Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival Delivers Good Times and Great Music
- Ron Johansen
- Sep 10
- 6 min read
Article by Mark Poppen
Photos by Tracy Creighton (Copperblue Photography)
I love me a good music festival, especially if they’re free.
The weekend before my wife had to get back to work at school, we wanted to have one more, last-minute camping trip. This happened to coincide with the Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival. Bonus!
We arrived at our campsite at Namekus Lake late Thursday evening, a 15-minute drive from the hamlet of Waskesiu. After setting up our tent in the dark and right before the rain came in, we headed to bed.
Waking up Friday morning, we found out we had set up our tent in 2 campsites, so we had to move. Anyway, let’s get to the music.
After chilling on the beach, reading books and exploring the campsite, we head out to the Friday night entertainment. We assumed the music would be at the main festival site, but when we noticed it was completely empty, we decided to follow the music and find The Great Fuss playing at the rec center, between the pickleball and basketball courts in the middle of town. There was a threat of thunder storms so the organization decided to move the music here from the Sunset Stage. We squeezed our chairs between the already settled-in crowd and enjoyed a set of Beatles-inspired rock and roll, mixed with some blues. The band, consisting of Pete Oldridge (Lead vocals and guitar), Fabian Minnema (Drums), Gillian Schneider (Keys) and Brody Moniker (Bass) are a tight group of professionals that kept people’s heads bobbing. There wasn’t a lot of room to dance, but the crowd stayed thoroughly entertained throughout the set.
After a cold night in our tent, it was time to head back to Waskesiu for the main event. This time at the main festival site.
The first band we caught were Prince Albert’s newcomers, East Side of 2nd. Led by Aiden Edwards and his brother Logan, the band brings a storm of energy to the stage. Heavily inspired by 50s and 60s rock and roll, their set had people dancing, singing along and cheering loudly. The band is a young group of guys in their early 20s and late teens. They’re a little rough around the edges, but they’ve made tonnes of progress since I first saw them perform in Prince Albert about a year ago. I suggest checking out their new single “Oh Baby” to get a feel of what they’re up to. You’ll be hearing more from these gentlemen.
Emcee Ken Landers came on stage after their set, saying something along the lines of “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much energy on a festival stage on a Saturday afternoon” (paraphrased), which tells a story. Ken is a pretty seasoned emcee for festivals.
DJ Anchor from Armed with Harmony kept the music going with smooth transitions.
Next up, also from Prince Albert was Cupid’s Heart. I’ve seen this trio on several occasions. Although their combination of a distorted electric guitar, a cello and drums is a bit of an acquired taste, they always get people moving and play earworms like “Tiny Boat” and “Wild Roses”. Emma and Stacey have been playing together for a while, and now, after trading the Alesis drum computer for a real human in Zach, I’m excited to hear what the next album is going to be like.
Unfortunately, JJ Lavalee was a last-minute drop-out due to illness (I hope you’re feeling better now, JJ!), which we took as a sign to explore Waskesiu. I live less than an hour away, and I’ve never actually been there.
It reminded me of Banff, except in summer. Banff is known to be a ski resort town, so its season is in winter, whereas Waskesiu makes hay while summer hits. The lake and town infrastructure are well-prepared for a significant influx of people when temperatures exceed 22 degrees. With several options for ice cream, convenience store, clothing, souvenirs, and several other activities like a mini putt, tennis, pickleball and basketball courts, as well as tons of kids' play structures, it makes sense that you hear so many people talk about the town in summer.
Oral Fuentes was next on our agenda to check out. I had hoped to catch him at Doylefest a couple of years ago, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to attend the festival. This was my chance to catch up.
If you like to dance, this is the band to check out. Originally from Belize in Central America Oral and his band bring the island vibes to Saskatchewan. Although listed as a reggae band, there are many funk influences. The band is comprised of members from several continents, and they bring the party with them. With instruments like the bongos, trumpets, trombones and “slappy bass lines” (yeah, that’s the technical term), the Oral Fuentes band will put you in a good mood.
The highlight of the festival, in my opinion, was Zhe the Free. A hip-hop act seemed out of place if you just looked at the lineup; however, with Zhe on the mic and Big Tones on the decks, they’re a dynamic duo. Because of the work they do in the community, they have a gravitational force around them when it comes to kids, as shown during their set. With continuous interaction, a crowd started to gather in front of the stage. This led to one kid on stage. Then another and another, until there were around a couple of dozen kids on stage, with one busting out some break dancing. After speaking with Zhe and Big Tones, I found out it’s a common occurrence to have people/kids join them on stage, but not usually this big a group.
They were taking pictures after their set with kids, and I overheard one of the dads thank Zhe for being a role model, which sums up why I thought they were the highlight of the festival.
We caught part of the Skaravan show, which has a lot of crossover with Oral Fuentes when it comes to summer vibes, before it was time for us to grab some food and head back to camp. This meant we missed festival headliner Bombargo, but I heard it was a good time.
On Sunday, Main Street of the town was taken over by The Klassic Kruisers Kar Klub car show, street fair, picnic tables and a small stage for the Indigenous Talent Showcase. Hosted by Donny Parenteau, the first artist we caught was our Deadly Aunty, Raven Reid. Her storytelling doesn’t shy away from the intergenerational trauma many Indigenous people suffer from, but also includes relationships and songs like “The Government Song” and “Stumbling Fool” prove this. Her witty banter and dad jokes between songs definitely lighten the mood.
Dakota Favel has found his stride back on stage. This powerhouse is back after he took a bit of a hiatus. His cross between country and rock is an entertaining one. He covers Keith Urban and Johnny Cash, which he puts his own twist on. He mixes these covers with his own original love songs. At the end of his set, he got the crowd singing “You Are My Sunshine,” which was fitting for the beautiful Sunday.
The next artist, Krystle Pederson, was unknown to me which made me feel like I had been living under a rock. She has a bunch of nominations and awards under her belt, which she proved were well earned on Sunday. These showcases are all acoustic, so it was a little hard to determine if these versions of the songs were representative of the studio recordings, but they were definitely enjoyable.
Julianna Parenteau. Remember that name. She took the stage next with her dad, Donny, as her backup. You know how parents of kids with a little bit of talent often speak highly of them and then you find out they’re alright, but they should stick to music as a hobby? Donny introduced his daughter with great pride and boy, did she deliver. While only 16, her voice sounds mature and powerful. Singing the Dolly Parton classic “Coat of Many Colors” as a duet with Donny made people in the audience perk up. Many people were asking each other who this kid was. Julianna Parenteau, that’s who.
Finishing up the afternoon, Donny Parenteau stayed on stage. He was pulling what we call a “triple duty”. Not only did he back his daughter, he was also the emcee for the afternoon. If you’ve never seen him perform, not only does he have great songs, the stories from the road between songs are also thoroughly entertaining. Having toured with the great Neal McCoy, he has seen a few places, which made it the perfect send-off for a fun-filled weekend.
Waskesiu, we will be back next year.
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