High Valley Bring Farmhouse Sessions Tour to Kingston!

Curtis and his older brother Brad Rempel are known collectively as High Valley. A third brother, Bryan, left the band in 2014 to dedicate all his time to his family. High Valley has carried on since and have recently released their 6^th album, Farmhouse Sessions. Curtis and Brad, as a duo have come a long way from the Mennonite community of La Crete Alberta, just south of the Northwest Territories. Their musical success has brought High Valley to Nashville where they now live full time. Joining High Valley on this tour were Shawn Austin and the Hunter Brothers.

Vancouver based singer/songwriter, Shawn Austin, kicked off the show. Shawn’s debut single, “Paradise Found” landed in the top ten and his follow up, “Get Me There” is now out and available for download. Shawn played a solid solo acoustic set and from what I heard, I’m sure we will see much more of him in the future. Be sure to check him out.

Next up was a set by another Canadian brother act, The Hunter Brothers. These five brothers from Shaunavon, Saskatchewan grew up as typical Canadian prairie boys, working on the family farm and playing hockey. They also spent a lot of time playing gospel music with their family, which eventually led them to form the band. They have experienced success with their singles and it is easy to see why when you see them onstage. These guys have amazing harmonies and an energy that makes you like them right away. From stomping their feet in unison to back flips while playing guitar, the Hunter Brothers are there to entertain. Just watching them, you can tell there isn’t anyone in the room having more fun than they are.

I have seen High Valley in concert before, but never as a headlining act, performing a full set. The Grand Theatre in Kingston is a small venue with not a bad seat in the house and provides for a more intimate concert experience. With country music morphing into the pop/rock, special affect laden style of country that you hear these days, it was refreshing to see a show that took a step back and let you hear a little more traditional sound you may have grown up with. They even treated us to a few old fashioned bluegrass standards at one point.

High Valley grabbed the audience right from the very first song and never let them go all night. Throughout the evening, Curtis switched around from guitar, to mandolin and mixed in some banjo for good measure while Brad’s distinctive lead vocals kept the crowd singing along. Brad called people to the front to conduct a dancing contest for free merchandise and most never returned to their seats for the rest of the night. This is not typical of a Grand Theatre concert!

I was impressed with High Valley and certainly look forward to seeing them the next time through. Their clean-cut, wholesome style is nice to see. They finish the Canadian leg of their tour in Peterborough on April 29^th, but are continuing on in The United States till the end of the year. Canadian dates featured Shawn Austin and The Hunter Brothers opening.