SUPPORT, LOVE FOR BRONCOS
Concert aims to ‘wash away the darkness,’ help with healing process
It’s safe to say that Saskatoon’s largest concert venue has never seen anything like it.
The Country Thunder Foundation’s Humboldt Broncos Tribute Concert wasn’t just a show but a summit of Canadian country music star power, NHL fame and homegrown compassion as promoters and fans chipped in to help the players and families affected by the devastating April 6 collision between a semi-trailer unit and the Humboldt Broncos’ bus.
The crash three weeks ago killed 16 people and injured the 13 others on board the bus.
“It truly is amazing what can be done when we come together as one,” Chad Brownlee said before singing Tom Cochrane’s Big League. “Let’s hold as much love in our hearts as we can and wash away all the darkness that’s affected too many people.”
As the concert began, the NHL players in attendance came onto the stage with hockey sticks that they placed in a stick rack at centre stage. A video montage for the Broncos was played, with Johnny Reid’s Thank You used as the soundtrack.
An early hit of the night happened when former New York Islander and Pittsburgh Penguin Bryan Trottier — a native of Val Marie, Sask. — joined Brett Kissel on stage for a cover of Merle Haggard’s Working Man Blues.
Prior to the concert, Kissel said it was important for him to participate and help with the healing process.
“We hope this will be a step in the right direction for those who are here to let loose, those who are here to forget their troubles, those who are here to start the healing process,” he said. “For me, this is exactly what I wanted to do.”
When he performed Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do, Kissel was on a satellite stage in the middle of the crowd at centre ice. The crowd lit up the performance with a sea of cellphone lights, making it look like a starfilled sky.
The $65 tickets were snapped up quickly when the show was announced, approaching sellout status of 13,000-plus.
Musicians such as Dallas Smith and Jess Moskaluke were quickly on board. They were joined by Kissel, Brownlee, Gord Bamford and the Hunter Brothers — who opened the concert by singing the national anthem while wearing Humboldt Broncos jerseys.
J.J. Hunter said they wanted to celebrate the lives lost, but also uplift some spirits.
“The families are dealing with such heartache, so if there is any type of uplifting we can do, we’d love to be part of that,” he said hours before the concert. “I imagine there will be lots of emotion going through this building tonight. Hopefully, there will be some laughs, some singing, some clapping, but there’s also going to be some tears shed.”
Country Thunder veterans Williams & Ree were the emcees.
The concert was expected to gross almost $900,000 in tickets sales. After production costs and travel expenses for some of the artists were paid for, the Country Thunder Foundation planned to donate the proceeds to the 29 families involved within days.
But as Ty Hunter pointed out in an earlier Postmedia interview, the compassion has to continue long-term.
“There will never be anything to fill the hole of the lives that have been lost. The families and the billet families, they will forever remember the boys. The pain doesn’t just come right after, it comes in waves months after and years after. That’s something that we’ve talked about. We want to be available in any capacity we can down the road as well.”