There ain’t a lot of cowboys in Arvada, excepting maybe once a year, when the annual Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering convenes at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. Riding herd on 38 performers and groups this year is Masterson, a Western chanteuse, who also takes the stage at the closing performance Jan. 15. Masterson broke from proofreading the program to talk about ranch folks, the music she loves and how she’s coping with the loss of her singing partner, Sean Blackburn, who died in September. – Lisa Everitt, Special to The Denver Post
Are you the official cowboy poet wrangler? Something like that. The title is Colorado Cowboy Poetry Gathering coordinator.
Who are some of the performers you’re excited about? We’re bringing back some of our favorites, but some fresh faces include Skip Gorman from Grafton, N.H., Juni Fisher from Franklin, Tenn., and the Yampa Valley Boys from Steamboat Springs.
Grafton, N.H., does not strike one as a hotbed of cowboy poetry. Not really, but Skip has been singing traditional cowboy music since the ’60s, and he’s a very key player in the revival of old-time cowboy music.
What’s it like at the gathering? It’s like a five-ring circus during the day on Friday and Saturday. We have poetry and Western music sessions that last about an hour on themes like rodeo and “Women on the Ranch.” They range from hysterically funny to thought-provoking and serious. There’s also a fair amount of spontaneity and improvisation that takes place. People kind of play off each other: “Well, I was going to do this, but now I’m going to do that, because that reminds me of a story.” It’s very cool. And then our theater shows are five completely different shows, and they’re each a combination of poetry and music.
Was your musical start listening to your mom’s big-band records? Big-band records and Gene Autry records. I was born in Denver and spent part of my childhood in Dallas but moved back here when I was 8. My grandparents came up to Casper in 1915, and they knew a lot of ranchers. I spent a lot of time on ranches, with ranch people. I’ve been around them a lot. and I love them.
Has it been tough to play music without Sean? Sean never missed a gig. He had an attitude that the show must go on. We’re dedicating the gathering to him, so I’m motivated to make that a nice weekend. I’ve got new songs to learn – I’m learning a song called “Out on the New Frontier,” by the Sons of the Pioneers. It’s sort of consoling me right now: “I don’t know what’s behind each tree, out on the new frontier.”
Is the poet gathering soothing too? The event is really fun, that’s the main thing. A lot of people come back year after year, so there’s kind of a family reunion feel to it. We’ll have a tribute to Sean set up in the lobby, and during the Sunday show we’re going to show a 15-minute video of Sean performing.
So you’re going to “cowboy up” and get through it? I’m going to cowboy up. And I’m just so grateful for all the friends who’ve cheered me up and cheered me on, and just been there to help.
GIDDYAP AND GO
The 17th Annual Colorado Cowboy
Poetry Gathering takes place at the
Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Daytime poetry and Western music sessions run from 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $12 per day in advance or at the door. Theater shows take place Thursday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Jan. 15, at 1 p.m. Tickets for evening and matinee performances are $26. Info: arvadacenter.org/cowboy
or 720-898-7200.
