Aaron Pritchett performing in Rocanville
December 6, 2017, 2:23 am
Kara Kinna
Concert is fundraiser for Rocanville hall, fire department
On Saturday, Dec. 16, people are being encouraged to don their ugly Christmas sweaters and party to the music of Aaron Pritchett at a cabaret being held at the PotashCorp Rocanville Community Hall.
The cabaret is a fundraiser for the new hall in Rocanville, as well as the Rocanville Fire Department. This is the second annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Last year Jess Moskaluke performed to a sold-out crowd of 700 of people at the hall. The concert raised over $25,000.
Owen Wilson, with the Rocanville Hall Committee, says that after the success of the first Christmas cabaret, it was decided to do something similar again this year.
“Jess and I were chatting back and forth and going through a bunch of different performers and I threw Aaron’s name out there just as a shot in the dark,” says Wilson. “I didn’t think he’d be anywhere near our budget and she said that he would be, and so I got in contact with his booking agent and things worked out.
“In the last year I’ve noticed him more on the radio. I know I enjoy his music and I know quite a few people that do. I think it should be a good crowd.
“We’re hoping it will be the same as last year. We’re hoping it will be a sellout, with 700 people.”
Wilson says he considers last year’s cabaret a huge success.
“It was kind of hard to judge how it was going to go because we’d never done anything like that before. It has set the bar pretty high. Last year I definitely rated that as a huge success. This year hopefully it will be just as good.
“There were lots of comments about how great everything was. People were pretty impressed. There were quite a few people who had never been in the hall yet. It was kind of the first big event for that facility too. Hopefully people come out again this year.
“Raising anything above $20,000 would be considered a huge success again.”
Wilson says it’s worth it to host big events like this one now that the new hall is built. The hall opened its doors just over a year ago.
“It’s a lot of work but it’s also a lot of entertainment as well,” he says. “It shows off our facility, and it kind of puts Rocanville on the map when you have some bigger name performers coming in and doing a show.”
Aaron Pritchett is a Canadian country singer who has charted anthems like “Dirt Road In Em,” “Let’s Get Rowdy,” and “Hold My Beer.” In 2017, Pritchett earned a Juno nomination for Country Album of the Year, as well as multiple CCMA Award nominations, including Male Artist of the Year. Pritchett’s current single “VW Bus” was the most added single at radio its week of release.
Pritchett says his career has been going well lately.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have several top 10 hits over the last year and a half. I’m quite happy about it,” he says.
“My music ranges from all kinds of things. I’m kind of known for the anthem sort of songs like ‘Hold My Beer,’ ‘Light It Up,’ ‘Let’s Get Rowdy.’ Songs like that are huge for my career to get people singing along at shows. But I also have songs like ‘Warm Safe Place,’ or even my biggest hit over the last 12 years called ‘When a Momma’s Boy Meets a Daddy’s Girl,’ kind of touches some heart strings in people. I’ve been known to be that up tempo in your face kind of show, but we also have that softer side that we try and portray and let people get a little sentimental.”
Pritchett says his show in Rocanville should be a fun one.
“It’s going to be a full band, we’re pulling out all the stops for this show,” he says. “This one has the full band, the full crew. This show starts off with a bang and ends with a bigger bang. And hopefully it will leave people wanting more.
“I always change it up too. I don’t have the same show every time. Usually I’ve got new tunes to add, but I also try to add some humor. I like to be funny.
“I’m already in the Christmas mood right now. I’m feeling pretty festive and looking forward to adding some Christmas flavor.”
Pritchett says he likes performing in small communities.
“You go to shows in the city and you get big crowds, but it seems to mean more to people when you come to a smaller town and put on a show,” he says. “You always seem to get the comment that it’s amazing you’re even here, nobody thought you’d come to a town like this. But I think it’s most special to me to be able go to a smaller town and put on a show for people that might be a little too far away to go to Regina or Saskatoon or even Winnipeg for a bigger show. It’s really important for me to be able to go out to all of these communities and put on shows.”
Around $370,000 still needs to be raised for the new hall in Rocanville.
Tickets for the Aaron Pritchett cabaret are being sold in advance and can be purchased at the Rocanville Town Office, Deckers H20, and the World-Spectator office, or by calling Owen Wilson at 306-435-9596, Steve Fortney at 306-435-7703, or Kevin Kingdon at 306-434-7252. Tickets are $50 and only 700 tickets will be sold. No minors are allowed at the event.
