Blenders blasts speakers one last time leaving lasting legacy

An unforgettable evening on Saturday closed the final curtain on the Blenders series in Swift Current after 21 years.

Saskatchewan artist Belle Plaine and Swift Current's Dillon Currie put on the final show for a crowd of 226 people at Great Plains College.

Ian Swann, the chairperson of the Blenders Events Inc., said the night was filled with mixed emotions knowing they won't be continuing to provide talented and unique artists to southwestern Saskatchewan.

"It was quite a night of nostalgia, sadness, and hope because both of those artists are great," he said.

Belle Plaine played three times over the years at Blenders concerts.(Photo by Jody Seidler)

The non-profit began in 2002 and hosted over 330 nights of entertainment since its inception. Those events provided a stage for over 420 artists/bands that received over $830,000 in artist fees to help support their careers. 

Having local artist Dillon Currie, a part of the show represented a tradition Blenders had created the last two decades by offering the microphone up to countless performers from southwestern Saskatchewan as opening acts.

"Everybody needs a start, everybody needs a venue, where they're known, and where they can learn from experienced artists," he said.

The Blenders name appears dead moving forward but Swann has some hope moving forward that the community and the Lyric Theatre will create something similar to fill a void that's now been created.

"I'm hoping that somebody there with the help of the many volunteers and knowledge in this town, something will come forward and we will keep this legacy going," he said.

Blenders welcomed over 61,000 people to their shows throughout their history with some well-known artists like Colter Wall, Megan Nash, 54-40, The Dead South, and The Sheepdogs.

"Blenders brought a very diversified group of artists, everywhere from The Jerry Cans out of the Northwest Territories, to William Prince out of Winnipeg, Metis artists out of northern B.C., to artists from the east coast," he said. 

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