The fourth annual Huber Equipment Rodeo is on the horizon, and along with the usual competition and excitement, this year’s Cabaret Barn Dance will feature a standout headliner.
The dance, set for Saturday, June 14, will showcase award-winning Alberta country music artist Drew Gregory.
Originally from Standard, Alta., Gregory has made a name for himself on some of the country’s biggest stages, including the Big Valley Jamboree, Country Thunder, Bud Country Fever, Dauphin Countryfest and the Calgary Stampede.
He has also opened for and performed alongside acts such as Miranda Lambert, Kip Moore, Old Dominion, John Michael Montgomery, Big & Rich, Emerson Drive and Chad Brownlee.
Most recently, Gregory was named the 2025 Horizon Male Artist of the Year.
The Citizen spoke with Gregory ahead of his Prince George performance. He said he’s excited to hit the stage at the Cabaret Barn Dance.
“I’ve heard good things,” said Gregory. “I was checking out some of the stuff from the last few years, and it sounded like the party’s just kind of getting bigger and bigger. There are growing venues and everything. We always like to play for the rodeo crowd … I mean, we keep it pretty rockin’ all night long. We’ve done this for 15 years, and to me it’s always been the best part of the whole music business — getting up on stage.
“Different people like different things … but for me, it’s always been about getting back to playing live. I remember playing a lot of our small little towns, where the cabarets are 100 or 150 people, and just knowing what I always liked to hear. So when we started the band, we just wanted to do that stuff — keep it energetic all night and keep the people rocking.”
Although Gregory loves playing small-town events like the Cabaret Barn Dance, he said he’ll never forget the energy of big-ticket shows such as the Calgary Stampede.
“It’s insane,” he said. “You want to talk about energy — I mean, just because it’s 10 days and we’ll do corporate things and public things, and we’ve done breakfasts and afternoons and evenings. And then you get the nighttime one … Sometimes you’re just exhausted getting there, but you get out on stage in front of whatever they pack in there, 4,000, 5,000 people. It brings your energy levels up pretty quickly. You kind of go on adrenaline there.
“That’s something we’ve always done live, feed off the crowds. We give as much energy as we possibly can and hope to get some of that back. It’s that connection. That’s what’s coolest about playing live to me. When we’re feeling it on stage and they’re feeling it out there, those nights are pretty special. And Stampede provides a lot of those for us.”
Gregory also balances life as a musician with running a large grain farm alongside his father.
“We have a 3,000-acre grain farm,” he said. “It’s pretty full-time, especially during the summer. It’s pretty crazy. We’re just on the road every weekend with the music and then doing that during the week. There’s lots of balancing, but I love both things. I know a lot of people who don’t find that thing they’re passionate about, and I get to chase two careers that I love quite a bit, so I love doing them both. It keeps us pretty busy.”
Gregory said his love of music began on the family farm and that his upbringing helped shape both his musical style and work ethic.
“Mom and Dad always loved having music on … and I think because of that I fell in love with music. But because neither of them played, I never really thought of picking up a guitar or even taking piano lessons or anything like that. Around 15 or 16, I picked up the guitar just at a friend’s house. I was always kind of noodling around, and my friend said, ‘Oh, you should buy your own guitar.’ When I finally did, I couldn’t put it down.
“Once I started getting some songs down, I think getting the performance bug was pretty big for me, just playing those high school parties and bonfires and kitchen parties, stuff like that.
“One day I started writing songs and thought maybe I should head down to Nashville, so I ended up writing down there and making a bunch of friends. I spent quite a few winters down there almost full time. I’ve put out seven albums since then and I’m still loving it — still have a lot of passion and fun with it.”
For more information on Gregory and his music, visit drewgregorymusic.com.
To purchase tickets for the Prince George Rodeo and Cabaret Barn Dance, visit rodeoprincegeorge.com.
