GJ Bourdon "Garma" performs at Station Coffee Co during Tongue on the Post folk music festival (photo courtesy Scott Roblin)

By Chantal Wagner

Performances this week

Supporting local artists during Tongue on the Post music festival

Jan 22, 2020 | 5:02 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The music scene in Medicine Hat is bumping this week, with the annual Tongue on the Post festival taking over the city.

Local artist GJ Bourdon performed at the very first festival 14 years ago and has had appearances at the festival throughout the years.

“This city is probably one of the more inviting places to play and that there are so many people who want to hear. And another thing is they like to listen, you know? It’s one thing to play but it’s another thing to play and have people really listen.”

Bourdon is a part-time artist and says it’s not easy to break into the “big time” music scene, but he has produced albums in Vancouver and Calgary and has one coming out in the spring.

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“For a song to be a good song, it needs to stand on its own two feet with just piano and voice or guitar and voice. But if it’s good in that venue then it will be even more enjoyable once it has extra tracks on it.”

Along with the best singer-songwriters in Western Canada, the 2020 edition of Tongue on the Post has a bigger emphasis on Medicine Hat’s vibrant local talent according to Greg Herman with the Medicine Hat Folk Music Club.

“There’s gotta be 30-40 people out and that might be conservative because there are all styles of music too. There’s a folk scene, a jazz scene, country musicians and everything,” said Herman.

This festival gives musicians a chance to showcase their talent to an audience, and maybe introduce listeners to a new genre of music.

Bourdon says the available venues are quite numerous and there’s a wealth of talent in the city. “The number of songwriters that I’ve met just astounds me.”

Herman adds, “Tongue on the Post is really important, it gives a legitimate stage and a big annual draw for local artists, you know like myself and a lot of my friends to get on stage and do your thing.”

Tickets to Tongue on the Post events are available by visiting this link.