Regional talent in spotlight at Whoop-Up Days

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on August 2, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

With Whoop-Up Days fast approaching, Lethbridge and District Exhibition is encouraging residents to get ready to party with an entertainment lineup filled with regional talent.

Lethbridge and District Exhibition announced more than a dozen of musical acts will be hitting the stage during the last three days of Whoop-Up Days on Aug. 24 to Aug. 26, starting at 1 p.m. each day up to the last performance of each days starting at 11 p.m.

Lethbridge and District Exhibition CEO, Mike Warkentin said in a release that music brings people together and they know it is a central part to any celebration.

“There aren’t many things better than live music and cold drinks under the midway lights on a warm summer day or night. We’re excited about our entertainment lineup and truly believe we’re highlighting some of Southern Alberta’s best artists,” said Warkentin.

The headliners include Project WILD award winner Shaela Miller on Aug. 24 joined by Lethbridge rockers Tube Dog and Lethbridge singer-songwriter Tyson Borsboom.

Miller, who has called Lethbridge home for most of her life, is one of the region’s most popular and respected country music artists. She won the 2022 Project WILD – Country Artist Development Program, has played countless major festivals including the Calgary Stampede and Big Valley Jamboree, and her album Big Hair Small City placed fourth on CKUA’s top 100 albums of 2021.

On Aug. 25 JUNO nominee Armond Duck Chief, joined by local singer-songwriters Tyler Moulton and Bailey Kate.

Duck Chief, a country singer from the Siksika Nation, has toured across Alberta, Canada and the United States for more than a decade, including high profile performances at the Indigenous Music Awards, Canada Day with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and at the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. His 2016 album “The One”, earned him a JUNO nomination and was named Best Country Album at the Indigenous Awards.

And to finish off on Aug. 26 Canadian Folk Music Award nominee T. Buckley joined by Lethbridge country-rockers the Cody Hall Band, and throwback rock and doo-wop group RebelsAngels 50’s.

Buckley, who is from Calgary, blends his western roots into a unique folk music sound and has played shows across Canada. He earned Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2020 and Songwriter of the Year in 2023, while being nominated for Western Canadian Music Awards, and winning a Calgary Music Award for Folk Recording of the Year in 2022.

In addition, Whoop-Up Days has partnered with the Blackfoot Confederacy in collaboration with WinterCount Productions to bring live entertainment to the stage from 1 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 24, 25 and 26. Performers will include Willy Big Bull, Lance Tail Feathers, Desert Orchid, Breed of Society, Double Rider, and Jax Running Rabbit.

The full Whoop-Up Days entertainment schedule can be found at whoopupdays.ca.

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