By Rebecca Stanisic
There was the Ambush Army, then came The Canadian Cowboys’ ever-growing crowd. Now you can be part of both at the Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show, April 10 at Ottawa’s EY Centre.
The Canadian Cowboys play classic country songs, hits from the 1950s and 60s, and gospel music in a high-energy, toe-tapping, comedic performance, and you’re invited to join them.
Before introducing The Canadian Cowboys, Ambush amassed its “army” of fans while recording music and touring across eastern Ontario, western Quebec and beyond. Since its start in the 1990s, the Ottawa-based country band has earned multiple Canadian Country Music Association nominations, including Group or Duo of the Year, and was the winner of the Country Music Television reality show Plucked.
All three Ambush members also now play as The Canadian Cowboys for audiences in retirement residences, community centres, and at private events across the province. “Cowboy Mark” McDonell is on lead vocals and guitar, “Cowboy Kris” Lafontaine is on bass guitar and vocals, and “Cowboy Dan” Derue is on drums and vocals.
“Since we’ve been doing the Cowboy show, we do throw in some classic country in the Ambush show … We used to think this wouldn’t work, but there’s kind of a resurgence for the classics,” Mark says.
The Canadian Cowboys began, by chance, in the past decade. Cowboy Mark was with a loved one at the hospital when he turned to his music. “I thought, you know what, I’ll take my guitar in and I’ll just sing some songs, cheer her up,” Mark says.
This proved popular among staff and other the patients and, before long, it was suggested he take the show to retirement residences and play for seniors. The classic country songs and familiar tunes, paired with comedic banter, proved to be a winning formula. The Canadian Cowboys have visited over 29 retirement residences in Ontario—and counting—and hope to play more across Canada.
You can expect their set list to be interactive and lively at the EY Centre show. “We’re a country band, but you don’t see people that know how to two-step like our seniors do,” Mark remarks with delight. The popularity of the shows hasn’t gone unnoticed by the band, either. Mark says audience members will say, “It’s so nice to hear those songs that we grew up on.”
He also notes that while they’ve played large stages with thousands of people in the audience—which they love—they leave a performance at a seniors’ residence feeling good inside and fulfilled. It’s as though they have been “touching people with music more than we do on some of these bigger shows. It’s great,” Mark says.
The band members all grew up on classic country and, since they were already familiar with the music their parents and grandparents enjoyed, they wanted to be a part of The Canadian Cowboys from its inception.  What began as a side project—with Ambush continuing full-time—has become a sensation.
While Ambush continues to round up new fans on the Canadian music scene, The Canadian Cowboys are winning over crowds one two-step at a time. As the Cowboys, Mark, Kris and Dan have their guitars and drums wrapped in Canadian flags. “We’re just genuinely proud to be from a great country, and we do mix in quite a bit of Canadian music.”
Inspired by other Canadian and Ottawa Valley musicians, they are excited for the next act of The Canadian Cowboys, which will involve expanding the band’s presence and playing more shows for seniors. Performing at this spring’s Fifty-Five Plus Lifestyle Show is “very exciting for us,” Mark says. The show is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. thecanadiancowboys.ca; getambushed.com @thecanadiancowboys @ambusharmy
