The whole Valley was buzzing this past weekend as two major Canadian bands stopped by to perform at the Badlands Amphitheater.
The concerts, billed as the Great Big Weekend, were the Barenaked Ladies on Friday night and Tom Cochrane and Red Rider on Saturday night. According to Badlands Amphitheater Executive Director Vance Neudorf, they were pretty happy with how things turned out. “Two solid shows in a row which I think is pretty cool. You see Drumheller as a small rural town and here we had sold out shows where in other places they didn’t have It’s kudos to the kind of town we are, the people around and I think the growing reputation of this amphitheater in the Badlands, people are blown away by what we have.
The reputation of the venue is also shared by bands that make an appearance here according to Neudorf. “That’s why Tom Cochrane was back after being here in 2015, wanting to be on this stage. Others who came just can’t believe this place. Barenaked Ladies said it’s like the Red Rocks of the Canada is something so Awesome.”
Things went smoothly behind the scenes, from parking to volunteer safety. “We had a few wrinkles from time to time because in this year of recovery, it is difficult to find volunteers. The parking lots have been taken care of by the Rotary Club, and it is a great partnership. We continue to work and to partner with other groups to run the pub tent, and that sort of thing. It’s a really good overall sense of community, to work together to make this sort of thing possible in our town.
There are a number of different events coming to the Badlands Amphitheater. The annual Roots, Blues and BBQ event taking place September 10th. They will have five hours of music and feature a delicious barbecue from their new big smoker who can smoke over 600 pounds of brisket at once. There are also plans for a light show, called Lightfest, which is scheduled for November and December. For all up-to-date details on their events, visit the Badlands Amphitheater website.
Neudorf shares that plans are already underway for the next Canadian icon to head to the Badlands Amphitheater next summer, but who it will be has yet to be determined. .
Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies performing August 19; Image courtesy of C. Schatz Photography
Tom Cochrane on stage August 20; Image courtesy of C. Schatz Photography
