The beer was flowing and the tunes kept going at the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion for the fourth annual Battle Royale, May 7.聽
Despite only one band jotting down their name to compete in the musical showdown, many of Jasper鈥檚 talented locals hopped on stage to keep the event going for the large audience that had showed up.
The evening鈥檚 lineup ended up including everything from gruff sea shanties to bluegrass twang鈥� which left the audience clapping along or stomping their feet.
In previous years, acts would battle in front of a panel of judges for a chance to win one out of two spots at the local folk festival, but because Cynthia Hamar and her Entwistle-based band (a tiny hamlet near Edmonton) were the only participants, they immediately claimed a spot while also wowing the crowd with their warm acoustic sounds and storytelling style lyrics.
As well as a night of fabulous music, the Battle Royale also included a silent auction. Money raised through the auction and ticket sales will go towards Jasper鈥檚 Folk Music Festival organized by the Jasper Heritage and Blues Society.
This year鈥檚 Jasper Folk Music festival will take place from Sept. 9-11.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
