Sydney Butters
Photographer and fan of live music that spans genres, cities, and stages!

2022 Calgary Stampede Photo Review: Jessia, July Talk, Chris Lane and T-Pain

If you’ve got an eclectic taste in music, July 12 was a good night for you at the 2022 Calgary Stampede. Canadian pop and alt-rock, some country music, and… T-Pain all showed up and showed out on the Coca-Cola, Nashville North, and The Big Four Roadhouse stages respectfully.

Check out photos from each of the three stages, capturing Jessia, July Talk, Chris Lane, and of course, T-Pain.

And stay tuned for more from the 2022 Calgary Stampede!

Jessia

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July Talk

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Chris Lane

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T-PAIN

July 14, 2022 No Comments

2022 Calgary Stampede Photo Review: Alexisonfire and Aqua

Variety was on the menu on July 11 at the 2022 Calgary Stampede with Alexisonfire headlined the Coca-Cola Stage and Aqua took the spotlight at The Big Four Roadhouse.

From Canadian alternative greatness to 90s pop superstars, it was all on display – and now it’s right here in pictures!

Check it all out and stay tuned for more from the 2022 Calgary Stampede!

Alexisonfire

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Aqua

July 14, 2022 No Comments

2022 Calgary Stampede Photo Review: Tim Hicks and Hunter Brothers

Country music came to the 2022 Calgary Stampede on July 11 when Tim Hicks and Hunter Brothers took turns entertaining fans at Nashville North.

The double headlining night brought a lot of hits and fan favourite songs to the stage, and having had chances to see Hicks and the Hunters more than a few times, we knew what we were going to get, and we got it.

Check out the photos now and stay tuned for more from the 2022 Calgary Stampede!

Tim Hicks

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Hunter Brothers

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July 14, 2022 No Comments
Milky Chance 2022 Calgary Stampede Feature

2022 Calgary Stampede Photo Review: Milky Chance

Milky Chance came to the 2022 Calgary Stampede and took over the Coca-Cola Stage on July 10.

The German artists were a long way from home, look comfortable and cool on the Calgary stage.

Check out the photos from the set, including some shots from way, way, way up looking down from an angle that folks don’t usually get to experience a concert from!

Milky Chance

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July 13, 2022 No Comments

2022 Calgary Stampede Photo Review: Lennon Stella and SAINt JHN

The 2022 Calgary Stampede continued their live music lineup on July 9 with SAINt JHN on the Coca-Cola Stage and Canadian star Lennon Stella at The Big Four Roadhouse.

Both artists entertained their crowds and we’ve got photos from each set to share with you right here. Right now.

Check out the pictures from Calgary and stay tuned for more as the Stampede rolls on.

Enjoy!

Lennon Stella

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SAINt JHN

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July 13, 2022 No Comments

2022 Calgary Stampede Photo Review: Kevin Costner, Tenille Townes, and the Rodeo

The 2022 Calgary Stampede rolled on on Friday, July 8, 2022 with rodeo action and live country music that included Kevin Costner & Modern West at The Big Four Roadhouse and Tenille Townes at Nashville North.

It was a packed day and night of entertainment, with a lot of cover and a lot to share. Check out the photos from two stages and the stadium.

Kevin Costner & Modern West

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Tenille Townes

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Dean Brody (at the Grandstand)

Rodeo Action

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July 11, 2022 No Comments
JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters

JP Saxe and renforshort Kick Off Day One at the Calgary Stampede 2022

Our first entry from the 2022 Calgary Stampede is here! On day one, Thursday, July 7th, renforshort and Grammy-winning JP Saxe kicked off the festival at the Coca-Cola Stage with a big bang.

renforshort delivered her honest angsty sound to a welcoming crowd. Headliner JP Saxe followed her. The Canadian won a 2021 Grammy for best song (If the World Was Ending) with Julia Michaels. The soulful singer-songwriter has been on my bucket list for a while now.

 

PHOTO REVIEW

renforshort

RenForShort-CocaColaStage-SBPhotographyRenForShort-CocaColaStage-SBPhotography RenForShort-CocaColaStage-SBPhotographyRenForShort-CocaColaStage-SBPhotography RenForShort-CocaColaStage-SBPhotographyJP Saxe

JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters JP Sax - Calgary Stampede Sydney Butters

July 10, 2022 No Comments
Imagine Dragons Mercury Tour Edmonton 2022 photo by Sydney Butters Photography for thereviewsarein

Imagine Dragons brings the Mercury Tour to Edmonton and Calgary

Back in 2012, I made a bucket list of all the bands I dreamed of working with & photographing. Imagine Dragons has always been on the top ever since I started photography ten years ago. Not only were we lucky to have one show, but one in Edmonton and one in Calgary, Alberta! I will never be able to put into words how incredible these shows were.

It felt so good to finally be back in an arena filled with so many happy people! From first-time concert-goers, lifelong fans and new ones, this two-hour concert was a great kick-off for what’s to come this year for all entertainment!

Kicking off the show, lead singer Dan Reynolds emerged from beneath the stage and appeared at the end of the catwalk, singing the band’s latest hit, “My Life”, with colourful confetti blasting from every angle of the stage.

IMAGINE DRAGONS – EDMONTON MERCURY TOUR 2022

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To continue the show, lead singer Dan took a moment to share some words of wisdom to let everyone know we’re all here together to lift ourselves up and create positivity; “Tonight I would like you to let go, you can have everything you need, you can love yourself, forget about what anyone else thinks, free your heart, free your mind”.

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Imagine Dragons performed all their greatest hits from; “Radioactive”, “Believer”, “Natural”, “Whatever It Takes”, “I Bet My Life”, and “Thunder”. Not one seat was left empty. They had everyone on their feet with glow sticks and cell phone flashlights throughout the whole show.

I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to capture so many memories in a short period of time and witness many people coming together & seeing new friendships form. These are the shows that will forever leave a positive impact!

IMAGINE DRAGONS – CALGARY MERCURY TOUR 2022

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The Imagine Dragons Mercury Tour is moving east across Canada, over to Europe, and then back to the US. If you haven’t seen the show yet, get yourself some tickets. Check out their website for tickets.

April 16, 2022 No Comments

Boots and Hearts 2022 Day-to-Day Lineup and Don’t Miss Artists

The 2022 Boots & Hearts Music Festival got a whole lot bigger on Friday with the reveal of a full 32-artist lineup across four days in Oro-Medonte, Ontario.

We already knew some of the artists that were headed to the fields to play their sets this summer. But now we have a more complete picture, and more artists to be excited about. And if you love country music, there are names for you to be excited about too.

We’ve got the full day-to-day breakdown here – and we’re throwing in some Don’t Miss Artists for each of the full days Friday – Sunday. We all know that multi-stage festivals end up causing scheduling heartbreak for fans, so we want to get you ready early with the artists we promise you won’t want to miss this August.

Ready? Here we go!

Boots & Hearts 2022 Day-to-Day Lineup

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Coors Original Kick-Off Party
Walker Hayes
Callista Clark
Riley Taylor
Emerging Artist Showcase

Sam Hunt BH5 Boots and Hearts 2016

Friday, August 5, 2022

★ Sam Hunt

Dustin Lynch
Morgan Evans
MacKenzie Porter
Kidd G
Jason Blaine
Shy Carter
Don Amero
David Boyd Janes
Jess & Tay

Don’t Miss: Don Amero, Shy Carter

For the first full-day of the festival, this one is going to bang. Sam Hunt has been on the main stage before. Dustin Lynch will be a blast. MacKenzie Porter’s career is white hot right now and we know the crowd is going to sing her hits with her (and maybe we’ll get an Alanis cover too). And if you don’t know Don Amero and Shy Carter as our Don’t Miss Artists on Friday, we suggest you dive in at home now and see them live in August.

Florida Georgia Line Boots and Hearts 2015

Saturday, August 6, 2022

★ Florida Georgia Line

Russell Dickerson
Niko Moon
Meghan Patrick
Morgan Wade
Steven Lee Olsen
Nate Smith
After Midtown
Sykamore

Don’t Miss: Morgan Wade, Sykamore

Florida Georgia Line come back to the B&H headlining spot on Saturday before they take their sabbatical – and if they’re going away for a while, this could be a special one. Add in a returning Russell Dickerson, boot-stomping Canadian, Meghan Patrick, strong songwriter Steven Lee Olsen and we’re well on our way to a good day. We’ve got Morgan Wade and Sykamore on our Don’t Miss list and really – you don’t want to miss either of them. We’re all in on these women and you should be too. Trust us!

Shania Twain shot in Edmonton May 2018

Sunday, August 7, 2022

★ Shania Twain

Lindsay Ell
Tyler Rich
Robyn Ottolini
Priscilla Block
Andrew Hyatt
Madison Kozak
Five Roses
Brittany Kennell
The Redhill Valleys

Don’t Miss: Madison Kozak, Brittany Kennell

Let’s Go Girls! We’ve been waiting a decade to see Shania on the Boots and Hearts stage. Did we think it was ever going to happen – honestly, no – but here we go!!! With Lindsay Ell leading her in, the end of the 2022 B&H festival is going to be packed with fun and we cannot wait to see it. Add in Robyn Ottolini, Andrew Hyatt and favs The Redhill Valleys too and it’s going to be a Sunday funday. We’ve got Madison Kozak and Brittany Kennell here as our Don’t Miss Artists, and if you’ve made it to Sunday and have any energy left (we know you will) we highly recommend that you catch these sets before we get to Man! I Feel Like A Woman.

Drop a comment telling us who you think is Don’t Miss material from the 2022 Boots & Hearts lineup – and if you’ve got a favourite song from them, tell us that too!

March 5, 2022 1 Comment

Shania Twain Leads Boots & Hearts 2022 Headliners!

SHANIA TWAIN!!! As Boots & Hearts prepares for its return in full form next August at Burls Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, ON, the one and only Shania Twain leads the weekend country music festivals headliners.

The Canadian Queen of Country Music will take the stage on Sunday night, with Florida Georgia Line headlining on Saturday, and Sam Hunt in the spotlight on Friday.

Along with the headliners, six supporting acts were announced with Lindsay Ell, Robyn Ottolini, Russell Dickerson, Meghan Patrick, Dustin Lynch, and MacKenzie Porter spread out over the Friday-Sunday lineup. Worth noting is that five of the nine announced performers are women, which is not something we see often, and we’ll keep an eye on as more artists are announced.

Fans may also notice that Hunt, Lynch, and Patrick are carryovers from the 2021 festival lineup announcement, while the remainder of the names are new for the comeback 2022 weekend.

Back to Shania though. For years we’ve been writing prediction posts before Boots & Hearts reveals their lineup. Not once has Shania Twain been one of those predictions. We’ve always tried to be realistic with the picks, and Shania never ever ever seemed like a realistic possibility. She’s Shania. She was in Vegas. She’s royalty. She was on a list with Garth, Reba and Taylor Swift as unimaginable. But, here we are. Here she is. There she’ll be.

And she’s still the one.

I’m excited to see the fans react to FGL like they always do. I’m excited to see Sam Hunt for the first time in years. I’m excited for Canadian women getting a chance to show out every night. But we all know what the headline is. We all know who the star is.

From the moment she steps on stage on Sunday, August 7 (before she does really) to the moment the fireworks go off at the end of her encore, Shania Twain will be the story and the memory in the making and the exclamation point on the returning festival.

We can’t wait.

Here’s the day-by-day breakdown of the 2022 Boots & Hearts artist announcements so far. Stay tuned for more announcements, previews, and info.

Tickets for Boots & Hearts 2022 go on sale Friday, November 26 – and you can visit bootsandhearts.com/tickets/ to get ’em.

Thursday, August 4, 2022 – Kick Off Party!

Friday, August 5, 2022

Sam Hunt

Dustin Lynch
MacKenzie Porter

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Florida Georgia Line

Russell Dickerson
Meghan Patrick

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Shania Twain

Lindsay Ell
Robyn Ottolini

Check out some photos of the announced artists that we’ve snapped over the years, and start getting ready for August 2022!

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November 23, 2021 No Comments

James Barker Band & Dierks Bentley Team Up On New Single – New Old Trucks

Once upon a time, on Queen Street East in Toronto, James Barker Band was on stage at the Boots & Bourbon Saloon when they were joined by a very special guest – Dierks Bentley.

That was five years ago, on the eve of the 2016 Boots & Hearts Music Festival. Fast forward to 2021 and the gang is back together again for James Barker Band’s new single, New Old Trucks, featuring Dierks Bentley.

In the five years since that night in Toronto, James Barker Band has won a Juno, three CCMA Awards, and picked up three #1 singles (Chills, Keep It Simple, Over All Over Again) and have become one of the marquee acts in Canadian country music. In that same time, Dierks Bentley has five #1 singles in Canada and continues to be one of the brightest stars in the genre.

If you haven’t heard the song yet, we invite you to hit play on New Old Trucks now – and then scroll down for more.

James Barker Band ft. Dierks Bentley – New Old Trucks

New Old Trucks is, first and foremost, an ode to old trucks that keep on rolling when everything else changes or breaks or moves on. It’s romantic and nostalgic and we get it. And yes, it’s a country song about a truck – so be it. What’s also in there is young love and the passing of something from father to son and growing up. It’s all there.

The addition of Dierks Bentley in the feature spot is a great fit – not just because of that one night in 2016 that early James Barker Band fans remember, but because it immediately takes us back to Bentley’s 2013 hit, I Hold On. That song starts with these lyrics…

It’s just an old beat up truck
Some say that I should trade up
Now that I got some jangle in my pocket

But what they don’t understand
Is it’s the miles that make a man
I wouldn’t trade that thing in for a rocket

What they don’t know is my dad and me
We drove her out to Tennessee
She’s still here, and now he’s gone
So I hold on

Maybe I’m just basic (very likely) but the truck trope still works for me when it’s used like this. This isn’t a tailgate party song (those have their place too). This is a song that paints a picture and takes me back and reminds me of my dad and my step-dad and my grandpas and the old farm trucks and F-150s I’ve had the honour of cruising in or learning to drive in.

Let’s wrap it all up with some photos of Dierks Bentley and James Barker Band from the last few years – and the streams of the song in case you want to listen to it again.

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October 10, 2021 No Comments

Virginia to Vegas Teams Up with MacKenzie Porter for Sad Banger – this sucks

Canadian pop and country have come together on the new Virginia to Vegas (Derik Baker) single, this sucks. MacKenzie Porter (three #1 singles at Canadian country radio) joins the track as a featured artist, showing off her pop chops that we first heard in the remix to These Days.

It’s a fantastic and unexpected collaboration on a song that hits your feelings but keeps the same pop-driven, foot-tapping, uptempo groove we’re used to from the Toronto artist who claimed the second most played Canadian artist at radio (behind the Weeknd) in 2020.

The song’s premise goes like this via Derik, “this sucks is a song about what seeing an ex with someone else does to you. You’re happy for them because you once loved them, but the only words you can find to explain how you’re feeling are ‘Wow, this really sucks right now.'” It’s simple really. And whether it’s at a party or on Instagram, a lot of people can relate.

Listen to this sucks now.

The $64,000 question of course is, how did country artist MacKenzie Porter land on this pop track with Virginia to Vegas?

Here’s what Derik says, “I remember driving from my house to the grocery store and hearing MacKenzie’s song on the radio. At that moment I just knew it would be perfect to have her join me as a featured artist on the track.” We’re assuming he heard the pop remix of These Days which is cool (unless he was listening to country radio, which is also cool) and the rest, as they say, is history.

In the past I’ve openly campaigned for a Virginia to Vegas x country music collab – but I’ll be honest, this isn’t how I thought it was going to go. And I’m 100% okay with that because this one works in a big way.

Derik continues his string of great singles (and EPs) over the last year-plus, and MacKenzie gets another chance to introduce herself to a broader audience with pop fans while her country music career continues to boom.

This pairing is Toronto (Virginia to Vegas) with Vegas-style neon lights and Medicine Hat (Porter) with Nashville boots and hat. But mostly, and most importantly, it’s good songwriting, a fantastic vocal fit, and a catchy track to usher us from summer to fall.

Check out the dating show themed official music video (complete with face punching) for this sucks now, and keep an eye on both of these Canadian artists, they’re on the way up.

Virginia to Vegas, MacKenzie Porter – this sucks.

September 18, 2021 No Comments

10 Covers of Shania Twain Classics

There aren’t enough words with the weight required to explain the success and influence and stardom of Shania Twain. She’s a legend and a Hall of Famer. And we love her.

And we’re not alone.

After falling into a couple of rabbit holes on YouTube, I started searching for Shania covers, and while it ended up being a harder search than I imagined, there was some gold to be found.

To celebrate Shania’s music and impact, we’ve got 10 videos in this post with artists sharing their versions of Ms Twain’s hits.

Note: You’re Still The One is the most popular song to be covered it seems. We kept it to two versions in this post though, including the Lady A version from their 2017 tour stop in Toronto – because we were there and it was great. There are also two versions of Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?, because they are both fun to watch – and because one of them features Madeline Merlo and Jojo Mason, six years ago when they were breaking in and before we all knew their names.

If you have a favourite Shania Twain cover, please leave a comment with the YouTube link so we can go deeper into the rabbit hole and love it like you do.

Ready? Let’s go girls!

You’re Still The One – Harry Styles with Kacey Musgraves

That Don’t Impress Me Much – Haim

Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under – Lindsay Ell

Man! I Feel Like A Woman – Miley Cyrus & Team Miley (The Voice)

Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under – Madeline Merlo (with Jojo Mason)

You’re Still The One – Lady A

No One Needs To Know – Brandon Ray

From This Moment On – 7th Ave

Man! I Feel Like A Woman – imy2

Medley – CCMA Tribute (2018) – Jess Moskaluke, Kira Isabella, Madeline Merlo

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August 29, 2021 No Comments
Marianas Trench - Calgary Stampede 2021 - Sydney Butters Photography - thereviewsarein

Marianas Trench – The Calgary Stampede – Summer Stage 2021 Photo Review

Marianas Trench has been entertaining us since they came onto the scene in 2001. They’ve played Stampede stages before, and the crowd was thrilled to have them back.

On Thursday, July 16th the band took to the Summer Stage at the 2021 Calgary Stampede!

RELATED: NEVER SAY DIE – MARIANAS TRENCH LIVE AT AIR CANADA CENTRE TORONTO

Wondering how the band felt? Scroll all the way to the bottom of this post. They’ve created a fun video documenting the event and telling you all about it. Check out Josh, Ian, Matt and Mike to find out what it’s like from the other side.

Sydney was back shooting some photos of Marianas Trench during their performance. Check out the slideshow now.

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July 22, 2021 No Comments
JESSIA - Calgary Stampede 2021 - Sydney Butters Photography - thereviewsarein

JESSIA – The Calgary Stampede – Summer Stage 2021 Photo Review

JESSIA burst onto the scene early in 2021 with a body positive bop that can’t be missed. I’m Not Pretty started on TikTok and took over the internet’s imagination. It now has more than 70,000,000 spins on Spotify alone, and landed her a spot on the Summer Stage at the 2021 Calgary Stampede!

Related: JESSIA Releases Body Positive Banger – I’m Not Pretty
Related: JESSIA Remixes I’m Not Pretty with Bebe Rexha

The rising star from Vancouver got up in front of the crowd as the opener for Marianas Trench on Friday, July 26, 2021 and let it be known that she’s ready and we’ll all be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

Sydney was there, and snapped some photos of JESSIA during her performance. Check out the photo set now and stay tuned because we’re ready to bet that she’s going to have some fun for us again.

JESSIA - Calgary Stampede 2021 - Sydney Butters Photography - thereviewsarein

July 21, 2021 No Comments
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