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The Winestock™ Music & Wine Festival, Morning Bay Vineyard's signature event, returned for its sixth annual show - the best yet.

Winestock Six Rocks Pender Island

By all reports it was the best Winestock ever. Two hundred and fifty Pender visitors and residents filled the oceanfront field at Morning Bay Vineyard and enjoyed one of the best musical programmes ever staged on Pender Island.

If you missed it, and don't want to miss it next year, mark you calendar for September 1, 2012 for Winestock Seven.

The afternoon was perfect--25 degrees and sunny with a slight ocean breeze--as the first band took the stage at 2 pm. The Heel Diggers are Kathy MacIntyre, Dave Dandeneau, Andrew Innanen, Darren Rae, David Wright and Jamie Nicholson. They play a hard-driving country sound that filled the Morning Bay concert bowl. The afternoon was off to a good beginning.

Climbing the stage after The Heel Diggers was The Dave Rave Band, featuring singer and guitarist Dave Rave, formerly of iconic Canadian punk band Teenage Head, with lead guitarist Mark Foley, bassist Terry Bramhall and drummer Mark Gruft, joined by Simon Kendall, formerly of Doug and the Slugs, on the Hammond B-3 organ. Dave's single "Anne Marie" is now climbing the indie charts in the United States, and his mounting popularity was easy to see as he launched into a littany of his hits over the years including "Disgusteen," an old hit from his Teenage Head days, "Let's Shake," the seminal hit by his first band in Hamilton, The Shakers, and "Rock The Party," a newer song that's destined to be another Dave Rave classic. Dave's on-stage antics, including dragging dancers up onto the stage and diving down into the audience for more dance instigation, filled the dance area.

And joining us for the first time are The Heel Diggers, a Pender Island country and western band featuring the great vocals of Kathy MacIntyre and Dave Dandeneau and some fine pickers from our own 'hood.

After Dave, Commercial Drive's own Wyckham Porteous took over, Rob Becker on bass and Mal Temple on drums. Simon Kendall sat in again on keyboards. By now Winestock fans know Wyckham's great lyrics and folk-rock sound, but he mounted the stage with a rockier, throbbing sound that brought his classics, including "Hungry Heart," "Deep in the Water," and "Please, Please Me," a rawer edge than previously heard. It worked, and the crowd danced in unison.

After Wyckham, our headliner, Gary Comeau and the Voodoo All-Stars, took the stage. Gary's sound is absolutely unique, combining the best of zydeco, Delta blues, Cajun and rockin' roots music. He plays fiddle, mandolin, accordion and piano. His quartet features Tim Hearsey on guitar, Rob Becker on bass and Chris Nordquist on drums. Winestock musical director Simon Kendall sat in on the big Hammond B-3 organ. The crowd loved it as Gary launched into a string of New Orleans music such as "Bonton Roulet" and "Goin' to the Mardi Gras." Gary's infections fiddlin' soon had everyone on their feet.

Then, magically, the band changed their spots, Gary sat down at the piano for the last set, featuring The Masses*, a creation of blues singer and harmonica-player Bob Mercer and accompanied by Tim Hearsey, Rob Becker and Chris Nordquist. The players might have been the same, but the music was very different. The Masses* perform a hard-edged British style of rhythm and blues reminiscent of very early Rolling Stones. On songs such as "Alley Cat," "Heart of Stone" and "Runaway," Mercer's howling harp and Hearsey's chunky guitar drove a compelling sound that kept everyone dancing.

By now the sun was setting, and Dave Rave climbed on the stage for the finale, an hour-long jam that featured The Dave Rave Band with others that included some of the audience singing their favorite songs. No one left. Darkness fell. The dancing continued.

All in all it was a fabulous success, setting records for attendance and the best weather ever for Winestock, and providing one of the most compelling music programs ever on Pender Island. "It was probably the best Winestock yet," said festival director Barbara Reid. "That is, until next year."

Just watch this space for details of next year's Winestock, scheduled for Saturday, September 1 from noon 'til dusk. Based on the first six years of Winestock, our seventh edition promises to be the best ever.

Hope you can make it.

Follow Winestock on the website or on Facebook for an update.

Tickets $35 pp are also available at the retail vendors below, or can be purchased directly online with our secure checkout system. (see How To Get To Winestock™ in a new window)

JOIN OUR WINE CASE CLUB AND GET ADDITIONAL BENEFITS!

In Vancouver at Dr. Vigari's Gallery,  (604) 255-9513 at 1312 Commercial Dr

In Victoria at Classic Guitars on Fort, 250-389-6029, 828 Fort Street

In Victoria at The Strath Wine Merchants, 919 Douglas in Victoria

On Pender Island at Talisman Books and Gallery, 250-629-6944, Driftwood Centre, and at Medicine Beach Fine Wines, 250-629-2024

To see video of the 2008 Winestock™, check out this link: at YouTube