Kelowna got the first taste of a country co-headline tour that left Okanagan fans screaming for more Friday.
Two tours collided in the west as Tim Hicks and Chad Brownlee kicked off in Kelowna at Prospera Place.
Opened by the up and coming Jojo Mason, who got the crowd fired up with hits such as Red Dress.
Then Hicks, with his Shake These Walls tour, had fans boot scootin’ in their seats and on the arena floor. Complete with special voice effects, Hicks amped up the stage with his wide-range of hits including: Hell Raisin’ Good Time, Here Comes the Thunder, Slow Burn and Stompin’ Ground. Hicks even got playful with the crowd, throwing out several giant beach balls. The Niagara Falls, Ontario, native ended with the crowd-pleaser Stronger Beer.
But not before he threw a few picks, shirts and even an autographed hat out into the crowd.
The hat and a drumstick were especially for a couple of special front-row fans. Gemma Lenarduzzi, 10, and Marissa Holland, eight, caught Hicks’ attention with their neon sign full of exclamations around the words ‘My first concert.’
“They both loved it,” said mom/aunt Lacey Lenarduzzi, whose daughter had seen Hicks last time he played Kelowna. But the second time was just as good, if not better, for the 10-year-old, whose favourite song is Stronger Beer.
Brownlee quite literally had Hearts on Fire during the appropriately named tour.
For the former ice-hockey defenseman, it was nice to be back in his hometown, where even his grandma was in the crowd watching. Brownlee used to play hockey on the same ice rink he performed on Friday.
Enhanced with a light and smoke show, Brownlee played his heart out for fans with a wide range of hits, including: Hood of My Car, Fallin’ Over You, Drink You Away, Smoke in the Rain and I Hate You For It.
Crowds were also asked to bring their phones out and record and share Brownlee’s next single Might As Well Be Me.
