This pair is converting an old horse trailer into a tiny mobile honky tonk
It will feature a stage, western store and country music museum
A rusty old horse trailer will ride again thanks to a country singer named Boots Graham, and his western-wear merchant partner, Laura Gaucher.
The pair from Drumheller are converting a trailer into a tiny mobile honky tonk, or country western dance bar, which will also serve as a vintage western clothing story and country music museum.
Graham says he has always romanticized opening his own dance and dive country bar in the prairies.
"I grew up watching Roadhouse and thought that is would be cool to have a really wild party every night," he said on the Calgary Eyeopener.
"But after I started playing in honky tonks, I realized I didn't really wanna deal with all the drunk people and the fights and all the stuff that comes with it."
- LISTEN to this country-loving pair talk honky tonk dreams here:
His idea kept getting more specific, and smaller as he was inspired by the tiny house movement and the the way musicians had to innovate due to the pandemic.
The old, rusty three-horse trailer is about 14 feet long ( about 4.3 metres) that was formerly used to transport barrel-racing horses.
They plan to cover it with "western cowboy, country music stuff, all the stuff you love to see at a good honky tonk," said Gaucher.
The couple plans to remove one of the existing walls to create a drop-down stage where Graham can perform country music. The trailer, being easily transportable, can be moved around to markets and festivals.
Gaucher, who owns a vintage store already, intends to use part of the space to sell western gear like hats and boots.
"I do western wear so you've kind of gotta go to those small towns," she said.
They'll also use some of their tight space to showcase some country music relics that won't be for sale in what they're calling the "Country Music Museum."
So far, they have already collected pieces like Sneezy Waters's suit from Hank Williams movie The Show He Never Gave and Dick Damron's guitar strap.
The couple plans to have the project completed by the end of September. Then they will have a kickoff shindig at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne, Alta.
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.