After 15 years of touring the Okanagan, Gary Fjellgaard isn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.
The 79-year-old guitarist is making his rounds with his partner Paul Valdemar “Valdy” Horsdal, 71, as the Contenders.
The Contenders will play at Carlin Hall, Tappen, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. as part of their Interior Okanagan tour.
Fjellgaard is content with providing his audience with the same-old Contender self, and doesn’t feel the pressure to put out a new album every few years, having been inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
“It’s the energy on stage. (The audience) just want us to be ourselves and feel comfortable. And we feel comfortable with the audience. People don’t expect flash and glitter—what you see is what you get. We don’t take ourselves seriously,” he said.
He doesn’t plan on sitting down and taking a break either.
“It’s nice to be still out, I haven’t sat down on stage yet. Maybe I will this year.”
Fjellgaard has a accomplished a number thus far: three Contender albums, four solo ventures and a Juno award.
Their last album, Contenders 3: Off the Floor , released last fall, is a live recording of Fjellgaard and Horsdal and covers their favourite songs.
One of Fjellgaard’s favourites is one of the first he wrote, Contenders, which he kept for the band’s name.
“It describes us in a nut shell; we’re still out there, we’re reluctant to give our place on stage, it’s sort of become our theme for the tour,” he said.
The song started with Fjellgaard sitting at a campground in the Kooteneys, which extended to the formation of the band and the release of their first album in 1999.
The Contenders aren’t ready to give up the spotlight and Fjellgaard keeps to the style of old-school country rather than the new wave.
“The music is good and polished (nowadays) but it sounds like everyone is using the same band. I’m not saying it’s not good, but it’s definitely not what we do. We get up there and make mistakes, who cares?”
He lives on Gabriola Island with his wife, Lynne, whom he dedicated tour to, as they recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Horsdal has his own solo accomplishments, known for his Rock and Roll Song, he performs his own tours when not with Fjellgaard.
“Mostly, he’s solo. I’m grateful he’s teamed up with me for the last 15 years on the Okanagan run. It’s tradition now,” said Fjellgaard.
Tickets are available at Acorn Music in Salmon Arm.