Country star Dean Brody hits Royal Theatre on Tuesday
Risks tend to pay off for B.C.-raised country singer, and album Beautiful Freakshow is no exception
Country singer Dean Brody has taken a few risks over the course of his career, the majority of which have paid off nicely.
The 41-year-old left his southeastern B.C. hometown of Jaffray (population: 820) for a songwriting career in Nashville more than a decade ago, which opened doors and led to a contract with a U.S. label whose clients included Jason Aldean. His career was sidetracked by a nasty waterskiing accident, however, which all but ended his U.S. trajectory.
A tireless worker, Brody moved back to Canada and landed at Open Road Recordings, where he remains today. The rollercoaster hasn’t stopped for Brody, whose title from his new album,
Beautiful Freakshow — with rap verses from newcomer Shevy Price — sees him head in a hickhop direction for the first time ever.
Stylistic changes notwithstanding (Beautiful Freakshow also features reggae, among other detours), Brody’s sixth album has helped the two-time Juno Award winner reach the upper level of country artists in this country. Ticket sales for his 11-date Canadian tour are expectedly strong, with only a few dozen remaining for his concert Tuesday at the Royal Theatre.
Opening acts are Madeline Merlo and the James Barker Band. Tickets are $57.50, $73.25, and $83.50 at rmts.bc.ca, by phone at 250-386-6121, or in person at the Royal McPherson box office.
Showtime is 7 p.m. The popular RCMP Musical Ride is scheduled for stops in Victoria and Colwood later this summer as part of a special Canada 150 tour. The ride, which features 32 riders and their horses, consists of drills choreographed to music, among other exercises.
The ride will be held at Topaz Park in Victoria on Aug. 26 and at Royal Roads University in Colwood on Aug. 27.
For information, visit rcmp.gc.ca. Elli Hart of Dirty Mountain is hosting a songwriters-in-theround showcase at Northern Quarter on June 1.
Hart will be joined by fellow Victoria performers Steph Macpherson and Kirsten Ludwig and Vancouver’s Sam Lynch for the event.
Music starts at 9 p.m. Admission is by donation. Dinner reservations can be made through dinenq@gmail.com.
Northern Quarter is located at 1724 Douglas St. Lunch at Allen’s — the longrunning supergroup featuring Murray McLauchlan, Cindy Church, Marc Jordan and Ian Thomas — will tour B.C. in June, beginning with four dates on Vancouver Island.
The group will perform June 12 in Campbell River at the Tidemark Theatre, June 13 in Courtenay at the Sid Williams Theatre, June 15 in Nanaimo at The Port Theatre, and June 16 in Victoria at the McPherson Playhouse.
Further into the 10-date tour, Lunch at Allen’s will perform in June 22 in Duncan at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre.
Tickets for each concert are $45. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. The Sooke River Bluegrass Festival is offering an allCanadian lineup in honour of Canada’s sesquicentennial, it has been announced.
Slocan Ramblers and Sarah Jane Scouten are among the headliners for the June 16-18 festival, which takes place on the banks of the Sooke River Campground. Other acts slated to appear include the Clover Point Drifters, Country Squall, the Riverside Bluegrass Band and Twin Bandit, among others.
Weekend passes are $50. Children 14 and under are free. For more information, visit sookebluegrass.com. Crystal Shawanda’s Fish Out of Water Tour will bring the celebrated country singer to Sidney’s Charlie White Theatre on July 27.
Shawanda, who is from Ontario’s Wikwemikong First Nation, was one of the fastestrising stars in country music in 2008, which led to tours with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley. Her most recent album, Fish Out of Water, earned an indigenous music album of the year nomination at this year’s Juno Awards.
The Charlie White Theatre is located in Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre (2243 Beacon Ave.).
Tickets are $35 at 250-656-0275, or marywinspear.ca. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Artists touring the country almost
always start their run in Victoria. PBS favourite Daniel O’Donnell — despite being one of the world’s most successful crooners — is no different in that regard.
The Irish legend begins his Back Home Tour in Victoria on Sept. 7, the first of 15 dates in Canada. He will perform at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, which is a proper-sized venue for an act of O’Donnell’s profile. He recently became the first artist in U.K. history to have an album chart every year since 1988, surpassing Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Madonna and U2 in the process.
Tickets are $39, $59, $85, and $99 through livenation.com and selectyourtickets.com.They are also available by phone at 250-220-7777 or in person at the Save-on-Foods memorial Centre (1925 Blanshard St.).