The Wardens bring tales from the trail to the Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod
The Wardens are bringing their Western folk harmonies and stories from Canada’s mountain parks to the Empress on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. to kick off the 2022/2023 Centre Stage Concert Series.
The Wardens, based in Alberta’s picturesque Bow Valley, write stories and songs about the very land they’ve protected during their careers as Canadian national park wardens. Their haunting three-part harmonies and chilling tales combine with their mountain music to make for a fascinating show. Scott Ward and Ray Schmidt are both veteran national park wardens, working primarily in Banff and Jasper, who joined together to create music based on their unique mountain experiences. They are joined by fiddler Scott Duncan. Since their self-titled debut in 2013, The Wardens have released three more full-length albums – Bear 66 (2014), Sleeping Buffalo (2017) and Sold Out at the Ironwood (2021).
Their songs tell tales from their decades of experience living, working in and protecting the Canadian wilderness. There are stories about patrolling the parks on horseback, hiking for days on end, working with rescue dogs, forecasting avalanches and being a part of park fire crews.
Over nearly a decade, the band has performed across western Canada and in the US from Alaska to California. They’ve shared the stage with Blue Rodeo, Pharis & Jason Romero and Ian Tyson and performed at Folk Alliance International, Canmore Folk Festival’s main stage and for a royal audience in Edmonton.
Tickets to The Wardens are $37.50 each and available at MacleodEmpress.com, by calling 403-553-4404 (tollfree at 1-800-540-9229), or at the Box Office on Main Street.
For more information, contact the Empress Theatre at 403-553-4404 or info@macleodempress.com.
Upcoming Centre Stage concerts:
Ken Lavigne: Three Knights with a Tenor, October 13, 2022 Irish Mythen, November 10, 2022 Mocking Shadows, February 24, 2023 2 | o f 2
Dave Gunning & JP Cormier, March 16, 2023 Lonesome Ace String Band, April 28, 2023
The Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod is a rare gem: one of the oldest operating theatres in the country.