Dean Brody, Dallas Smith, Mackenzie Porter and Chad Brownlee (left to right) took the stage on Oct. 21 for the 25th show of the Friends Don’t Let Friends Tour Alone 2019 tour. The group sang mashups of Brody and Smith’s top hits while jamming out on stage.
The sound of cheering and screaming fills their ears as they run on stage to see a crowd ready for a night full of entertainment. The pair can see smiles plastered across fans’ faces and feel the energetic butterflies storming in their stomach as they hear the music start to play.
Canadian country music singers packed the stadium with fans adoring cowboy boots and denim to start the last week of their Canadian tour.
Headliners, Dean Brody and Dallas Smith played the 25th show of the Friends Don’t Let Friends Tour Alone 2019 tour at the Lethbridge Enmax Centre on Oct. 21.
The tour idea began when the pair realized they both were set to release new music earlier this year and thought it would a great idea to shine some light on Canadian country music, according to Brody’s Instagram.
Smith’s EP album The Fall was released in mid-March, while Brody also dropped a new single in March called Whiskey in a Teacup. Brody was set to release an EP album only a month later.
The tour included Canadian country music guests Chad Brownlee (Langley, B.C.), Mackenzie Porter (Medicine Hat) and the Reklaws (Cambridge, Ontario) to open up the show and play some of their tops hits throughout the concert.
The group of artists released a promotional video in early March to gain traction around the concerts with both headliners saying they were thinking about going on tour, which sparked the idea for the collaboration.
The group travelled across Canada over a six week period to play 30 shows with the tour beginning in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and ending in Abbotsford, B.C.
The last show was particularly unique for Brody and Smith since it was a hometown show.
Throughout the tour, the team was able to learn a lot of commonalities between Canadians. One story Smith and Brownlee reminisced on was being neighbours in Langley, B.C.
Brownlee would watch Smith play street hockey while they often shot balls into Brownlee’s lawn.
“We laughed about it when we discovered it on tour because we would talk about our house numbers and put it all together and we just thought c’mon, what are the odds?” Brownlee said.
Both Brody and Smith have upheld their Canadian music superstar status with both men winning Juno awards and Canadian Country Music Awards.
According to Dallas Smith’s official website, he is the only Canadian male country artist to have four number one singles. These songs included Wastin’ Gas, Autograph, Side Effects and Sky Stays This Blue.
Brody also has a long list of career successes including 16 Canadian Country Music Awards, two Juno Awards and The Jeff Walker Global Country Artist of the Year Award, presented by the Country Music Awards in 2018 according to his official website.
Megan Hanelt, an attendee of the Friends Don’t Let Friends Tour Alone show said it was a unique experience to see so many artists collaborate on tour.
“The music was great and the environment was filled with fun country-loving souls. Dallas and Dean were really energetic and fun for a Monday night,” Hanelt said.
Brody and Smith both took to Instagram after their last hometown show to thank each other for the unforgettable time on tour and the chance to learn from each other.
The pair even mentioned the possibility of a reunion tour in the future.