The Théâtre Capitole will put on its cowboy boots this weekend for its “Big Country Weekend”. According to the singer of the group Tim & The Glory Boys, who will perform there on Saturday, the craze for this type of music in our province is entirely logical.
“The popularity of country in Quebec makes perfect sense,” enthusiastically supports Tim Neufeld, singer of the Canadian group Tim & The Glory Boys. “There is a lot of countryside, farms and agriculture, and this music is a soundtrack of this way of life,” he explains when contacted by The newspaper.
Wind of freshness
Quebecers’ love for country is not new, but in recent years, interest in new country has increased spectacularly in our province. Just think of the appearances of Luke Combs, Zach Bryan or Morgan Wallen, which attracted tens of thousands of spectators.
“It’s different in Quebec than in the rest of Canada. It makes us think of the shows we give in Europe, because we feel that there is something new for the crowd,” relates the singer of the trio, who has just returned from giving a performance in the United Kingdom. “We feel the fans’ gratitude and appreciation for this music.”
According to Neufeld, whose training specializes in pop-country with touches of bluegrassCanada in general is absolutely right to adopt this style, which originally comes from the southern United States.
“I’m at home right now [en Colombie-Britannique] and I watch the newborn calves walking in the field,” he emphasizes. “It’s a reality that we share with the United States, I’m happy to see that we are proud of it and that it shows in the music we listen to,” he says.
Thanks to Matt Lang
Neufeld and his troupe, decorated numerous times by the Canadian Country Music Association, tour stages all over the world. Thanks to the success of local singer Matt Lang, they are now paying more attention to Quebec.
“Matt opened our eyes to the hidden treasure that is Quebec for English-speaking country,” recalls Tim Neufeld. He and his Glory Boys met the Maniwaki singer in 2019, during the Canada-wide Top of the Country competition. “It’s amazing how many interesting places there are here to perform,” he says.
Although Tim & The Glory Boys and Matt Lang often discuss a possible collaboration, we will still have to wait before hearing them on the same song.
“He’s so busy these days, we’re going to wait our turn,” says Tim Neufeld with a laugh.
The Théâtre Capitole’s “Big Weekend Country” begins on June 14, with a performance by Noah Alan. Tim & The Glory Boys will be there the next day, with the Merle Marlow Band opening. Tim & The Glory Boys will also perform at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, in Gatineau, on June 20.
