Penny Buhr Johnson

I found myself in Wawota on Saturday night for the first time in probably several years, and being a little sceptical, I sat down in my seat not sure of what I was about to experience. Two and a half hours later I walked out of the Wawota Town Hall with a smile on my face humming some blues tunes. What I am talking about is the concert I attended performed by Penny Buhr-Johnson. A pianist with a phenomenal singing voice. Penny lit up the stage playing old classics, some new hits, and even a few songs she wrote herself. Penny noted her mother used to say, "Why are you making up songs when they're already hundreds of good songs out there?" This line was used a couple times throughout the show giving the audience a good chuckle. Her skill as a piano player and her beautiful and powerful voice is what got the crowd going. At times the whole audience was singing along to choruses and even on one of the last songs you could hear clapping and singing throughout the whole song. The crowd was drawn to Penny with every word she sung or spoke. She showed a comedic side of herself, making jokes, and just being honest with the crowd.
Throughout the night Penny seemed to have a few themes for all her songs that she played. Her first theme was romance. The next was family, and the third was faith. Rounding out the evening she performed numbers reminding people to love their life, and that there really isn't time to be blue about things in this world. The concert was more than music to entertain; it was also an honest message of love, family and faith. An emotional Penny thanked the audience for coming and supporting her. The audience applauded her at the end of the night, for they were as touched as Penny was. The night ended as beautifully as it started with Penny singing a song that she dedicated to her husband. Penny and the town of Wawota have a new fan, and I know I'm not the only one. - Carlyle Observer