Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) 2010 Group of the Year honourees Doc Walker will be performing in Weyburn on October 16 as a fundraiser for the Weyburn Red Wings and they couldn?t be more excited, according to lead guitar player Murray Pulver.
?We?re always very excited about coming to a place like Weyburn,? Pulver told Weyburn This Week during a telephone interview from Calgary. ?The big cities don?t appreciate it as much. They are on overload all the time.?
Not only did Doc Walker come away with their third consecutive Group of the Year honour at the CCMA Awards in September, but Pulver received his third consecutive Country Guitar Player of the Year Award. Also honoured was drummer Steve Broadhurst.
Winnipeg-native band Doc Walker consists of front-men Chris Thorsteinson (lead vocals and guitar), Dave Wasyliw (guitars and backing vocals) and Pulver (guitar and backing vocals). Bass guitar player Brent Pearen has also been with the band for a number of years.
Their newest album, GO, is their sixth record. Pulver said that Weyburn fans will not only hear selections from their new album, such as ?If I Fall? and ?I?m Gonna Make You Love Me,? but several other tunes, as well.
?We do a lot of off-the-wall covers that people wouldn?t expect like disco tunes like the Bee Gees, but in our own unique style,? said Pulver. ?We also cover a lot of Manitoba artists from the Guess Who to Bachman-Turner Overdrive to Neil Young.?
Pulver said the audience in Weyburn can expect a fun concert, where audience participation is encouraged.
?We try to involve the audience and we try to keep it fresh for ourselves and keep it different every night,? Pulver said. ?The audience can sense that spontaneity on stage.?
Recently returning from a successful tour in Australia, the band is nearing the end of their Alberta/Saskatchewan tour and is excited to come to Weyburn.
?A lot of people in small towns don?t often get entertainment and it?s a big deal for us to come to a place that?s very welcoming and excited about a show.?
The Weyburn Red Wings hockey club is excited about the upcoming concert, too.
?The Doc Walker concert/cabaret is a good fundraiser for the hockey club, probably one of the biggest of the year,? said Club President Ryan Williams.
Williams said the Wings have become known for bringing big talent to Weyburn and putting on entertaining events like the upcoming show.
?We are very excited to switch gears after the past two years of classic rock and going with a country theme,? said Williams. ?We know that Weyburn enjoys their country music and we?re proud to be able to bring someone the calibre of Doc Walker into the community.?
Williams said the Red Wings wanted to feature a big-time talent that competed with past years performers such as Paul Brandt and Emerson Drive as a way to celebrate their 50th year as a hockey club.
?We thought it would be a neat way to get things rolling for our 50th year and a good reason for Weyburn to come out, have a good time and see what kind of event the Weyburn Red Wings can really put on.?
The Wings will also be putting on their first home game of the season tonight at Crescent Point Place, and despite ongoing renovations at the rink, Williams said the game will go on as usual.
?As far as the game itself, it will be absolutely normal,? said Williams. ?We might come in a different entrance or walk through an unfinished lobby, but as far as the game itself goes you won?t notice anything different from any other year.?
Williams said the City has worked very well with the hockey club to make the renovations at the rink as ?painless as possible.?
?We know there are good things to come so you don?t mind being displaced when you know there?s going to be good things happening in the end.?
Williams said that although the hockey-side of things has been able to run normally during renovations, the business-side of things has been thrown into a bit of a ?tailspin.?
?We are fortunate to have a facility in back to be able to have our temporary office to run things as normally as possible,? said Williams.
The performance on October 16 will also feature special musical guests Famous for Nothing.
Advance tickets are on sale for $40 each at Pharmasave. Corporate tables can be purchased by calling the Red Wing office.
Go to weyburnthisweek.com to find out how to win tickets to see Doc Walker in concert.
