Gord Bamford, one of the most awarded Canadian country music artists in history, is bringing the Rednek MusicFest tour to Vanier Hall Monday, March 23.
Joining the lineup is multi-platinum Juno award winning artist Jess Moskaluke along with Prince George favourite Duane Steele, and up-and-coming talent including Andrew Hyatt, Corey Marks, Eric Ethridge, Ghost Boy and JoJo Mason.
"There's eight different artists with one band and it's all one show," Bamford said. "It's a pretty cool Canadian experience, really."
Bamford said people will hear all kinds of country music being played by the different artists.
"Me and Duane (Steele) are a bit more traditional," Bamford said. "Then you've got Jess Moskaluke, because we definitely wanted a female representative and I couldn't think of a better one. So we've got her and JoJo Mason who brings a whole different vibe to the show. Eric Ethridge is more pop-country and is just on the scene now. There's Andrew Hyatt who's doing great and Corey Marks who came out of nowhere is more country-rock but what people don't know is that he actually loves Merle Haggard so him and I will do a Haggard song."
Bamford's fiddle player, Denis Dufresne, has got a band called Ghost Boy.
"There just fantastic so they'll kick the night off with Duane (Steele)," Bamford said. "Then it's just a great evening of collaboration and nonstop music during a mini festival - it's three hours of stuff going on. We've got video and lighting and it's just going to be fantastic."
Bamford created the Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation in 2008 to support school music programs. The foundation has generated more than $4.3 million since, with funds going to children's charities including Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Canadian children's hospitals and Musicounts, so all children and youth in Canada have access to music education.
To give back to the local community, Prince George 4-H club members have been given the opportunity to sell tickets to the music festival and some of the proceeds from ticket sales will go back to the local clubs.
Bamford was in 4-H Beef when he was growing up in Lacombe, Alta., and remembered getting his heartbroken during his second year raising beef because he made the mistake of treating his project more like a pet. Bamford recently was honoured with the 4-H Canada Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes the outstanding leadership and contributions of 4-H alumni to their communities and the greater world around them.
"We're playing mostly big arenas in the west but we want to do smaller venues too and sometimes it's better to pack a smaller room," Bamford said. "We thought it would be a good fit for the tour and there's still some tickets left so go grab 'em, folks. It's going to be a great Canadian country music show."
Tickets are available at invictus.etixnow.com/events/rednek-music-fest/mar-23-2020/vanier-hall
