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Contenders and Hopkins play Carlin

In concert tomorrow night Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard perform as The Contenders.

In concert tomorrow night, you don’t want to miss the legendary blend of folk and western roots when Canadian artists Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard perform as The Contenders.

Together again, the artists who became known as The Contenders 11 years ago are touring the Interior-Okanagan during “George Ryga Week In B.C.” and will perform at Carlin Hall in Tappen, Thursday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.

Special local guests, husband-and-wife duo Blu and Kelly Hopkins, will also take to the stage.

For the past 10 years they have toured B.C. and Alberta with their “organic acoustic” sound, and in that time have released four CDs, with their fifth, a children’s album, set for release next spring.

“Valdy and Gary have become pretty good friends of ours,” says Kelly, noting they started performing with the pair about eight or nine years ago. “We really have fun playing with these legends. Both are so good at their craft and what you see onstage is what you get offstage. They’re not phony at all, they’re just good men writing about their experiences.”

Honoured for his undying dedication to his craft as a folksinger, Valdy has been named to The Order of Canada after more than 40 years of achievement that includes 14 albums, 22 singles, four Gold records, two Juno awards and seven Juno nominations for country male vocalist and folksinger.

Like Valdy, the award-winning Fjellgaard has delighted audiences for more than 40 years. A champion of vanishing values and the frontier spirit, Fjellgaard, who was raised on the Prairies, is known for his masterful acoustic guitar, gentle vocals, riveting yodelling and tales of life in the woods.

“It’s just going to be lot of fun, a night of professional and excellent music,” raves Kelly. “It’s fun to be a part of and it’s fun for audiences. Where else during intermission or after the show can you meet the musicians? They love coming to these little halls and the fact we have halls here with live music makes it one of their favourite places to tour. We really have the greatest audiences and we’re lucky we have so many people come out and support live music.”

Tickets at $20 are available at Acorn Music. For more on the featured artists, visit www.valdy.com, www.fjellgaard.bc.ca and www.bluhopkins.com.