Local country music fans can expect no downtime from great live performances this year – even in between the sets of Dean Brody and April Wine.
That’s because the Brighton and area country band Cold Creek County (CCC) will be headlining the Saturday evening shenanigans. And if they have any say in it, everyone can expect a wild party.
“Expect a good time and a good party,” said Ches Anthony, the band’s singer. “We got a lot of surprises.”

Though Anthony is a fairly new member of the group, he’s meshed in better than the band could have hoped for. Rounded out by Doug Oliver, Josh Lester, Justin Lester, Trevor MacLeod, and Jordan Honsinger, the crowd can expect to have CCC’s party rock vibes and hooked-up harmonies stuck in their head for a while.
Taking a lot of inspiration from such harmony-fuelled musicians like the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks, these boys have built their sound on blues and rock backgrounds.
“That’s a big thing for us, a four-part harmony in just about every song,” said Anthony, of their latest album Homemade.
Working at least six days a week, between gigging, writing, and recording, CCC plan to make it show through every performance, which has recently brought them across Canada and stopping into many festivals. When compared to playing in the city, Anthony said they enjoy the relaxed and intimate setting of fairs and rural backdrops.
Though, they do remain cautious of some aspects.
“A few of the guys are skeptical of going on the rides,” said Anthony. “Some of us really want to, but we didn’t want an upset stomach to jump onstage with.”
Though Anthony was willing to get onstage with his own ride.
“One of the fairs that we played was K-Days in Edmonton. The stage manager had one of those pocket, mini dirt bikes, and I told him, ‘Hey man, keep that by the stage, I might want to do something with it,’” said Anthony, laughing in-between. “So we played our set and then we get offstage and the crowd’s saying one more song, encore. So I roll up, on the stage with this dirt bike and I do a big burnout onto the stage with it. It was a pretty crazy thing to do and I had never done something like that.”
As for any surprises they have planned for their Shawville Fair performance?
Well, they sure seem up to something, as Anthony said he had to remain pretty tight-lipped on that. Though he would share that they’ve lined up an awesome cover of a favourite song, and maybe a bit of choreographed dancing, too.
Plus, he’s been expanding his vocabulary for the performance, too.
“I’ve been working on my French,” laughed Anthony. “Hopefully by then I’ll have it figured out and I won’t get yelled at.”