Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers Reviews

Local Newfoundlanders - and lovers, thereof, shouldn't have to partake of that particular brand of humor for at least a week after the huge feast at the Roxy Theatre Wednesday night.

Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers served up some heaping helpings of gourmet glee leaving the packed house stuffed and barely able to move. Some people just have to have second helpings and that's exactly what more than 200 people got with the troupe's encore tribute to its beloved Newfoundland.

Variety adds the spice to a fine meal so Buddy and the b'ys offered appetizers of local humor, including comments about the Frank Slide, not being a water slide and "going to the dump, to the dump, to the dump, dump, dump, to see ... the bears."

Much to the delight of the crowd, Elvis performed. "Newfoundland-style,", and, "Uncle Sam Head" also: made an appearance. The latter, being 87 and slobbery of lips, updated the audience on what his sons Franky and Gideon are doing. Of course, beer is always a hot topic, with Buddy and-the b'ys.

"Hang on to your seat, it gets rough," the trio told the audience and proceeded to extol the virtues of being addicted to chocolate. Bless their hearts.

Kevin Blackmore, Buddy himself, had a wide variety of humorous and not-so-decent vocal libraries to retrieve from, leaving the audience in stitches with his facial acrobatics. For the show's grand finale, the audience heard all about Buddy's - experience in transforming a 454 engine from a Corvette, a Yamaha snow mobile, a snowplow, and a 1959 Fargo pick-up truck into a helicopter. It was supposed to enable him to fly to Gander for Kentucky. Fried Chicken in the shortest possible time without getting speeding tickets. It worked!,

Not too many people were safe from the b'ys' humorous attacks, including Prime Minister Jean Chretien who was accused of "knitting with one needle" of having "a hamster in the cage; but the wheel is seized up,"and last but not least, of "not receiving all the channels."

While Blackmore provided most of the comic relief for the two and a half hour show, the Other Fellers Ray Johnson and Wayne Chaulk proved that all is not fun and games with the troupe. The trio shot beautiful harmony and obvious musical talent straight into the unique cultural heart of Newfoundland.

Sprinkled throughout the humorous entrees like rose petals upon a tablecloth were smatterings of sanity, such as the beautiful song of "Sarah," 'and the haunting blues of "If you love somebody, better tell them now. 'Cause when you wake up in the morning, you might be gone."

One could almost hear the wind whistling down the cliffs of Labrador and feel the salt spray when accordionist Johnson led the troupe in an instrumental rendition of a song he had performed at his own brother's funeral.

He also paid tribute to the younger members of the audience with "Angels in the Snow," a song that could pull tears from any parent's eyes.

Guitarist Chaulk. paid tribute to how cold it can get, in Yellowknife, N.W.T. even, if the wind's not blowing.

Whether the audience members had tears in their eyes from laughter or from pure love of Newfoundland, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers left them with a good taste in their mouths and no indigestion.

*Reprinted from the Crowsnest Pass Promoter