WESTLOCK – Dennis Ryan and Kim Landry are two good friends who share a love of music.
The two have been organizing events for years and are now business partners with KimDen Productions. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic they wanted to bring people together and thought a music festival would be the best way, hence, Music Mash 2022. Slated to run Sept. 2-4 at the at the Westlock Ag Society Fair Grounds, the fest will feature close to a dozen bands covering all genres.
“COVID is over so what better way to bring people together than with music. Instead of starting small we thought let’s just go big or go home,” said Landry. “Dennis and I have been friends for a couple of years now and we’ve planned many events, fundraisers. Dennis had the idea to start a business and become event planners. It’s what we enjoy doing.”
In addition to their love of music, the pair wants to give back to the community. A portion of the funds raised from the fest will go towards non-profit organizations including Westlock’s Soul Sisters Memorial Foundation, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and Bullying Enns. In supporting the organizations, Ryan noted they are “trying to raise $7,500 for each charity.”
“My son (Bryton) was born with a brain defect and had 23 surgeries. If it wasn’t for the Stollery, my son would not be alive today,” said Landry. “Everything I have done in the past is for the Stollery — it’s very close to my heart.”
Prior to starting KimDen Productions, Ryan was a chef in the catering business for several years and got to know many musicians and bands while touring with them, including the likes of Blue Rodeo, Jann Arden, and others, as their personal chef.
“We’ve booked bands before and have done that with some other things with another organization that I’m with, and they’ve all turned out great,” said Ryan, noting the festival’s sponsors have played a big part in helping bring this music festival to Westlock. The Westlock and District Ag Society has also been very supportive of Music Mash.
The inaugural event will feature several Alberta-based artists and bands in a three-day in a music festival that came together in a matter of weeks this summer.
“We’re very proud Alberta supporters. Ninety-five per cent of the bands are from Alberta — we want to support Alberta and we want to put the money back into Alberta and back into the community,” said Ryan.
The event will showcase jazz and blues artists Samantha King, Guitarface and the Colin McDonald Band on the Friday night, while pop and rock artists Steve McQueen, Powerhouse, the Ramifications and Rubix Cubed will rock the stage on Saturday and a country music lineup featuring Nice Horse, Dirt Road Angels, The Johnny Cash Experience and Flat Broke will close out the festival on Sunday.
Music Mash will also include a beer garden, food trucks, and a VIP section. Residents can bring their own lawn chairs for the general admission area while the VIP section will have its own private seating closer to the stage.
As the first KimDen Production, Music Mash, is set for Labour Day weekend, both are excited to see their first event as business partners hit the stage and noted the “blood, sweat and tears” from both that helped make the music festival a reality.
“We’re not taking a paycheque from this. We’re putting everything back, minus expenses, into the company and back into the charities to let us build up so that we can do something even bigger next year with bigger headliners,” said Ryan. “It’s already in the works.”
