The judges did not call Joel West's name at the end of the night, but the northern B.C. singer-songwriter got plenty of applause nonetheless. He was representing the northern region at the Road To Riverfest singing competition - one of eight finalists from around the province who won regional playoffs and earned a spot at the winner-take-all showdown the night before the festival began.
The grand prize was an opening spot for headliner Sam Hunt at the big country music jamboree in Merritt. Rockin' River Fest runs July 28-31 with additional top-shelf talent like Dean Brody, John Michael Montgomery, High Valley, The Road Hammers, Randy Houser, Small Town Pistols and many more. The contestants held court the night before the big stars came out to shine, and the big winner was Lower Mainland performer Kylene Shannon.
It was not a futile effort for West, however. In the shortlist spotlight with Shannon and West were Camryn Scott, Derek Pitts, Nick Watson, Louis Bigras, Teigen Gayse, Tammylynn Filgate, and Chelsea Charlton. All of them had to get past several rounds of competition to become their region's representative so the networking at the personal development were helpful for everyone, West said.
"The whole experience was wicked. I didn't make it to the top spot, but I came Top 5 and I'm still given 'er. I have my passion, my love for music," said West, a Lake Babine Nation performer from Burns Lake. Each contestant had two songs to win over the judges and he belted out Midnight Special based on the Credence Clearwater Revival version of that classic, and he laid down his rendition of Roadhouse Blues by The Doors.
"I had the crowd roaring," said West. "The crowd was all on board. Everywhere I went, they followed me. I was a big ball of energy and I had fun. We all got up there and gave it our all. That's where I left it, everything on the stage. Everyone sang their guts out."
One of the other contestants told West privately that his performance was so gutsy and spirited that it inspired other participants that night. "He told me 'you brought the Joel out in me' which is one of the best compliments I think I could ever hear," West said.
He got his own personal boost from the audience. Several people from Burns Lake and others in her personal circle attended the finals to cheer him on.
Then came some unexpected news, that made that long trip worth the effort even without a first place finish.
"We were told at the end that all of us in the Top 5 have been invited back for a special showcase next year at the festival, and the Top 5 were also invited to go to Spirit Square in Merritt to do a half-hour concert, and it's a mini-contest for some additional prizes. That's where I'm headed right now," he said.
He'll get on with the next steps in his country-rock career once he's finished basking in the experiences at the Merritt Rockin' Riverfest.
