Brandt's NOW Show Resonate's with Penticton Crowd

Canadian country music star Paul Brandt brought his NOW tour to Penticton’s South Okanagan Events Center last night in his first visit to Penticton in 4 years. Over 1500 of his fans showed their appreciation by not just showing up, but by getting in to his performance from the opening bars of his first tune and staying connected all night long.

Brandt is certainly one of Canada’s premier country performers, with some of his albums having gone triple platinum in Canada and having won numerous Canadian Country Music and Juno awards. The songs that have earned him those awards and accolades and his easy way of delivering them connected just as well live during last night’s show. He has and is a distinctive voice.

Brandt and his band kept it simple. Not a lot of running around the stage and instead relied on great ensemble playing with frequent and creative use of dynamics. The band seemed to both inhale and exhale in unison as they brought the volume down to a whisper at times and then took it back to full-on at the drop of a hat. His fans appear to be loyal ones as they sang along at the faintest hint to do so from this Canadian cowboy troubadour.

With roots deep in both gospel and country music, this was truly a family show. There was a wholesome vibe to this concert event that was always present but never overbearing. Even during a stripped down to mostly acoustic seated section in the middle of the set that included gospel numbers you still knew that you were at a music concert and not a church service. A very interesting line to try to walk, but one that Brandt and his band managed to pull off without affectation or compromise.

Paul Brandt has a wonderful voice, both rich and warm. His trademark dips into the lowest of registers came off flawlessly and naturally, and his fans ate them up. He is so much more than just those baritone runs, but there is no denying how much a part of his sound they are. The hour and a half performance covered a wide swath of the Brandt repertoire and went by in the blink of an eye. Time flies.

This was a strong performance from a gifted and natural performer, a great night out for country fans and families. Altogether too uncommon, but very much enjoyed by the Penticton crowd.

Brandt continues this tour throughout BC and Alberta in the coming days and then finishes up with shows in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

A special shout out to Penticton’s own Nikita Afonso for her opening set. She is a delightful young performer who has the skills to take it as far as she wants to go.

Artist Info:

Paul Brandt www.paulbrandt.com