An all-star Canadian lineup will be stopping by Bragg Creek for their annual musical variety show – Barney Bentall and the Grand Cariboo Opry.
“I think it has sometimes been a hard thing to describe to people, but as soon as they come once, they come back every year,” said Bentall, a famed Canadian pop-rocker with a musical career spanning 35 years.
The lineup for this year includes Bentall, his son Dustin Bentall, Kendel Carson, Ridley Bent, Wendy Bird, Angela Harris, Leeroy Stagger, Matt Masters and The Goldrush Allstars.
“This is a group where there is so much variety and there is so much skill and talent,” said Bentall “At the end of the day, it is more about the whole collective, and people come to the show and they just love it. In my opinion, they are some of the best musicians in Canada. I feel very fortunate to play with them.”
This is the ninth year Bentall has put on the show, and it now tours from Victoria all the way to Winnipeg. An important element of the show is that it raises money for various charities across the provinces.
The first one took place in 2006 in Vancouver, where Bentall calls home. He said he patterned it after the Grand Ole Opry, where various companies would sponsor songs by different artists appearing on the show.
He decided to follow that idea, but the funds provided would go toward charities.
“The charities get a good infusion of cash from this and then the music is so much fun to be a part of for the audience. It is a win-win situation,” he said.
This year’s fundraiser in Bragg Creek will support the Habitat for Humanity flood repair renewal program currently operating in Bragg Creek, assisting people with repairing their ravaged homes. It will also support the Bragg Creek Community Centre.
You can catch the show at the Bragg Creek Community Centre Nov. 29. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased by calling 403-949-4277 or at braggcreekca.com.
