Country Thunder Calgary Day 1: Brad Paisley, Chase Bryant, Dallas Smith and more
I couldn’t be more excited to be taking over Calgary this summer and being introduced to all these incredible festivals. 5 years ago I never thought I would ever be a part of Country Thunder Calgary!
Country Thunder is known for having some of the biggest talents in country music and the biggest upcoming rising stars in the industry. What I love about this festival is all the happy people, I love being a part of festivals where there are so many smiles and strangers becoming the best of friends.
Friday, the festival kicked off with the extremely talented The Dungarees, The Washboard Union and one of my favourite country singers, Dallas Smith. Not a bad way to start off the weekend that’s for sure! From start to finish, every section of Prairie Wind Park was full, and from the hill to the bottom of field the crowd was full of energy.
One act that blew us out of our seats was the very talented Dallas Smith. Every time I’ve seen him he gets better and better and he never fails to entertain. What I really love about Dallas is how intimate he is with the crowd and how much he interacts with them throughout the show. Whether you’re up close or at the back of festival he makes you feel like you had front row seats.
Dallas released his solo debut country album, Jumped Right In, on May 22, 2012. The album has since become one of his most popular albums, selling over 100,000 digital singles and it’s generated five singles on the Canadian Hot 100. Jumped Right In was also nominated for Country Album of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards. Dallas is the first Canadian male artist to have achieved four number one singles on Canadian radio with his latest single, Sky Stays This Blue. He also holds the record for having three consecutive number one hits on Canadian radio. Impressive stats!
Another of the acts I was most excited to see was Chase Bryant. The American singer/songwriter is most known for his songs Take It On Back and Little Bit Of You. Chase is recognized for focusing his music and writing on the commonalities that people share around him. His goal when he performs on stage is to have everyone feel like they’re his friends and family which is truly wonderful!!!
All I can say is, I’ll be your friend Chase!!! I’m looking forward to more shows by Chase Bryant, especially seeing his energy and guitar skills on stage, this guy can rock!
The biggest act that everyone was anticipating was Brad Paisley!
I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to shoot one of his shows, so to finally get to check it off my bucket list of artists was amazing. Paisley has earned quite a selection of achievements in his musical career, selling over 12 million albums, winning three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and 2 American Music Awards.
Words cannot describe how powerful a performer he is. From the incredible band he has behind him, to the videos and entertainment on the screen, his powerful guitar skills and voice; Brad Paisley needs to be someone you see live!
Brad Paisley live at Country Thunder Calgary, 2017
Chase Bryant live at Country Thunder Calgary, 2017
Dallas Smith live at Country Thunder Calgary, 2017
Photographer and fan of live music that spans genres, cities, and stages!
