.

Brett Down followed with a gentler touch - his tenor vocals and clean guitar work gave his set a more melodic, laid-back energy. There’s a breezy, John Mayer meets prairie folk vibe to what Down’s doing, and it resonated with the crowd. His originals are in the early stages, but there’s a musicality there that suggests he’s on the right path. At times, his vocals flirted with pitch issues, but nothing that pulled too far from the mood he was building. With continued time onstage and some focus on tightening up vocal control, Down could really grow into his sound. The foundation is solid - now it’s about refinement.

Third up was Mercy Glover, whose set marked a clear shift in energy. Backed by The Boys Downtown (Andy Schumack on electric guitar, Matthew Nadon on bass, Ezra Seed on drums), Glover brought a full-band sound to the stage - plus the added presence of Max Pitchette on acoustic, who was added to the mix and eased into things like a pro. The setlist leaned into fiery pop-country and rock covers: “Misery Business,” “Picture to Burn,” and the ever-popular “Goodbye Earl” all landed well with the crowd. Glover’s vocals showed an improvement from last year’s festival - stronger and more confident -  but her stage presence is still a work in progress. There’s improvement from previous outings, no doubt, but she often seemed more focused on execution than expression (understandable given the complexity of some of the covers she was singing). The pieces are there for Glover to be a first rate performer in the province, but it’s time to connect the dots: own the stage, show us the fire behind the voice, and make us believe it.

Closing things out was Josh Stumpf, who continues to grow into one of the more reliable draws in the region. Backed again by The Boys Downtown (minus Pitchette this time), Stumpf brought a polished, crowd-pleasing set that leaned on originals like “Drink Me a Lullaby” and “Highway Money” - tracks that toe the line between radio-ready and emotionally resonant. He’s clearly connecting with fans, some of whom were singing along word for word. His surprise cover of Creed’s “Higher” was a bit of a wildcard move, but it landed with surprising force and gave the night a needed jolt. His closer -  “Stay a Little Longer” by Brothers Osborne - offered a final moment of connection between performer and crowd.

“I was happy with my set,” said Stumpf after the show. “We had one or two spots that could’ve been tighter, but performance-wise I was happy with it all in all.”

The crowd seemed to agree.

Sunset Country Music Festival isn’t aiming to compete with the big name festivals like Ness Creek or Gateway - it doesn’t have to. It’s carving out something more meaningful: an intimate, homegrown celebration of Saskatchewan country, where up-and-comers can cut their teeth, test new material, and feel the feedback in real time. All four showed up and gave it their all, and that’s what makes this fest matter.

Year four is in the books - here’s to five.