How Gamètı̀, N.W.T., rocked in the new year with Welder's Daughter

Residents of Gamètı̀, N.W.T., brought in the new year with one of the N.W.T.'s favourite local bands.

Nearly 150 people gathered last week in the community hall in the Tłı̨chǫ community for a concert by Welder's Daughter. It was the first time the band has visited the community of about 300. 

Belinda Blackduck is the Gamètı̀ community director and organized the show. She said it's the first time the community has had live music since 2020 and residents were keen. 

"People were phoning as soon as we posted it, phoning the office, asking for tickets," she said. 

Blackduck said that even people from out of town were interested in coming, though a cold snap made it difficult to travel by snowmobile and the crowd was mostly locals in the end. 

She says everyone in the territory knows Welder's Daughter. 

"They play songs that people grew up with," she said. 

Karen Novak, the band's lead vocalist and keyboardist, said they already knew many of the people in the audience from shows in Yellowknife, Behchokǫ̀ and Whatı̀. 

"So it did feel like we were at home without ever being there before," Novak said. 

The band plays five days a week at Yellowknife's Gold Range bar but Attila Novak, the band's guitarist and sound engineer, said there was something unique about the New Year's Eve performance. 

"It's a special thing to say goodbye to the year, and enter the new year," he said. 

It's one of the biggest celebrations of the year and Karen said it's a big deal to be a part of. 

"Particularly if you're in a smaller community, when do you really get a chance to, you know, put on something sparkly?" Karen said.

Karen said the band is making it a goal to visit more of the territory's smaller communities in the next few years — to play shows, but also to put on workshops and share their love of music. That's something they've done in Inuvik and started in Łútselk'e in November.

Those workshops focus on how to set up a band, perform with your bandmates, set up equipment and also how to write songs. Novak said she hopes participants can learn skills easily applied to other areas, like teamwork and dedication. 

"We really want to pass on that passion of music to the communities," she said. 

Blackduck said she's inviting the band back to Gamètı̀ in March to perform during a handgames tournament and hopes it will be as popular as the New Year's event.