Country-rock band Ron n’ Walker have several shows lined up in Osoyoos, including a concert at Jojo’s Café on Friday, March 23. (Publicity photo)
A country-rock band that appears on the verge of some pretty big things will be making regular visits to Osoyoos over the next few weeks.
Rob Robertson, the leader of the band Rob n’ Walker, spent more than a decade in Nashville trying to earn a living as a songwriter and performer before returning to the South Okanagan just over three years ago.
Through mutual musical friends, Robertson met up with Cliffe Fraser and Fritz Cronjaeger and they formed Rob n’ Walker three years ago.
The band will be bringing their musical talents to Osoyoos three times in the next few weeks as they have booked gigs at Jojo’s Café on Friday, March 23, Branch 173 of the Royal Canadian Legion on April 14 and they will also headline the Osoyoos Medieval Faire on Sunday, May 20.
They also played last summer at the Osoyoos Music in the Park concert series.
“We always enjoy coming to Osoyoos and always get good support there,” said Robertson, who lives in Keremeos.
Robertson started playing guitar at a very young age and it didn’t take long for everyone around him to see what a truly talented guitar player he was.
He followed his dreams and his passion to Nashville, where he has played alongside some of country music’s greatest talents like Merle Haggard, The Bellamy Brothers and Alan Jackson.
After many years on the road, playing in various haunts and honkytonks, Robertson listened to his heart and turned his sights for home in Keremeos.
When the band was first formed, they went by the name The Rob Robertson Band, but that caused some unnecessary conflict as his name is very similar to Robbie Robertson, the legendary guitar player and songwriter with The Band, one of the most popular and influential roots rock bands in history.
“I’m a huge fan of the band, particularly Levon Helm,” said Robertson. “I just thought it would be easier to change the name of the band than always try and explain that I wasn’t Robbie Robertson.”
Cronjaeger is a high energy, talented bass guitar player who also builds and repairs guitars in the Vancouver area. He travels home to the Similkameen Valley on a regular basis to join his band members on stage. He is a multi-talented musician with an extensive interest and background in sound engineering.
Fraser has been playing drums for over four decades pausing briefly to pursue a career as a chef. Fraser has enjoyed cooking here in Canada and abroad for numerous dignitaries including Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
In the mid-1990s, Fraser picked up the sticks again and started playing with various local classic rock bands in the South Okanagan, including the Blackbirds and Nameless in Naramata.
Robertson and his bandmates are in the process of recording their first CD called Born to Ride the Wind and it will feature all original tunes he’s penned over the past couple of years.
While he’s been writing songs for the better part of his adult life, Robertson believes he’s writing his best tunes ever and has amazed himself at how prolific he’s become.
“I used to think too much, but now I just sit down and the ideas come flying out,” he said. “I used to also think I had to write about my life or someone I knew, but I’ve found out that doesn’t have to be the case.
“I’m more concerned about the song now and just making sure it has great lyrics and sounds good.”
Robertson recently overcame a difficult bout fighting cancer and said it has made him more determined than ever to find success as a musician.
“I just did the cancer treatment thing and everything changes when you take a close look at your own mortality,” he said. “It’s completely opened my horizons and made me realize more than ever just how important music is to me.
“I think I’ve written the best tunes I’ve ever written in the past couple of years and that’s why I’m so excited to finish this record and take it out on the road. There’s at least six songs I really think will do well if they can get on the radio, so we’re all pretty excited about the future.”
Fraser said Robertson “is just a killer songwriter and guitar player” and he believes Ron n’ Walker are on the verge of making a big impact on the Canadian music scene.
“There’s been a real surge in popularity in the kind of roots music we play … the country-rock thing and Rob’s tunes are fantastic,” he said. “We’ve made a commitment to play less and less cover tunes and more and more originals and the fans that come to check out the band are really loving what we’re doing.”
Tickets for the March 23 show at Jojo’s Café are $15 and are available at the café.
KEITH LACEY
Special to the Times
