After an amazing first day in St. Agapit, Quebec, which matched attendance from last year’s record-breaking show with Tim Hicks and James Barker Band, you’d think it would be hard to top on Saturday. But then again a lineup of heavy hitters starting with Ottawa’s own Rainwater Whiskey and perfect weather matched with a province of hungry country music fans anything was possible.
One of the many things I love about this business is the comradery that you can develop with the artists and their teams. At Festival Country Lotbinière we all work very closely together to help make the event a success. On many days it’s not uncommon to have breakfast together with the artists and their staff, stories are shared, laughs are had and relationships are built. Moments like these solidify my theory that the music business is much more than a business, it’s a family. Every spoke in the wheel serves a purpose. I had the opportunity to sit with Brett Kissel before his show on Saturday evening and we talked about how everything is intertwined. The festivals help promote the artists to an audience in a geographical region, the tour managers work to ensure the artist has what he / she needs but also to ensure that it’s cost effective for the festival, the artist makes sure to put on a top performance to ensure that fans come to and stay at the venue until the end of the show and the media promotes the artist and festival to their audience.
Saturday morning we met with Eric Ethridge and Dan Davidson and their bandmates over breakfast where there shared stories from the road and hilarious mixups from past tours, one of which you’ll hear all about in my interview with Brett.
After breakfast we returned to our go-to lunch destination, Angus Zone. I can’t stress enough how this should be a destination for anyone passing through the area, it’s only 10 minutes off of Highway 20 at St. Apollinaire. The staff is always amazing and the food, well we’ll let the food speak for itself.
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
A taste of what Ottawa is about to unleash on the world was up first on Saturday afternoon as Rainwater Whiskey took to the stage inside the event hall. These Ottawa boys wasted no time showing that could’ve easily commanded the mainstage with their high energy blend of country rock. Tim Hicks may not have been there in person but he was certainly there in spirit and loved their cover of his song “Hell Raisin’ Good Time” which he co-wrote with Jeff Coplan of Blackjack Billy.
We’ve been following Rainwater Whiskey for some time now but this is the first time that I personally have had the opportunity to see them perform live and if their performance on Saturday is any indication I think we’ll be seeing much more from them in the coming months and years. But why not get on the bandwagon early and check them out at www.rainwaterwhiskey.com.
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
We had the opportunity to sit down for a quick chat with Eric Ethridge before his set and he had some good news to share with us, on his way to the venue in Quebec he hit publish on his debut 7 song EP to iTunes. The EP is expected to be available on all digital platforms on July 6, and has 3 new songs on top of this 2 previously released singles “Liquors Calling the Shots” and “Makin’ Me Crazy“. The EP was produced by JUNO Award winning producer Brian Howes (Hedley, Simple Plan, Nickelback) and will be Howes first country project. Watch for more on Eric’s EP in our interview piece coming up later this week.
After chatting with Eric we caught up with Brett Kissel where we talked about his We Were The Song tour that recently wrapped up as well as the dates for phase 2 expected to be announced any day now. In our conversation with his tourmate Dan Davidson that morning he told me that I should ask Brett about an incident at a tour stop in Edmonton at which Brett had invited Dan to join him on stage to perform “Raise Your Glass”…only Dan didn’t realize that Brett was talking about his “Raise Your Glass” and instead rehearsed P!nk’s “Raise Your Glass“. You can imagine what followed was both hilarious and terrifying for Dan Davidson but when the headliner is Brett Kissel you know it’s all in good fun, not that he’ll let him forget about it anytime soon. Catch the full interview coming up later this week.
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
After chatting with Brett we took in a powerhouse performance by Eric Ethridge. Language barriers seemed to vanish very quickly as Eric easily communicated with the crowd through his music, I have to say I was amazed at how well many knew his music considering he only has a few songs available at the moment. I spent much of his set at the back of the crowd and could hear many singing along. At one point he had the crowd swaying with their hands in the air like he was leading a workout video, it was magic.
.@EricEthridge has the massive crowd at @FestCountryLotb eating out of his hands tonight! #WeLoveLive #FCL2018 pic.twitter.com/81oJLUDmv3
— Sound Check Ent. (@SoundCheckBlg) June 17, 2018
Eric may have only placed second to the James Barker Band 3 years ago but I have a sneaking suspicion that 2018 will be a big year for him, especially after seeing first hand what he can deliver on stage. Pre-Orders for his debut EP start June 25 on iTunes. Be sure to checkout www.ericethridge.com in the meantime so you don’t miss a beat on what’s coming up next.
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettitt
Brett Kissel took to the stage next. What can I really say about Brett that I haven’t said already? He’s a one of a kind entertainer and one of the best people I know. Lotbinière was not his first show in Quebec, just the night before he performed to a record crowd in Ayers Cliff, and when I asked him about his French skills he told me they still weren’t great but he’s actually studying French and hopes to be fluent in two years. Language didn’t matter once Brett stepped out on that stage in front of a massive crowd on that warm Saturday night.
Record crowd at @FestCountryLotb and @BrettKissel is in his element! We can’t say enough about this #CanadianKid #WeLoveLive #WeWereThatSong #CoolWithThat #FCL2018 pic.twitter.com/yN9clQjZL3
— Sound Check Ent. (@SoundCheckBlg) June 17, 2018
Brett rocked a fired up crowd till almost midnight with hit after hit. One of my favourite moments was seeing thousands of cell phone flashlights light up the night sky as Brett sang “Tough People Do”. It wasn’t until after the show that it sunk in with Brett the magnitude of what had just transpired. 2 consecutive nights Brett Kissel shattered attendance records at 2 separate festivals in Quebec; a province that, until recently, many believed had no country music following.
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettitt
If starting a country music festival in Quebec was considered a risky thing 4 years ago I think this year’s festival with two equally strong nights of entertainment will have put that argument to rest. Quebec fans have more than proven to this writer that they love their country music and are willing to travel from Montreal, Quebec City and other parts of the province to see their favourite perform.
As for us, we’re sad it’s over but already looking forward to the 2019 edition of Festival Country Lotbinière.
More Photos
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Matt Langevin, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018, Festival Country De Lotbiniere
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Eric Ethridge and Brett Kissel. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Matt Lang, Saint Agopit, Qu. June 16, 2018ng, Festival Country De Lotbiniere
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Matt Lang, Saint Agopit, Qu. June 16, 2018ng, Festival Country De Lotbiniere
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Matt Langevin, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018ng, Festival Country De Lotbiniere
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Rainwater Whiskey, Festival Country De Lotbiniere. June 16, 2018
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
Eric Ethridge. Festival Country De Lotbinière, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018 photo Ron Pettit
Brett Kissel, Festival Country De Lotbiniere, Saint Agapit, Qu. June 16, 2018
