Paul Brandt brings country to City in the Country

By Jacob Zinn
[contributor]

Abbotsford is kind of known for digging country music, so it makes sense to have Paul Brandt play there next Wednesday.

The seven-time Juno Award winner will be performing at the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre on Dec. 14 as part of a cross-Canada tour for his newest album, Give It Away.

The 39 year-old Calgarian will be strumming new tracks like “Together Again”, but he’ll also weave in some favourites like “Yeah” and “That’s the Truth”.

His svelte voice is sure to echo through the hockey arena, making the country girls quiver in their boots.

As a Canadian country icon, Brandt is a mainstay on country radio and CMT, bringing his rugged-but-gentle image to the forefront of the industry.

The Canadian Man became a household name with the release of the smash hit, “My Heart has a History”. His first six singles were chart-toppers and he’s had eight number ones overall out of 30 singles.

His debut album, Calm Before the Storm, went triple-platinum across the Great White North.

He went from CMT’s Top New Male Artist in 1996 to the Country Music Association’s Global Artist of the Year in less than a decade.

But even with only 15 years under his surely studded and big-buckled belt, Brandt has a lot of music left to record.

While his most recent discs haven’t sold as well and his newest singles haven’t climbed as high, he’s still as recognizable as always.

His distinct Canadian accent – almost mixed with a southern drawl – draws fans from small town with big dreams, and from big cities (like Abbotsford) with bigger ones.

Tickets are on sale through abbotsfordcentre.ca or at the AESC box office. Prices range from $34.50 to $47.50.