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Saltwater Joy bringing east coast to Danceland

MANITOU BEACH — Saltwater Joy, a collection of old-time Atlantic Coast music performers, will be bringing the shore to your door at Manitou Beach's Danceland.
Saltwater Joy
Photo by Saltwater Joy/Facebook

MANITOU BEACH — Saltwater Joy, a collection of old-time Atlantic Coast music performers, will be bringing the shore to your door at Manitou Beach's Danceland. 

The band will be performing east coast classics, including Stompin’ Tom Connors, Stan Rogers, Hank Snow, Ron Hynes and Wayne Chaulk. 

“These songs, people haven't heard live bands play them,” said founding member Donna Lepitzki. “A four piece in Saskatchewan, playing these songs live, is something that's pretty exciting." 

The band had formed in 2008, when Lepitzki and her husband moved to Ecum Secum, Nova Scotia on a feeling. 

“In Nova Scotia, you could drive half an hour, find a local hall and you would be at a jam,” she said. 

That’s exactly what happened one Wednesday night, when the Lepitzkis met two men – a box drummer and a guitar player – after a town hall jam and spoke with them for a while. 

“He says 'why don't you come over to the house and we'll have a party?'” Lepitzki said. “We went over there and we had a party, a real kitchen party. We're sitting around the table, playing and singing. That became our band.”

Since then, Saltwater Joy has been played across the country, while the Lepitzki’s alternate from their home in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia throughout the year. 

Their music has “a very broad appeal,” Lepitzski said over email.

“From those who know the songs word for word … to those who hear them for the first time … the tunes have you jumping on board within minutes!”

Their Danceland performance starts at 8 pm on Aug. 2, with a buffet held before from 6 pm to 7:30pm.