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Contenders to return for Okanagan tour

Valdy, Gary Fjellgaard and Blu and Kelly Hopkins will perform at six venues
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MUSICAL DUO The Contenders, Gary Fjellgaard, left, and Valdy, will perform in the Okanagan during a six-concert tour in late October and early November. They will be joined by Blu and Kelly Hopkins on this tour. (Photo submitted)

Legendary B.C. musicians Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard will return to the Okanagan for the 17th consecutive year, but the concert tour will feature a different sound than in previous years.

Performing together as the Contenders, the two musicians bring together their musical styles and traditions.

Valdy is a folk and pop performer while Fjellgaard is a country musician.

In past years, the Contenders concerts have featured the two musicians performing together and also doing some solo work.

This year, they will share the stage with bluegrass performers Blu and Kelly Hopkins.

“We’re going to make them more integral to the show,” Valdy said of the bluegrass duo. “We’re going to shuffle the deck all the way through both sets.”

Bringing four musicians together on the stage will allow them to add to their musical sounds, adding lead guitar, bass and mandolin to some of their songs.

Valdy and Fjellgaard have both written new music for the tour.

“There will be some new songs, some traditional songs and some older songs,” Valdy said.

The Hopkins have also been working on new material for the tour.

The six-day tour begins Oct. 30 at Creekside Theatre in Lake Country. Other concerts are at Lorenzo’s Cafe in Ashton Creek on Oct, 31. at the Carlin Hall in Tappen on Nov. 1, at the Sagebrush Theatre in Kamloops on Nov. 2, at Centre Stage Theatre in Summerland on Nov. 3 and at the Frank Venables Theatre in Oliver on Nov. 4.

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John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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