Carleton graduates Renée Yoxon and Lynne Hanson kicked off the opening weekend of the O-Town Hoedown music festival Sept. 24-25.
Yoxon, who earned a physics degree at Carleton, performed Sept. 24 at Rainbow Bistro.
Yoxon has played at the Ottawa Jazz Festival, the 1000 Islands Jazz Festival and other big venues. However, she said she enjoyed playing tunes with a country vibe during the hoedown.
“I’ve played professionally around town at all major jazz venues and some of the smaller ones,” she said. “It’s a very small scene so it’s nice to expand and meet new potential listeners and people who haven’t heard you before.”
Yoxon said her music reflects the atmosphere and the country nature of Rainbow Bistro, which she described as a “dive bar with a fun party vibe.”
“We [make] an effort to not play any of our swingy swing tunes,” she said, adding that she enjoys playing country covers.
“It’s a pretty nice thing to be a part of a festival of country music, because I’m a jazz musician,” Yoxon said.
Hanson, who has a degree in mass communications, performed on the third night of the O-Town Hoedown. Having played at numerous festivals across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, her music draws on old musical traditions with her own contemporary twist, she said.
Hanson called her style of music “porch music,” which she said is “unplugged, unstructured, and informal.”
Festival organizer, Lefty McRighty, said he was excited to have both Yoxon and Hanson as part of this year’s roster.
“Everybody at the hoedown fits somehow.” McRighty said, “But some of them require more imagination.”
While Yoxon usually plays jazz music, McRighty said the music she plays acoustically sounds very similar to modern alternative country. Hanson’s music fits into the Canadiana genre, and fits into the festival that way, he said.
“It’s one of those things where you listen to the music and if it sounds right, it’s right,” he said.
O-Town Hoedown will be more intimate than other music festivals like the Capital Hoedown, which took place in August, McRighty said.
“At most festivals, you get to see really big bands, but you don’t ever get to hob nob with them because they’re untouchable,” he said.
The opening night of the hoedown focused on Mud Records, a local record label owned by Brock Zeman, a Lanark County native. Robert Larisey and the Brothers Through the Hill, all from Lanark County and signed to Mud Records, performed with Zeman.
Zeman said he’s lucky to have the chance to get his music heard and that he’s honoured to have been recognized by McRighty.
“I really like what [McRighty’s] pulling off, and I hope it gets better and better,” Zeman said. “[McRighty’s] got a couple bands, runs a songwriter night, a radio show and now a festival — I think it’s in good hands.”
