Earlier in the afternoon, Stavely, Alberta singer Mariya Stokes offered a nice primer as the main stage opener, showcasing multiple shades of roots music. That included a satisfying run through her sassy, honky-tonk singalong Christmas, Arizona. She asked the audience to listen carefully to the lyrics and decide whether or not it’s “a wholesome Christmas song.
” Spoiler: It isn’t. But it is a lot of fun, a rollicking tune about a woman’s near stalker-ish pursuit of a man that comes with a twist ending. She followed it with a lively cover of Three Dog Night’s Joy to the World, the bluesy Hands on my Body, funky You Want Me and a melancholy acoustic number called Rebound.
It was a nice reminder that young mainstream country artists can draw inspiration from Bonnie Raitt and John Hiatt just as easily as Shania Twain. Cleto Cordero had the crowd chant “That ain’t country” to preview the song Country Is. It could have been, but probably wasn’t, commentary on the somewhat narrow focus of Country Thunder programming over the years.
At their best, the instrumental prowess and synchronicity of the act recalled The Band. There was not a lot of variety to the songs and, other than their lively take on John Denver’s Thank God I’m a Country Boy, the tempo never accelerated past a pleasant shuffle. But there was some genuine beauties in the mix, particularly opening number Spinnin’, One I Want and Gettin’ By.
Cordero’s smokey vocals were effective, particularly during a glistening cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide and the ballad Sleeping Alone. The six-piece outfit showcased a subtlety that is rare in mainstream country. The fact the set did not include any shoutouts to God and small-town life or redneck-proud anthems was certainly refreshing.
OK, fine, they did offer a take on Toby Keith’s Should’ve Been A Cowboy, but Cordero’s nuanced vocals added extra depth to Keith’s goofy song. And in the world of mainstream country, even slight variants to the formula are worth celebrating..
