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JACKALOPE JAMBOREE
East Oregonian
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Carson McHone acknowledges the crowd’s applause after finishing her set during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree.
Maiden music
festival offers full
slate
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
The Jackalope Jamboree
unspooled like a dream —
minus an overflow crowd.
Attendance at the maiden
music festival — about 800
— was high enough, though,
to suggest that the event
could develop into a main-
stay. During the day, spec-
tators happily ping-ponged
between two stages — one in
the Happy Canyon Arena and
the other on a trailer stage out
in the concourse area by the
main gate. The instant a set
ended on one stage, another
began a short walk away on
the other, so music flowed
seamlessly. People who
stayed the entire 10 hours
experienced 13 bands and
solo artists.
Action began with smoky-
smooth country artist Jai-
mie Wyatt and ended with
the high-energy American
Aquarium with its folk-in-
fused rock and roll. In
between came many shades
of rock, folk and country and
a frenzied drum solo by Papi
Fimbres of Mascaras. Local
sons James Dean Kindle and
the Eastern Oregon Playboys
played their distinctive high-
way rock.
Spectators took beer gar-
den breaks or refueled at
several food trucks under
the grandstands. Smoke
from Mario’s Basque Bar
B-Q wafted into the arena
throughout the day. Lines
formed at Granny’s Tama-
les and Filipino Cuisino.
Food workers listened as
they served up meals. Four
girls manning the Pendleton
High School beverage trailer,
momentarily without cus-
tomers late in the afternoon,
couldn’t resist moving to the
beat of the Lonesome Billies
and set the drink trailer to
rocking.
Four friends — Peter
Walters and Ryan Beach,
of Pendleton, and Darrin
Lequerica and Chad Col-
well, of La Grande — birthed
the festival like four musical
midwives. On Saturday, they
watched the fruits of their
labor with satisfaction. The
financials aren’t in yet, Col-
well said, “but we’re 100 per-
cent doing it next year.”
Attendance increased as
the day unfurled, peaking
in the evening during Shane
Smith & the Saints. The
Texas band drew apprecia-
tive applause with its harmo-
nies and lively stage antics.
Walters, who plays guitar
and tenor sax with the Play-
boys, said his favorite part of
the day was observing his fel-
low musicians as they experi-
enced other bands.
“I loved watching the
artists watching the other
artists,”
Walters
said.
“There was a lot of mutual
admiration.”
Colwell said everything
went unbelievably well for a
first-year festival.
“Everyone we spoke to
had positive things to say,” he
said. “The weather was per-
fect. There were no hiccups.”
———
Contact Kathy Aney at
kaney@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0810.
BJ Barham, lead singer of American Aquarium, lets loose
during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
A couple swing dances as they listen to Brandy Zdan on the
Goldie’s Stage during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree.
A little girl applauds for Brandy Zdan during Saturday’s Jack-
alope Jamboree.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
The Lonesome Billies raise a toast during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Brandy Zdan plays a guitar solo during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree.
Jaime Wyatt was the first of 13 bands to play during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree at the
Happy Canyon Arena.
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Papi Fimbres, of Mascaras, plays a wild drum solo during Saturday’s Jackalope Jamboree.
BJ Barham, lead singer of American Aquarium, closes his eyes as he sings during Saturday’s
Jackalope Jamboree.