ATHABASCA — Athabascans, put on your blue jeans, a button-up and your best hat because the renowned musicians of the Scott Woods Band are making a stop in town Oct. 3, a show fans of old-school country music won’t want to miss.
Known as ‘the Flippin’ Fiddler,’ Woods has been time and again been recognized as champion of the Canadian Open Fiddle Contest, won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship, and even secured the title of Fiddle Entertainer of the Year.
Woods, and sister Kendra Norris who’ll be joining him on tour, are sixth generation fiddlers and were born with music in their blood.
“My dad was a young guy who at maybe seven or eight years old started taking violin lessons,” said Woods. “His dad played fiddle, and there was a lady in Fergus, Ont. that was teaching classical violin lessons, which was pretty unheard of.”
In 1944, at the age of 12, Merv Woods played his first show, a fundraiser for the Fergus schoolhouse. Twelve years later, he hired a young female pianist for his band, Carolyn Dyer, who in turn would become Woods and Norris’s mother, and also carried a family history of musical talent.
“I remember I couldn’t wait to get playing,” said Woods, eager to join the travelling performances of The Woods Family Band. “As scary as it was, it’s what the rest of the family was doing.”
Woods got his start at the ripe age of seven, competing in fiddle contests across the country on an almost weekly basis.
“It was very competitive; as silly as it sounds, it was a really big deal to win the Canadian Open Championship Title,” said Woods. “It was a really prestigious thing, but it also came with a lot of pressure.”
Borne out of that prestige and pressure was the concept of novelty fiddling, also known as ‘trick and fancy.’
“Basically, they throw the rules out, and you can do whatever you want with the fiddle; have fun with it and show your physical dexterity.”
Woods was inspired by the artists of yore like Don Messer, Graham Townsend, and Al Cherney, but went above and beyond with his stunts on stage, graduating to somersaults and barrel-rolling, all while keeping tune and rhythm.
And Woods’ antics can be caught by Canadians all across the country this fall while he and the band tour their show, Yee Haw, inspired by the iconic variety TV series, Hee Haw.
“You don’t need to be a country music fan or a fiddle music fan even to enjoy it,” said Woods. “It’s a family-friendly show that you can bring your grandkids or your grandparents to.”
Joining Woods and Norris on tour are young step dancer and musician Leo Stock, with long time band member Steve Piticco on guitar and vocals. Bassist and singer Kurk Bernard will be joining the show as well, marking his first time performing on Woods’ show.
True to the Woods’ family fashion, the Athabasca show and all others along the way are fundraisers for local causes. Proceeds from the Oct. 3 show in town will go towards repairs at St. Gabriel’s Parish.
Woods said he was inspired to follow in his father’s fundraising footsteps after Merv’s unexpected passing in 2003. His mother Carolyn contemplated a mission trip after Merv’s death, and her desire to make positive change inspired the same in her son.
“In 2004, we did about a dozen fundraising concerts for different church organizations all across Ontario,” said Woods. The next year saw 85 fundraising gigs, and the year after that the Scott Woods Band performed around 160 charity shows.
“It works out really well for us to do that and it’s a win-win for us to help out those communities and bring a very underserved market some entertainment.”
Tickets for the show are $45 each, and can be purchased online, at Athabasca Value Drug Mart, or by calling the Scott Woods Band Office toll free at 1-855-726-8896. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.
