The unconventional guitar was developed in the late 19th century, when colonial Spanish guitar traditions intersected with native Hawaiian open tunings. Later, with the rise in popularity of Hawaiian music and culture in the United States’ mainland and the development of the electric guitar pickup in the 1930s, the instrument’s signature sinuous glissade sound captured the imagination of musicians across genres, cementing the role of the steel guitar (and its analogies: the pedal steel, the lap steel, the console steel and the Dobro, among others) in not only Hawaiian music, but also blues, Western swing, honky-tonk, country and gospel.

Steel guitar conventions are nothing new. Given the instrument’s relative niche status and the lifelong dedication its devotees demand, players have been sharing and swapping information and inspiration since the beginning. In Vancouver, Vanessa Dandurand and Dave McCormick bring their own passion for the instrument to the inaugural Cryin’ Time Steel Guitar Convention, a four-day entertainment and educational smorgasbord celebrating the instrument’s storied history and culture that runs February 6 to 9 across four venues: The Wise Hall, Green Auto, The Heatley and The Pearl.

“The idea of a steel guitar convention is not a new one, not something I can take credit for by a long shot,” says Dandurand of Cryin’ Time’s origin. “For me, the idea of the model I was following, to a degree, is something like the International Steel Guitar Convention that ran from ‘77 to 2015 in St. Louis. There’s so much great footage from that time: you see Buddy Emmons, you see Lloyd Green and JayDee Maness, all these classic steel players that played on every country record. Because this community is so small, all these brilliant people play on all these different records.”

Cryin’ Time stands proud atop the shoulders of the giants of the steel guitar community, bringing together amateur and professional players with artists, industry professionals and fans alike to celebrate and learn. Between beautiful tones, attendees will have opportunities to attend lectures on the history and development of the instrument, workshops on tunings and techniques, and explore the limitless potential of the versatile sound of sadness. Featured players studding Cryin’ Time’s debut include Andrea Whitt (Kendrick Lamar, Shania Twain, Jelly Roll), Brennen Leigh, Matt Kelly (City & Colour, Alexisonfire), Kevin Skrla, and Miles Zurawell (Zachary Lucky), among many more. There’s also a Sho-N-Shine, celebrating the iconic Sho-Bud brand of pedal steels, a Dobro Demolition Derby, and a cosmic steel country showcase — in four short days, the pageantry and history of the steel guitar will be in full flight in Vancouver.

“It’s for anyone that loves country music, or if they want to have a better understanding of that sound, or maybe they’re just gear collectors or music historians, or just fans of the sound,” says Dandurand. “People want to take a peek into something a little further than what they can see on stage or hear on a song.”

Cryin’ Steel co-organizer Vanessa Dandurand, who will also be performing on Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Pearl.

Dandurand’s passion and enthusiasm for the instrument drives Cryin’ Time. Most of our conversation slides seamlessly between topics, dropping laundry lists of iconic names in the community and reminiscing about recording in the bowels of the CBC building in Vancouver. 

“There’s something in the sound that you feel in the pit of your stomach. Even if you don’t understand it, you feel it. It is a very lonely sound,” she says. “It’s a deeply emotional sound. It unlocks that part of you that allows you to be sad and in your feelings, regardless of the topic of your song. The same way that you can go to a heavy metal show and all the anger leaves your body.

“I was recording around this time last year with Ian Badger, Spank, Lyndon Froese, and Erik Nielsen and Matt Kelly from City & Colour, deep down in the CBC building in downtown Vancouver,” she continues. “I got to sneak a peak in Studio One. It’s this beautiful, big, wooden, perfectly sound-treated room: you step in there and you don’t feel a single thing from the outside world. I was like, ‘I bet if I laid down on the floor here and closed my eyes and had Matt Kelly play pedal steel in this room, every problem I’d ever had would just melt away.”

Cryin’ Time Steel Guitar Convention runs Feb. 6 to 9 in Vancouver at The Wise Hall, Green Auto, The Heatley and The Pearl. 

TICKETS & INFO

Brett Cassidy will perform on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Green Auto.