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Gunns and Mop Tops rock

Dress like a rock star, move like a rock star and - oh yeah - play really good, hard-driving music.

Dress like a rock star, move like a rock star and - oh yeah - play really good, hard-driving music.

The band Mary's Gunn has been compared to Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath and they sure caught the attention of the crowd last Saturday afternoon at the second annual Highway 101 Music Festival. While the musicians sweated in black leather, the audience stayed cool in the beer garden opposite, among the shade trees of Lions Park near Garden Bay.

"Saturday is rock," said festival organizer Lorne Jones, "and Sunday is country."

Jones, who looks like a young Bruno Gerussi, comes from Roberts Creek and has been a touring musician on the road for 25 years. The festival's line-up included his friends and people he's met along the way.

"We want to support local talent," he said, and he and Heather Brown, his co-organizer, picked some Sunshine Coast music makers.

Brothers in Farms opened Saturday's entertainment, and the local Bigger Bits with Jones' long time friend and inspiration, keyboardist Ken Dalgleish, played Sunday.

"Sinmobile [an indie contemporary rock band from the Coast] gave a great show on Friday," Jones said, "and if you missed Dan's Daughters, you'll get to see them again on Sunday."

The father of the harmonizing women was the late Dan Sheppard.

Gospel hour on Sunday morning featured 70-year-old singer/songwriter Alan Moberg, born in Pender Harbour, now living on Salt Spring Island, with numerous recordings in the folk/country/roots genre to his credit. He performed along with the choir from the local Christ the Redeemer Church.

The Retrosonics played music for fans of old tunes, and along the way poked fun at the Mop Tops, a Beatles tribute band that would be playing later that day.

"That much polyester friction might set off a fire," laughed lead vocalist Stuart Wright, referring to the Mop Tops' Sergeant Pepper costumes.

What the audience didn't know is that a few of the same joking musicians from the retro group would dress up as John, Paul, George and Ringo to perform again.

"We're from Liverpool," John Mop Top told me, shaking his wig and deadpanning a stare through granny glasses. The group reached back to Love Me Do days to present the Beatles' hits, and the audience, many boomers among them, sang along.

"We've got Odds tonight to draw a younger crowd," Jones said.

The band plays covers from Pointed Sticks along with lighter fare, and it was the official house band at Canada's Hockey House during the 2010 games.

Jones was happier with this year's venue, the Lions Club Park. Last year's inaugural festival at the Pender Harbour Golf Course did not attract the crowds that organizers wanted.

"We had golf balls whizzing by," he said. "That created a problem for security."

He was also happier with dividing the acts into two stages - a small daytime stage opposite the beer garden with a Gibsons' sound team and a bigger evening stage put together by a Vancouver production team.

With a little help from their friends and numerous volunteers, the festival hopes to go into their third year. Information about the performers can be found at: www.hwy101musicfest.com.