Music Festival Promotes Local Musicians and Businesses

Helping people finding a way to better health and enjoying some great local music talent. This was all at the American Legion last weekend.

There was a music festival of sorts held and local musicians played original material and cover versions of famous artists.

The event was to kick off the start of Garden Greens Organics – a healthy alternative store located at the Peace Tree Mall. The new store is owned by local entrepreneur Darry White. As soon as he gets some more capital going he will have a larger menu but for now the store features smoothies, wraps and bread.

He would like to thank 2445 Organics for the Grow Rack System, which is vital for his enterprise.

"That allows me to grow fine produce for my smoothies," said White.

White was also the coordinator of the Legion gig. He scouted the Yeahtones and brought them up to Akwesasne.

White became interested in bringing the Brooklyn group up for the gig when he caught them while watching another band. They liked the idea of his product.

"We chatted awhile after the show in New York and we hit it off. I told them what I was into and shared some of my green drinks with them and they loved it. I asked them if they could help me with promoting and what not and they got behind everything that I am doing," said White.

White is also the owner of DT's Up In Smoke Barbecue and finished them off with some of that delicious smoked stuff.

"They had some of my pulled pork from DT's Up In Smoke, my poutine blew their mind."

White has been plucking away at the guitar for about 15 years. A new band saw his talent and took him under their wing. They helped him develop.

"The Crosswind Band took me in and gave me confidence. They worked with me awhile then it came together," said White.

He has plans to put a CD out and some of that material will be storytelling.

For his Legion set, one of his songs was Wanted Man written in the 1960's. It was originally recorded by Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan.

The Yeahtones were the headliners inside the Legion and leading up to them were local band Crosswinds and before that the local artists showed what they had on the back deck.

DJ White, aka The Lone Wolf performed cover versions but also one original number. This was called "I Don't Know."

Lone Wolf has also been fooling around on his guitar for 15 years and turned that into song writing.

He has an upcoming CD possibly due out this winter with some original material and his influences are Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and he enjoys classic rock.

The great Johnny Cash is everyone's influence but White wants to create his own music.

He has cover versions of songs and two of those covers were Chris Stapleton and Bob Seger's Turn The Page. During that performance he was joined by Rob "Saw" Sawatis on harmonica. Sawatis himself is up for nomination for Best Country Album of the Year at next month's Native American Music Awards. He is also nominated by Native Trailblazer Radio for Song Of The Year.

Other performers were Harry Joseph Benedict and Mercedes Terrance. Terrance was an unscheduled guest as the rap group REDD graciously gave up their time slot.

Terrance is a 20 year old traditional singer who fine-tuned her craft during last year's North Dakota DAPL crisis. She was at the encampment from the start to the end and learned songs and dance.

Later on in the evening the Crosswinds Band and the Yeahtones took the stage and took the Legion crowd by storm. Darry White would like to thank all the people who participated in the event and also the vendors. The Brooklyn band was surprised at the reception they received and White is planning next year's event, which promises to be even bigger.