Almost time to rock

Times Reporter

 

The third annual WAAB Stock Summer of Rock is taking place August 20 to 22. The event has 14 bands coming down to play, one coming from as far as England. Comedian Jebb Fink will be making an appearance just after 7 p.m. on August 21. 

“We have a bunch of different things going on,” said Jim Dale, owner of AAB Steel and one of the organizers of WAAB. There will be camping available and everything is taking place on Dale’s land at RR 240 and Highway 1 east. There will be sumo wrestling, i.e.: the sumo suits, a dunk tank, BMX, the fire department and police. 

“We’re trying to get some of the band members on the dunk tank,” said Derrick ‘Pony’ Andersen, owner of Strathmore Pawn and Collectables and an organizer for the weekend. The organizers are also hoping to have a mini market set up. There will be everything from mini donuts to fruits and vegetables to T-Shirts sold at the event. There will be auctions and contests, including a prize of two tickets to anywhere WestJet flies in North America. 

It’s $30 a day or $50 for the weekend and it will be $30 a site for camping. 

“We can hold 1,500 people, tickets are selling fast and there will be some at the gate, but depending how many are sold there may only be a few at the gate,” said Dale. Dale, Andersen and other organizers including ‘That Old Retro Store’ have been planning since January. 

“We picked the bands we thought were the best. We tried to do a mixture of everything,” said Dale. There will be a Celtic band, pop alternative, blues and even a country blues style band. As the nights go on, the music will get progressively heavier.  

“It’ll be just a great time,” said Andersen. A few of the bands will be at Sinbad’s in Strathmore on August 18, to give people a little taste of what to expect. This may be the third annual, but Dale said this is the first big one they have organized. 

Though people will be rocking out and having a great time, the money raised is all going towards a good cause. It’s going to The Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta. Strathmore shuttle will have a taxi that will be taking people back and forth from Town and the event. It will be $20 and $10 of that money will be put into the pot for the charity. Rain or shine the shows will go on. Tickets are available at Strathmore Pawn and Collectables in Strathmore or That Old Retro Store in Calgary.