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The 2022 Bell Grandstand Show is an explosion of light, color, sound and movement, fittingly culminating in a spectacular fireworks display.
Titled Amplified and written by Dave Kelly, who hosts the show, it is a tribute to the important role music plays in people’s lives, from refreshing good memories to creating new ones. This means that Amplified is basically a series of big, loud, impressive musical numbers without even pretending a connection.
This year’s headliner, Canadian country music superstar Dean Brody, kicks off the show with a 20-minute mini-concert featuring his own five-piece band, gear and sound system. It’s up to Will Hayes and DJ Wayne B to distract the crowd during Brody’s buildup, and thankfully, the two men have energy to spare.
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In his song Bring Down the House, Brody sings about being that simple country boy who drives a truck but also has money in his pocket, a beautiful girl on his arm, and the ability to bring the house down, which he certainly does. The Grandstand stage was made for the mighty talents of him.
As he sang Whiskey in a Tea Cup, the cameras were focused on the audience and most of them knew the words and sang along with him. This is how musical memories work.
Brody might be a tough act to follow, but not for the seasoned young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede, who burst onto the stage in a rock and roll version of Blue Suede Shoes. There are 96 young singers and dancers this year and the precision with which they work is amazing.
Director and choreographer Angela Benson creates patterns that quickly turn the stage into a kaleidoscope showcasing not only the talent of her cast, but also Benjamin Toner’s Vegas-style western wardrobe. This number is greatly enhanced by Geoff Bouckley’s complete lighting design, which gives the impression that the stage is throbbing.
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Amplified’s second headliner, award-winning trick-stealer Loop Rawlins, arrived in the back of a silver pickup truck and gave his ropes a good workout. He was joined by young Canadians who took ties and joined him for the most impressive finale of the number from him.
When Rawlins left, the Young Canadians stayed behind as the stage was set for Montreal’s Circus Concept and its Russian Swing, which is a steel platform that, pushed hard enough, can make a full circle in the air, even coming to a stop. at the top so that the artist is upside down. Unfortunately, at the Sneak-a-Peak performance on Thursday night, one of the stuntmen crossed too close to the platform and hit him, knocking him down. The show had to stop while paramedics checked on him, strapped him to a stretcher and carried him off the stage.
In the tradition of grand theatre, the show must go on and it did, with the rest of the circus troupe returning later in the show with their LED cyr wheels to spin as young Canadians filled the stage with lights they held in their hands. .
The show’s final headliner, Indigenous Canadian singer Shawnee Kish gave Amplified a real adrenaline rush with her hit song I Got It Bad and then really amped things up with a meteoric rendition of Saturday Night. Kish returned for the grand finale of Amplified where she sang and moved through water fountains and mini flame towers, eventually being joined by all but Dean Brody.
The talent fireworks on the grandstand stage were right up there with the fireworks in the sky and that’s no small feat as this is Stampede’s best fireworks display to date.