The Rusty Augers

The Rusty Augers help celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Lyric Published on March 12th, 2009
Published on July 9th, 2009
Staff ~ The Southwest Booster
How can you not turn out to see a band that has penned a song titled The Esterhazy Man and the Kamsack Woman?

Topics : Lyric Theatre , Pharmasave , Moose Jaw How can you not turn out to see a band that has penned a song titled The Esterhazy Man and the Kamsack Woman?
The Rusty Augers will be on stage at the Lyric Theatre at 8 p.m. on Saturday for a St. Patrick's Day celebration performance.
Rusty Augers front man Paul McCorriston has performed several times in the city, with appearances at the Fringe Festival, the Art Gallery, and the "Big I".
The Rusty Augers, based out of Moose Jaw, are currently touring in support of their third full length CD "Jonesin' with the Augers", a tribute to country music legend George Jones. The album features the legendary Tex Emery on steel guitar, the 78-year old Western Canadian Music Award (WCMA) Legends recipient, who this year celebrated 60 years in the music business. Renowned guitarist JoËl Fafard also collaborated on a song with the Rusty Augers on the new CD. Fafard is a WCMA Instrumental Award winner, and past Juno nominee.
The Rusty Augers will be performing a mix of original material as well as songs by their favorite artists. The evening will kick off with opening act "Murphy's Dignity", a group of local musicians featuring Irish and locally relevant original music. Doors open at 7 p.m. and music begins at 8 p.m.

Advance tickets are available at Pharmasave or by contacting Shann at 778-2686.
- The Southwest Booster

As a pretty, fun girl who was a bit of a prankster, Rachel Davis loved to laugh and had innumerable friends.

In honour of the 23-year-old woman who touched so many lives before her tragic death, a fundraiser for the foundation named in Rachel's honour will shut down a Regina street Friday night and fill the air with music and laughter.

Hosted by Rachel's parents Janet Wright (who is known to many Canadians as Emma Leroy on Corner Gas) and Bruce Davis, the event is to feature cast members of the popular television show.

"The whole point of the foundation was to create something that would be in (Rachel's) memory so she wasn't forgotten. This is really gratifying," Bruce said of the upcoming fundraiser.

On Jan. 3, 2004, Rachel was shot as she tried to protect a stranger from a beating outside a downtown Vancouver nightclub. A 25-year-old Vancouver man was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder last month for the shooting deaths of Rachel and another young man that night at the club, as well as five counts of attempted murder.

Rachel became known as a Good Samaritan with her selfless act receiving national media attention. She has been recognized by the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Police and the City of North Vancouver, has been nominated for a Governor General award for bravery and has had two trees planted in her honour at the JFK Memorial Forest in Jerusalem.

"She was always a fighter for her friends. She had busted up more fights than I want to think about. This wasn't one of those crazy drunken moments, 'I'll be a hero'. That was second nature for her," Bruce said.

He and Wright started the Rachel Davis Foundation in the wake of their daughter's death. The foundation raises money for the newly created Rachel Davis Award, which will recognize an outstanding act of courage, integrity, kindness or generosity by a young Canadian.

The first Rachel Davis Celebration Benefit is to be held Friday at O'Hanlon's Pub with nominations for the award opening after the benefit. The street in front of the downtown Regina pub is to be closed off for the celebration, which is to feature stand-up performances on an outdoor stage from Corner Gas star and creator Brent Butt, as well as Canadian comics Peter Kelamis, Jamie Hutchinson, Irwin Barker, Sam Easton and John Beuhler.

While he never got the chance to meet Rachel, Butt said he attended her memorial service and felt he knew the young woman after hearing the many stories friends and loved ones shared about her. A fun-filled evening of comedy and music is the perfect way to remember Rachel, he said.

"Even at her memorial, as beautiful and touching and sad as it was, there were moments of humour ... (The benefit) is not so much a solemn occasion as it is a celebration. It won't be difficult at all to do a comedy show or to do musical entertainment. It feels really appropriate," Butt said.

O'Hanlon's, a favourite hangout for the Corner Gas cast and crew, will not only provide the venue for the benefit but 100 per cent of the bar's profits for the evening will go to the foundation. The cast will be mingling among the crowd, signing autographs, posing for photos and taking drink orders.

The event is to start at 5 p.m. on Friday and is to feature musical performances by Kyle Riabko, Ghosts of Modern Man, Geronimo, Anatta, Golden Mile, The Rusty Augers, Danny Nargang and Rah Rah.

There also are to be prizes to be won, such as a dinner for two with Wright and fellow cast member Gabrielle Miller, a behind-the-scenes pass to the Corner Gas set and a celebrity makeover with the show's hair and makeup artists.

More information about the Rachel Davis Foundation and the award can be found at www.racheldavis.ca
- CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.