Fans of Alberta's High Valley had wondered why the country band's tour had no scheduled Calgary stops. But it turns out High Valley will perform plenty of times in the city this summer — 10 times, in fact.
The top-selling Canadian band in country music history has been announced as the headline act of the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show, presented by Freedom Mobile, taking place at GMC Stadium from July 3 to 12.
A Dream Come True
This spring, High Valley has been touring with its latest release, this year's Paradise and Hurricanes EP, but the band heard many complaints on social media when no Calgary dates were included, said Brad Rempel, High Valley lead singer, during an interview Tuesday with Postmedia.
"Of course, we knew the reason — because we were going to stop in Calgary 10 times. But we weren't allowed to announce that until right now," said Rempel, adding the band had asked fans to be patient.
Performing at the Stampede's Grandstand will be the pinnacle of High Valley's summer, said Rempel, calling it "a major honour" for the band.
"We're just so thankful. It's a dream come true," said Rempel, who's based in Nashville, Tenn.
A Unique Experience
During the Stampede, Rempel has played at various venues, including at pancake breakfasts, in a church parking lot and at Nashville North, over the years — but never 10 nights on the Grandstand, an experience he says will be "kind of crazy."
"We don't get to do this," said Rempel. "This is like the Super Bowl half-time show for Canada."
High Valley band members are "thrilled" to be able to put on a show with the Stampede's props, set-up and staging.
"We're trying to figure out how we can always have the Stampede crew with us all the time," he said.
Show Highlights
High Valley will try to fit in as many hits in as they can and probably have time for one new song, said Rempel. "It will pretty much be as much as a sing-a-long as possible," he said.
The band and Stampede staff have a "cool show" in the works, one incorporating other performers from the Grandstand Show into High Valley's, said Rempel. "There's so much talent there. We're going to have as many people on stage instead of watching from the back."
The Grandstand Show also features the Young Canadians and the Grandstand Band, a live DJ, acrobat groups the Bello Sisters and Duo Soma, Irish dancers the Gardiner Brothers and circus performers the Sylla Brothers.
"It's a bold, high-impact celebration of Calgary Stampede nights, pairing country heart with elevated showmanship to create something electric, unexpected and unmistakably Stampede," said Grandstand Show producer Mark Eriksen in a statement.
The show also features Stampede in the Sky, a reimagined drone and pyrotechnic experience set to music by High Valley. "This year's performance features agriculture-inspired imagery, expanded pyro integration and staging that elevates the Grandstand Band 16 feet into the air," reads a Calgary Stampede news release.
The Grandstand Show wraps up each night with fireworks.
Tickets for the evening show, which includes the Rangeland Derby and the Grandstand Show, are available now through the Calgary Stampede website. Stampede Park admission is included with evening show tickets.
