Three of country music’s most popular stars are making their way to Mission for the Your Town Throwdown concert.
Deric Ruttan, Jason Blaine and Chad Brownlee started the tour Oct. 15 in eastern Canada and shortly after challenged each city they visit to out-party the one before.
“It started in the Maritimes and the crowds have been really receptive,” said Ruttan, adding, “The energy [at concerts] is high. We know when we get to B.C. we won’t be disappointed.”
“We’re having a blast,” noted Blaine, who is looking forward to coming to B.C. “I love seeing the Facebook and Twitter pictures and having fans document [the concert] from their perspective.”
“We’re starting to hit a groove,” said Langley’s Brownlee.
Each of these musicians have enough material and hit songs to entertain their fans for a couple of hours, but feed off each other on stage.
“We’re motivated to up our game each night,” said Blaine.
They will perform about a half dozen songs together and individually will serenade the crowd with their own music.
Ruttan’s hit song with Blake Shelton, <I>Mine Would Be You<I>, hit the top spot on the country music chart in Canada last month. His new album, <I>Take the Week Off<I>, is available now and is the fastest selling one in his career.
Ruttan, originally from Bracebridge, Ont., was fascinated with his parents’ record collection as a kid. He grew up listening to the Kinks, Beatles, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. It didn’t take him long to pick up a guitar and start writing his own music.
Ruttan moved to Nashville 19 years ago to learn to craft songs from the best in the business. He soaked it all up.
He has been nominated for many awards, including a Juno for best country record, and the Canadian Country Music Awards for male artist, song writer, single of the year and video of the year.
Blaine also lives near Nashville with his family.
“It became an early dream of mine to live and work and write and be a part of the Nashville music scene,” explained Blaine, who remembers seeing Garth Brooks when he was 13 years old and was impressed by all the fans singing his songs back to him.
Blaine, who grew up in Pembroke, Ont., began playing guitar at eight years old and writing songs at 16. He moved to Nashville seven years ago to see how far he could take his career.
His newest album, <I>Everything I Love<I>, was released this summer and he’s looking forward to performing his new songs on the tour.
Brownlee, a Langley resident, will be a crowd favourite when the team arrives here. He grew up in Kelowna and was torn between pursuing a music career or becoming a professional athlete.
Like any Canadian youth, he wanted to play in the NHL and was a draft pick for the Vancouver Canucks in the sixth round in 2003. But he soon realized he ached for music more than the puck.
“The decision was obvious when I was sitting on the bench and counting down the seconds to the end of the game, so I can go home,” he explained. “I just wanted to play [music] and sing.”
He jumped into his new career, not knowing what to expect, except he knew he was doing what he loved.
Brownlee is now promoting his new single from his second album, which was released in the spring, <I>Where the Party At?<I>
The B.C. artist won the Canadian Country Music Rising Star Award in 2011.
Tickets to the Your Town Throwdown concert at the Clarke Theatre on Nov. 14 are $42.50 (plus facility fee and service charges) and available at Ticketmaster.ca or by calling 1-885-985-500. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.
