A Tuesday night has never been more fun than it was Jan. 29th. While I usually pass out on the couch at 9:30 p.m., that night called for a later bedtime. And it was well worth the tiredness the next day.

Kicking off Paul Brandt’s The Journey tour was the Hunter Brothers, who had a lively performance. They reminded me of a country version of the Back Street Boys. Five brothers full of energy, they opened the show with an energetic performance of a few of their songs.

Next to hit the stage was Jess Moskaluke, who came on stage to sing some of her songs, her hit Cheap Wine and Cigarettes being one of them. People could be seen singing right back to her as she paced the stage. Moskaluke even did a cover, saying that making videos on YouTube is where she really got her start.

The last lead up before Brandt was High Valley, who put on an exceptional performance. The duo of brothers had people on their feet, singing along to their songs. They even played some oldies like On the Combine, a song that came out over five years ago when they first got their start.

As soon as Mr. Brandt took to the stage, fans were on their feet, dancing and singing along to the music for the majority of his songs. It brought a real sense of intimacy as fans remembered his songs from when they were little. He really included the audience, taking up two stages, one at the front of the Centrium and the other at the back, trying his best to sing along with his fans which was really nice.

Brandt had a really nice mix of softness and passion in his singing, showing so much pride for Small Towns and Big Dreams and Alberta Bound. It was refreshing to see an artist show so much appreciation for where he’s from and what his fans have done for him.

The performances were all well done and it was nice to see the opening acts come back and perform alongside Brandt to really form a sort of artist camaraderie.

It was also nice to look around at the audience to see so many young faces in the crowd singing along to songs they’ve heard from their childhood.

Some of his songs gave me chills and had me smiling as I remembered the songs on the radio when I used to go to rodeos with my dad. Brandt’s voice truly sounds the same, if not better, than it does on his CDs and that’s a really good thing.

Overall, the performance was very well done and I’d see it over and over again.