Darcy Whiteside has been at the helm of The Bluegrass Hour since 2017. It’s a pity the show isn’t broadcast in video as well as audio, since Whiteside has such an extensive collection of Western-style shirts. We asked him about his love of bluegrass music, his work at CKUA, and his new role as our roving reporter.
“I was doing a show—as so many other hosts at CKUA have done—on CJSR,” says Whiteside. “It was called Prairie Pickin’.” He laughs and says the program had been passed down through “a number of different bluegrass nerds.”
CKUA’s David Ward contacted Whiteside and asked him if he would be interested in hosting something at CKUA. Whiteside put together a demo show recording. The program continued the following week. “I keep waiting for someone to say, ‘Okay, we’re done with you,’ but that hasn’t happened.”
Why would it? Whiteside’s musical choices reveal his affection for the bluegrass genre, and the program’s fans are loyal. Whiteside says, “It’s been truly an honour to host, so I’ve continued to do it.”
Whiteside’s own bluegrass roots run deep. He grew up on a dairy farm near Didsbury, and started playing the banjo when he was ten years old. He began playing country music with his sister, and says he just did it for fun. Things changed when he was a teenager. “A really good banjo player named Jake Peters moved to Didsbury, and I started taking lessons from him. Then I went to university and continued playing banjo, and I played a little more guitar.”
An introduction to Edmonton’s Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society’s Wednesday night jams led to more musical education. “From that, I started playing with a group. That’s where I learned about dynamics, and how to not overplay.” After that, says, Whiteside, he was picked up by a bluegrass band called Maple Creek.
Now, he says, when he creates The Bluegrass Hour each week, “I really like the history of the music. I like learning how the musicians got into it, who played on the track.” When he explores the backstory of a particular song or artist, he knows the CKUA audience will be right there with him.
“Because bluegrass fans are knowledgeable—well, all CKUA listeners are—I like to dig pretty deep. I figure people have already listened to the standards, so I try to find music that might be a little under the radar.”
He also notes that while bluegrass music has its roots deep in the Appalachian Mountains, its appeal has spread around the world. For that reason, Whiteside likes to play international artists as well.
Over the past two summers, Whiteside has taken on a new role, that of CKUA’s “roving reporter.” When the festival team gives him a microphone on site at the Edmonton Folk Fest or the Fringe, he’s more than happy to ask people on the street (or the hill) what they like about the festival, or what they’re having for lunch.
Content Director Arianne Smith-Piquette asked him to take on the assignment, but she didn’t have to ask twice. Whiteside says, “CKUA people are just incredible people. They’re fun to hang around. At these festivals, I’m always up for getting to know the volunteers, the crew, the people who attend.”
He adds, “Heat and lack of sleep also bring about some strange situations, and they were willing to let me just go for it!”
Here’s a clip of Darcy as roving reporter at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, 2024. Watch until the end for added blooper content!
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Thanks for all you do, Darcy! The Bluegrass Hour airs Sundays from 1pm – 2pm MT on CKUA.
