MOOSE JAW — The Ross Wells Park was brought to life once again as it hosted an unforgettable night of musical entertainment, lasting memories, and all the energy of live musical performances in support of youth mental health initiatives in the community — with a sold out venue to cap off the occasion.
Homestand ’24 kicked off at 4 p.m. to bright sunny skies, temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, and a packed venue on Sept. 7.
This year’s show opened with Moose Jaw’s own Trick Ryder and closed with Toque, featuring former Moose Jaw resident Cory Churko and his mates Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz, and Derek Frank. Shane Gaalaas, who is normally part of the band, was the only member unable to attend due to an overseas concert performance in Japan with the B’z.
Following the opener by Trick Ryder, Belle Plaine took the stage and was followed by The Steadies, Doc Walker, 54-40, and then Toque. Canadian rock group 54-40 is renowned for its induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriting Hall of Fame, to cite one example of the international talent who performed at Saturday night’s show.
Around 5:30 p.m., two CT-156 Harvard II training aircraft from 15 Wing Moose Jaw proudly performed a fly by at around 500 feet above the highest obstacle in a nod to the show and the community who hosts the Canadian Forces training base.
Moose Jaw — known formerly as The Band City for good reason — was no unfamiliar location for at least a couple of the night’s legendary performers.
This included Corey Churko who grew up in The Friendly City and said it was “super exciting” to be returning to his hometown.
“To bring all my brothers in rock, you know, Todd (Kerns), Brent (Fitz), and Derek (Frank) to the place where I grew up… to show them Main Street where I used to cruise up and down… and of course Mac the Moose, it’s a thrill…,” Churko said in an interview before the show.
Churko, who said he also used to play football on the same field back in the day for the Elks Minor Football League, was joined in the lineup this year by Kelly Bourdages, the band leader for Trick Ryder who is also from Moose Jaw originally.
Since its inception, Homestand has seen such names as Matt Bates, Chilliwack, Night Horse, Barney Bentall, and Jordyn Pollard performing live in Moose Jaw.
Homestand 2024 was hosted by River Street Promotions and made possible thanks to several community sponsors including K+S Potash Canada, who has been the event’s title sponsor now for the fourth consecutive year.
River Street Promotions is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization promoting local mental health initiatives through entertainment programs. All proceeds will be added to a fund accessible by both the Prairie South School Division and the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division for projects supporting youth mental health and well-being.
Homestand ’24, now the fourth iteration of the new yearly tradition, was preceded by Homestand ’21 that raised approximately $50,000, followed by $85,000 in 2022 and $150,000 in 2023.
Not including the revised tally following Homestand ’24, all proceeds from the fundraising concert series have contributed more than $300,000 to this fund.
“When you can bring together a bunch of people, you know, for the right cause, in the name of music, it’s never a bad thing,” Churko said, referring to the charitable nature of Homestand. “To be a part of that, whether you’re in the audience or up on stage, it’s a win-win for everybody.”
To learn more about Homestand and its host, River Street Promotions, visit RiverStreetPromotions.com.
