The secret to sold-out concerts in Bassano? Cocktail hour, for starters

Concertgoers in Bassano, Alta., lined up outside the community hall early — more than an hour before the final show began.

That was for cocktail hour.

The Bassano Arts Council just celebrated its 40th anniversary with two sold-out seasons in a row in the small town about 110 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

Like many rural arts promoters, the organizers have realized the secret to drawing crowds is to make the event about much more than music.

"We've just got a really active board right now and we started doing more things to make it more of a social outing," said Linda Andres, who began volunteering with the arts council when it started in the 1980s.

"You see friends, and we started having the cocktail hour ahead of time. We just started making it more of a social outing, and we think that that's worked."

People packed the community hall for country singer Garrett Gregory last week. It was a crowd of roughly 300, from communities and farms up to 50 kilometres away — and farther.

Many said they were surprised to discover how much live music is available outside the main cities in Alberta. Others said they come regularly, in part because of the friendships.

Sheila Gowen-Surgeoner is originally from Ireland. She moved to Bassano, Alta., two years ago and has been surprised and thrilled at the amount of live music available. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

Bassano resident Ron Wickson came out to hear Gregory.

"This has been our go-to entertainment for so many years," he said. "It's just the kind of place where you can be comfortable with a whole bunch of people that you really know and have great music and great entertainment. What more can you ask for?"

And Sheila Gowen-Surgeoner said she moved from Ireland to Alberta, settling in Bassano two years ago.

"We love it. The people here are amazing. The arts council is outstanding. The music that has been brought forth to us for a small town is incredible. You know, I'm not really a country and western person, but I'm becoming country and western.

"I love the the relaxed way. I love the way the people are really genuine. The music is gentle."

Gregory drove in from Hanna, Alta., to preform. He calls himself the second most famous singer from Hanna after Chad Kroeger of Nickleback.

"I've been singing for about 25 years now," he said. "I've grown up in rural Alberta and … actually, most of our shows are in rural towns, either ball tournaments or rodeos, PBR (Professional Bull Riders), bronc riding, all that stuff."

"There's so much music in these rural areas, in these small towns, that nobody knows about. We always start off small. We always play these smaller shows," Gregory said.

"It's really nice though to do because the dynamic changes. Something like this is a little more intimate. It's more heartfelt."

The Bassano Arts Council sold out its season for the last two years in a row. Nearly 300 people can fit in the auditorium at the Bassano Community Hall. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

He also said the vibe is a little different in each small town. He cited Hussar, Alta., as being exceptional for really letting loose and getting on the dance floor.

Other Alberta tome towns have exceptional venues. Gregory noted that Daysland has a really pretty community hall, Hanna has a historic train roundhouse and Langdon has the Firehouse Bar & Grill, a classic old cowboy bar with regular live music shows.

Kennedy Jenson is the executive director of the Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta, which supports roughly 100 members, who are arts promoters in small towns and cities across Alberta. The alliance offers professional development and a four-day showcase — held after harvest wraps up each fall.

Each year, roughly 40 acts will get 15 minutes each to wow the small crowd. That's how many rural arts councils find acts to feature.

Jenson said rural arts organizations scrambled to find new ways to bring their communities music and arts during the pandemic. They tried driveway and outdoor shows. Now, four years later, many have completely bounced back. But there are still small pockets across the province where audiences are still down by roughly 30 per cent.

Linda Andres has been volunteering with the Bassano Arts Council since she was a young school teacher 40 years ago. (Elise Stolte/CBC)

Many are trying to diversity the offerings to keep their numbers up, she said.

"It's not just sitting in a theatre and watching a show. Some of the presenters will have special teas and cakes from a particular bakery, others make it a cabaret. There are some that have a dinner and a show, some have a theme night.

"I was impressed with the Chautauqua Edson Arts Council," Jenson said. "They bring in theatre and have a lot of fun with their themes and are trying very hard to look at the whole age demographic. It's a real night out."

The Alberta showcase is nearly 50 years old, and Jenson said one common challenge many rural arts organizations have is succession planning. Many of the key organizers are in their 70s. So as an association, they're trying to work with presenters to define the work that needs to be done and break it down so it's less daunting for new volunteers.

In Bassano, Andres said she and a small group of young school teachers started the arts council 40 years ago. They were given a small amount of money, and rather than just doing one or two shows, they focused on building a series that would last.

It's rewarding, she said.

"It's a small amount of input for a great amount of joy that we see in the eyes of the people that come here."