Elko - National Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Day 1

First day of the NCPG 2024 -  starting slowly, but pleasantly, after a good hotel breakfast and pick-up of media credentials in the still almost empty Pioneer Saloon. The saloon, a theater, a shop and gallery are parts of the headquarters of the Western Folklife Center in the historic Pioneer Hotel. The WFC is organizing the festival and is doing a great job, relying mostly on volunteers!

First, since the sun was out, we went for a short walk through downtown Elko to check out what has changed (not too much): Capriola, the famous bit & spur company, is still there, there are lots of murals (the one below refers to Elko's basque history), and there is the Elko tower & railroad. Elko was founded as a railroad city in 1869.

 

After having studied the program and gotten organized, we watched several films in the G Three Bar Theater, one after the other, all of them highly interesting. First, about a 92 year old cowboy "John - The Last Cowboy" living alone with his cows in Montana.

Second: "Words From a Bear" -  about the life and work of N. Scott Momaday. This Pulitzer Prize-winning writer was a Kiowa Indian and one of the first indigenous people whose poems and other writings became world-wide recognized. He passed away only a week ago. 

The third film "Inhabitants" followed five Native American Tribes in different parts of the country and showed their efforts and successes to steward and shape the landscapes for decades. Rarely watching films/movies at home, we spent hours in the theater today, and, thoroughly enjoyed it.

After a short break at the hotel for a quick early dinner (left-overs from yesterday's roasted chicken) and a beer at the local brewery "1718" - in a historic bank building! - we drove to the Convention Center (5 min, just straight ahead) to "enhale" our first big show, already sold out (over 900 seats!): "The Big Band Show". 

 

Three fantastic bands were playing: First, young "Sam Platts & The Plainsmen" (photos above) presenting sort of a retro-swing, followed by "nouveau zydeco" by the great Geno Delafose (right pic) - a Louisiana cowboy - and his band. 

The grand finale on stage was Wylie & the Wild West, one of my all-time favs! American Music, real Western Music, Yodelin', Boogie-Woogie - top notch music presented by a great showman, rancher, horse breeder & trainer and former rodeo cowboy from Montana. On the photo below, great Wylie Gustafson and Geno Delafonse were jamming together:

Tired, didn't sleep much the last two nights because of the jetlag, but it has been an entertaining, interesting, packed, long day.