It was an exciting, yet nerve-wracking week leading up to the Jammin' on the Bay Tribute Fest for young multi-talented performer Kayden Mercer, 19, of Rankin Inlet, who has been playing guitar and writing his own material for about the past five years.
Mercer was scheduled to take the main stage at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3.
The young artist said he was really excited when he got the news he would be performing at the Tribute Fest.
He said it's a great opportunity for not only him, but a number of local performers.
“I've really noticed there's a lot of talent in Rankin Inlet,” said Mercer. “This is a great way of showcasing many of them.
“I was really excited about performing in this festival and wanted to be a part of it.”
Mercer opened his set list with a blast of classic rock in the form of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He played his set as a completely solo act, with no backing accompaniment at all.
The amicable young player had about 11 songs pencilled-in on his set list, giving him a stage time of about 45 minutes to an hour.
Mercer was set to play a couple of rock songs, a couple of slower songs from the '70s and some original material, including the fabulous My Grandpa's Big Boat.
He said he wanted to play songs from a variety of musical genres to highlight his versatility as a songwriter, guitar player and overall artist.
“I like to play a mixture of old and new to give the fans a real show.
“My original song is about my grandpa's boat, so it tends to be a little on the softer side. He sailed his boat all the way from Newfoundland to Rankin Inlet. I wrote a song about it because he always called that boat his second wife.
“Getting to play a show like this with a real festival attitude is something I know I won't forget for a long, long time. I was just really, really happy to be a part of it all. I had always heard about the original Jammin' on the Bay, so I felt really honoured and privileged to be part of it all this time around.
“I just really enjoyed the entire atmosphere surrounding the show and I hope to, one day, get to experience it all again.”
