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2008 Columbia River Cowboy Gathering by Smoke Wade Pasco, WA: For the 5th consecutive year, cowboy poets and western musicians gathered in a time honored tradition along the banks of the Columbia River in Pasco, WA for the 2008 Columbia River Cowboy Gathering. And what a fantastic event it was! The organizers of the event, Ed & Angie Dailey and Budd & Judy Massengale, along with the gathering board members, seem to have the ability to take this festival to new heights every year. They are to be commended for putting together an exceptional gathering and certainly one of the very best in the Pacific Northwest. The most noticeable difference in this year’s gathering was the change of venue from the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Kennewick, WA, to the TRAC facility across the river in Pasco, WA. The TRAC is a very large activity center that accommodates many activities at the same time including an adjacent minor league baseball field. This particular weekend found the cowboy entertainers sharing the event grounds with the Desert Classic Quarter Horse Show. The event center for the gathering was located in the ice hockey building with a unique stage set up. The day stage was on one end of the building while the main stage for the evening shows was on the opposite end of the ice arena. Located between the opposite facing seating arrangement were tables for folks to enjoy lunch or perhaps to spend time visiting and relaxing. Western trade-show exhibitors lined the walls on either side of the seating area. Cowboy entertainment got under way at noon on Friday with scheduled showcase performances mixed with open mic sessions. Budd Massengale emceed the day shows and he kept the program moving in an organized manner. Since the Columbia River Cowboy Gathering blends Nashville with western music, it was normal to see performers such as Rex Allen Jr. and Johnny Lee sitting in the showcase audience. One highlight of the Friday showcase was when Stampede, of Utah, was on stage and asked for requests. A voice in the back of the audience blurted, "Ride Cowboy, Ride." As soon as the group got the song started, Rex Allen Jr. bounded from the audience to the stage and joined the group to sing the song that he wrote. Keith Anderson and the Columbia River Cowboy Heritage Society presented special afternoon poetry performances. One of the highlights of the day sessions was an outstanding showcase performance by Hank Cramer of Washington. Cramer’s blend of a strong folk singer background with traditional cowboy songs was well received by the audience. The entertainment switched to the main stage at 5:00 p.m. as Ed Dailey took over the emcee duties with occasional help from Smoke Wade, Nevada. The evening show featured musician/singers Shiloh Sharrard, Idaho; Bodie Dominguez, Washington; Rod Erickson, Idaho; Sarah Gautschi, California; and John Westbrook, Montana. The musical groups included The Rockin’ HW, Washington, comprised of Alan Halvorson, Morry Walter and Michael Whitaker; The High Strung Band featuring the five member Reddington family, Oregon; and the popular Utah trio, Steve & Terri Taylor and David Anderson of the band, Stampede! Steve Taylor is president of the Western Music Association. Cowboy poets for the evening included Clark Crouch, Washington; Van Criddle, Oregon, Sam DeLeeuw, Utah; and Smoke Wade. Headlining the evening’s event were Eli Barsi, Tennessee, and Johnny Lee. Eli Barsi was back by popular demand and she brought her own unique brand of energy and pure entertainment to the stage much to the delight of the audience. She certainly appears to be one of the brightest young talents in the western music genre. Lee has produced many No. 1 country hits in his career including "Lookin’ for Love," "One in a Million," "Bet Your Heart on Me," "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and "You Could’ve Heard a Heart Break." Along with many other Top Ten country hits, Lee absolutely dominated the evening. Traveling solo to this event, he was backed up by Zac Grooms and the band, Unwound, from Oregon. After the Johnny Lee performance ended, the Unwound band played dance music until midnight. After the event center entertainment quieted down and the audience reluctantly departed for the evening, many of the musicians and fans regrouped at the Crow’s Nest on the top floor of the Clover Island Inn across the river in Kennewick for a late night jam session. Everything started up again at the TRAC at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning with a full venue of daytime showcase performances and open mic sessions. Budd Massengale was the emcee for the day time event. Joining the Friday cast of performers on Saturday were Coyote Joe Sartin, Oregon; Sourdough Slim, California; and the kicking’ cowgirl band from Washington, Horse Crazy, featuring Lauralee Northcott, Emele Clothier and Jennifer Epps. Their performance was dynamic and their three-part harmony brought the audience to their feet. One noted performance of the day was presented by the ever popular, Sourdough Slim. While his talent is original and funny, he has the ability to make an audience laugh just by standing on the stage and not speaking. Once his act started, the crowd went wild which seemed to add fuel to the fire. His performance could have to have been rated the "Best of Show." Cowboy poet, Van Criddle and his wife, Kathy, were presented with the Rising Star Award for their contributions to the western entertainment industry. The Top Hand Award was presented to board members Alan Rogers and Donna Pettyjohn for their endless hours of volunteer work in helping make the show a success. At 5:00 p.m. the program once again reverted to the main stage on the opposite end of the building for a special performance of the Buckskin Trail Radio Theater. The program featured Greg Martin as Morgan Hays and Gail Marten as Lacy Gray along with participating members from the audience. The show paid tribute to classic radio programs of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s in the tradition of Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger and Hop-a-long-Cassidy. Many of the Saturday night performers were the same as Friday night, and Ed Dailey along with Smoke Wade once again emceed the show. Joining the cast for the evening were Sourdough Slim and Horse Crazy. Sarah Gautschi dazzled the audience with classic favorites such as "Tennessee Waltz," and "The Wayward Wind." John Westbrook displayed his exceptional guitar playing abilities and the High Strung Band achieved their usual standing ovation. Headlining the Saturday night show was Rex Allen Jr. of Nevada. Back by popular demand, he dominated the evening with his strong vocals and pleasing stage presence. Allen not only starred on the hit television shows, The Statler Brothers Show and Yesteryear, he has also written many top 50 country songs. Most recently, Rex Allen Jr. was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November 2007. Several standing ovations by the packed house were well deserved and Allen signed autographs for nearly an hour after the show ended. The dance music for the evening was provided for the second year in a row by Stampede! After the dance, once again the performers and fans joined in the Crow’s Nest for another late night jam session. Sunday morning open mic sessions were hosted by Smoke Wade starting at 8:30 a.m. Young Shiloh Sharrard presented a special performance much to the delight of the early morning crowd. Shiloh is well known through out the northwest and her classic country sound is exceptional. Following Shiloh, Wade introduced a Sunday morning presentation of the Buckskin Trail Radio Theater. Cowboy Church immediately followed and was hosted by event organizer, Ed Dailey. Special guests, Rod Erickson, Eli Barsi, Bill Douglas and the Moderately Bright String Band joined with Dailey to conclude the weekend events. Following the Cowboy Church, performers and fans once again bade each other farewell while promising to meet again soon, somewhere along the cowboy poetry trail. Smoke Wade
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