ATHABASCA — Calling all bluegrass and rockabilly fans; your chance to hear music inspired by favourites from yonder years is fast approaching as The Heartwood Folk Club prepares to welcome Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys to the Nancy Appleby Theatre Nov. 2.
Vaadeland and company’s 7:30 p.m. performance will mark the third of four shows scheduled for the fall season, to be followed by bilingual local singer Crystal Plamondon Nov. 17. The unique stylings of Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys are sure to capture fans of early genres popularized by music legend Johnny Cash and the Martha White sponsored Grand Ole Opry.
Often noticed for his on- and off-stage embodiment of the vintage era that inspires his music — from authentic retro suits made in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the medium-hold real grease hair pomade, to vintage stylings of the bands microphones — lead man Vaadeland said the visual is far from a performance.
“What I know is what I know, and what I’ve made for myself is what I’ve become,” said Vaadeland, a 20-year-old proudly hailing from Big River, SK. and currently residing near Cut Knife, SK. “Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I’ve sort of been absorbed.”
“I dress the way I dress every single day. I’ve grown accustomed to it, I feel very comfortable and confident in my clothing,” said Vaadeland in an Oct. 25 interview. “I don’t like to say I live in the ‘40s, or I live in the ‘20s. No, I live in 2023. The way I am is the way I am with the show, how I am at home.”
In 2022, Vaadeland was dubbed a six-time award-winning musician, securing Album of the Year for the 10-track Everybody but Me collection, and Folk/Roots Artist of the Year at the Saskatchewan Music Awards for his new take on cherished styles. He was also awarded Fans Choice Entertainer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Alternative Country Album of the Year, and Emerging Artist of the Year at the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards.
“I left school in grade 10 and finished online. I didn’t go to university — I suppose some people get the university degree so they can do their job, and those awards to me are kind of my degree, and my right of passage in a way.”
The band has performed around 200 shows during tours across Canada and into the United States over the last two years, and even had a chance to play their newest single I Ain’t Going Back to Nashville, released in August 2023, in the track’s namesake city.
“I really do enjoy the touring,” said Vaadeland. “It ends up being a lot of time away from home, and it gets to be pretty tough, but at the same time I’m very passionate about it and wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
A package deal, Vaadeland will be joined on stage by the Sturgeon River Boys, made up of right-hand man Joel Rohs on electric guitar, five-string bango player Jaxon Lalonde, and Stephen Williams, the resident dancer on upright bass.
Heartwood regulars and audience members can expect more than original numbers infused with classic sounds from the group during their upcoming show. Vaadeland said as much as his sound is inspired by artists from the ‘50s, so is his take on show-business.
After finding black and white videos of the Martha White sponsored Grand Ole Opry in Nashville — which began in 1948 and is still running to this day —, Vaadeland taught himself to play to banjo by studying Earl Scruggs, and later plucky guitar after the stylings of Lester Flatt.
“I thought, well, (Lester’s) just that old guy that plays the guitar, he’s not so important” said Vaadeland. “I started playing the guitar and was studying Lester a little bit more. I started to realize how important he was ... how important that is to make the foundation of the show sturdy enough that the whole thing won’t fall apart.”
“I became very passionate about show business then, because I realized It was more than just playing the bango, and playing the guitar, and signing,” said Vaadeland. “What fuels my fire for it is making that show run as smooth as possible.”
From song pairings, vintage clothing store ad placements, and a 1980’s Diet Pepsi jingle with sentimental value to Vaadeland, the entire experience is intentionally crafted. “I really put a lot of work into making sure it’s not just the music is what’s heard; that people are entertained the whole time,” he said.
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys music can be found on Vaadeland’s website. Advance tickets for the show are available for purchase at Athabasca Health Foods, Whispering Hill Fuel, or Value Drug Mart for $30, and door tickets will be available for $35.
