LAC LA BICHE - Canadian country music singer and Juno nominee Aaron Pritchett will be hitting the stage at Lac La Biche’s Bold Center on Feb. 28.
The concert is taking place alongside the Lac La Biche Ice Festival (formerly the Winter Festival of Speed), which is scheduled to run from Feb. 28-March 2.
The show will also feature performances by Canadian country singers Jess Moskaluke, and Olivia Rose, who hails from Elk Point.
For Pritchett, who has been a well-known name in the Canadian country music scene for 30 years, this isn’t his first time playing in Lac La Biche. Several years ago, he played at the Lac La Biche Rodeo with Canadian country music singer-songwriter Shane Yellowbird. Yellowbird passed away in 2022.
“The crowd was loud and had as much fun as we did on stage playing for them,” Pritchett told Lakeland This Week.
The British Columbia-based country music artist has a number of hits to his credit, including ‘New Frontier,’ ‘Hold My Beer,’ ‘Better Than I do,’ as well as the 2024 single ‘Just Wanna Feel It.’
‘Just Wanna Feel It,’ he explained, is about being tired of the modernization of most things in the current world and having a desire to simply get back to the basics.
“I’ve felt this many times in my life,” says Pritchett. “To go on a long drive, listening to music from the past and simplify my life with no social media and pressures from the outside world.”
Throughout his career, Pritchett has been the recipient of several wins and accolades from the Junos, the British Columbia Country Music Association, Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA), as well as the Western Canadian Music Awards.
He was awarded the Independent Male Artist of the year with ‘New Frontier’ at the 2004 CCMAs and his album ‘Big Wheel’ was nominated for Country Recording of the Year at the 2007 Juno Awards. Pritchett made a second trip to the Junos in 2009, where he was nominated for Country Recording of the Year for the album ‘Thankful.’
In 2019, Pritchett won four British Columbia Country Music Association awards. These were in the categories of Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year. That same year, he was nominated for Country Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.
When asked which awards he’s most proud of, Pritchett said they are all special in their own ways.
“My career has spanned over three decades and the fact I can still go on stage and perform to people who want to see it and hear the songs is, sincerely, the greatest honour in my career.”
Pritchett, who has released eight albums since his inaugural 1996 release ‘Young in Love,’ stated that new music is also currently being created, although there is still plenty of work to do before another project is ready to be released to the world.
“I love this part of the process, though, where you’re writing, choosing songs other people have pitched to you and then the start of recording. It’s never not fun.”
While the upcoming year is looking pretty good as far as playing gigs is concerned, Pritchett says the focus is on making sure the music is going to be right.
The reason for this is so the fans who are looking forward to his new music are, as he puts it, “beyond happy with it.” In turn, this allows him to get out more to play for his fans.
Pritchett is not only anticipating his return to Lac La Biche but also looking forward to taking in the 42nd edition of the community’s long-running winter festival.
“I feel very excited to come back to Lac La Biche and whether it’s in connection with another event or simply a show of my own, the show is always given with the same amount of high energy.”
For more information about the concert or to purchase tickets for the Feb. 28 show, contact the Bold Center at (780) 623-3829 or go through Ticketmaster.
