This country star is returning home after two years

It’s a country fairytale.

That’s what High Valley singer Brad Rempel thinks about playing at the Calgary Stampede Evening Show for five nights from July 14 to July 18.

“Being an Alberta kid, it’s kind of the biggest thing you’ve ever heard of,” Rempel tells Calgary Citizen. “The Grandstand, it’s almost like a fairytale scenario in the world of Alberta you know, so it’s pretty stinking awesome. I’m really looking forward to it.”

It’s not that High Valley hasn’t played the Calgary Stampede before, but there’s something about the magic of performing at the Grandstand Spectacular night after night that is, well, spectacular.

Know more about Calgary, every morning in just 5 minutes.

Get stories you won’t find anywhere else about the people, places, and businesses at the heart of our city.

By filling out the form above, you consent to receive emails from Calgary Citizen.

You can unsubscribe at any time. View our privacy policy here.

“I know the production is intense, I’ve seen it. We’re going to be bringing the energy … and I just can’t think of a better way to spend the summer in Canada.”

Add to that the fact that the pandemic has made live music almost obsolete over the last year and a half and these are some of the first live music performances coming back to the city, and it’s just simply magical.

“We haven’t been able to see our family for almost two years. It’s pretty amazing the Calgary Stampede has given us this opportunity to come home, see our families and play the show as well,” Rempel adds.

Rempel is from Blumenort, Alberta, a small community nine hours north of Calgary. With their signature sound of positive-minded, bluegrass-tinted country, High Valley is the perfect complement to the show.

High Valley and Alberta’s own Terri Clark will be splitting the Evening Show duties over the course of the Stampede.

Clark will perform the first five nights of the Stampede, from July 9 to 13. Each Evening Show will open with the Broncs After Dark, a western-inspired competition, as well as the Bell Grandstand Show that features music combined with stunts and pyrotechnics.

When asked if High Valley had any hesitations, Rempel says they did what was best for everyone in the band.

“I took it without a second thought. We’re just thrilled; absolutely beyond thrilled.”

His family plans to attend the Calgary Stampede with him, including his two sons who are nine and 12-years-old. They plan to take in the sights and sounds — and foods — of the event.

“I’ve been telling my boys, ‘You have no idea what you’re about to see,’” Rempel says, adding he also plans to start each morning with a run along the river and finds ways to eat healthily.

“I always find different cool little local restaurants. I’ve got a lot of friends in town that I haven’t seen in a couple of years, and there are Canadian artists playing at different venues, so I’m definitely gonna try and catch as much live music as I can.”

Click here to find out everything you need to know about the Evening Show.

Your community, your inbox.Bringing you beyond the headlines, Calgary Citizen is your home for news, events, and culture that drives our city, every weekday.By filling out the form above, you consent to receive emails from Calgary Citizen.You can unsubscribe at any time. View our privacy policy here.