A country music singer-songwriter is following the dusty trail back to his old stomping grounds.
Brent McAthey, a former Black Diamond/Turner Valley area resident, is returning for a concert July 22 at Kickers Bar.
“I wrote a lot of new stuff while the pandemic was going on and it’s had some pretty good success on radio,” McAthey said. “I’ve been trying to get back for three years, so I’m looking forward to playing at Kickers, getting a bunch of friends out.
“I’m excited about that, that’s for sure.”
Concert-goers can expect a repertoire of classic country, with some other work blending in a Jimmy Buffett vibe.
“Country is my roots for sure, and ever since I’ve moved to Mexico, I’m writing songs that are about my experiences,” McAthey said.
“So there’s the Kenney Chesney and also the Jimmey Buffett kind of feeling in some of my stuff.”
Much of what he writes is grounded in his experiences.
“I write my songs by all my experiences and people I’ve met,” McAthey said.
“I’ve got one song I’ll probably do that night that I wrote about a guy that used to come to my shows all the time for about eight years.
“Then he was gone and I never saw him again for three years, then he showed up and said he got cancer and almost died, but his wife played my music and gave him the strength to fight back.
“So I had to write something about that.”
Despite spending much of his time in Mexico, Alberta maintains a special place in his heart.
“I’ve been living there 16 or 17 years, but I’ve been going there since I was 16,” McAthey said.
“It drew me away, that’s for sure, and I’m not a fan of the cold weather.
“I grew up in Water Valley, Alberta on my parents’ ranch, then we moved down to the Black Diamond area.”
One song he wrote around 15 years ago may prove apropos this holiday season as amalgamation looms for the two neighbouring towns, titled A Diamond Valley Christmas.
In lieu of selling CDs or other older mediums at the concert, McAthey has had USB drives made in a collectible wood case shaped like a guitar, and on it will be 59 original songs and nine videos.
“It’s about six hours of unlimited music,” he said. “It’s quite a collection of my stuff all on one little thing that fits in your pocket.”
McAthey takes the stage at 8 p.m. July 22. Tickets are $15 in advance at the Woodstock Hotel or $20 at the door.
