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Backyard concert in Longview a hit

Award-winning band The Travelling Mabels performed its first concert in nine months in matriarch Eva Levesque’s backyard Sept. 19 and 20 to an enthusiastic audience.

Country/folk music fans from across the Foothills converged in the backyard of a Longview singer’s home for a weekend of great music.

Award-winning band The Travelling Mabels performed its first concert in nine months in matriarch Eva Levesque’s backyard Sept. 19 and 20 to an enthusiastic audience.

“I so appreciate them doing this for us,” said fan Jill Jones of Okotoks, who attended Saturday’s concert. “I’ve been missing live music terribly, we all have. There really has been nothing.”

When Jones learned of the concert, she immediately purchased tickets.

“Any sign of live music, I’m in,” she said. “I’ve seen them perform many times, even before they were the Mabels. I love them.”

Jones said she enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of the small-scale concert.

“It’s more intimate,” she said. “People need to get out and support our musicians.”

Jope Langejans, who hosts live music out of his Priddis home through Creekside Concerts, also made sure not to miss the show.

“I want to support them and other musicians that are struggling,” he said. “I’ve known the Mabels for quite a while. I come here for Longstock and I knew they were supporters of that so I wanted to support them.”

Levesque and her bandmates performed for 60 fans Saturday and 80 on Sunday in what was a sold-out show for the Mabels. They performed a range of songs from their three albums, as well as some cover tunes, with country musician Cody Follis opening both shows.

“This is the first time we’ve every organized a yard concert,” said Levesque. “Longstock was a whole different ball game, but this was a little intimate yard party. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out, but it worked out really well.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of thousands of concerts across Alberta, resulting in many bands performing online and using the spare time to create new material.

The Mabels planned last weekend’s intimate get-together to lift spirits and make a bit of money at the same time.

“Everybody brought their own chair and refreshments and picked a spot in the yard and they listened and we joked and talked to people,” said Levesque. “It was so relaxed.”

The Foothills band plans to spend the next few months recording a new album with hopes of a release in 2021.

Tammy Rollie, OkotoksToday.ca

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