Saturday, June 30th  /  Main Stage

Jaffray, B.C.- born, singer Dean Brody has approached country-music-superstar status. He is now firmly cemented as an arena touring act, with thirteen Canadian Country Music Awards and two Junos under his studded belt – closing out the 2016 CCMA Awards with four awards for his double platinum-selling single, “Bring Down the House” and the most recent Juno win occurring in April for Country Album of the Year for his latest release, Gypsy Road.

Brody took a series of worthwhile risks with “Bring Down the House,” which reached gold after only eight weeks on the charts, rang in at number one on the Country Music Television charts and earned the title and award for number-one-selling digital Canadian country single of all-time.

In a similar vein, his sixth album, Beautiful Freakshow, continues to keep listeners on the edge of their seats, unable to be sure of what is coming next. The cross-country Beautiful Freakshow Tour featuring James Barker Band, High Valley and Madeline Merlo recently returned from touring through 26 cities in Canada. This summer will find Brody performing at the official Canada 150 celebrations at Parliament Hill on July 1, and tour again, on the Canadian Pacific Rail 150 tour which kicks off on July 28. On August 24, Dean will take to the iconic, newly named Budweiser Stage, making him one of the first domestic country acts to headline the venue.

Just as the title of the album indicates, the new record is a fascinating mashup of Brody’s range of musical preferences, best epitomized by the title track, “Beautiful Freakshow”, which features a rap vocal contribution by Halifax native, Shevy Price. From the pop-meets-country vibe of “Bush Party” (released this summer, and the #1 Most Added Single at the time of release), to a touching reggae song called “Beautiful Girl” with echoes of traditional country, to the dynamic duet, “Little Blue Volkswagon” featuring Sarah Blackwood, to the foot-stomping, country feel of “Soggy Bottom Summer” featuring Alan Doyle, which will be released to radio July 12, there is truly something for everyone on this record.

During the CCMA Award broadcast in 2016, Brody performed “Time”; a relatable, country ballad about the impending nature of the ticking clock as we go on about our lives, and the second song released digitally from his forthcoming album. After only a matter of days, the song hit #1 on iTunes Country Music Chart, where it remained there for 13 weeks straight following its release, receiving an incredible amount of initial support online, with fans commenting on social media that they were moved to tears by his incredible performance and the lyrics to the song.

Brody worked on Beautiful Freakshow in Nashville alongside long-time producer and friend Matt Rovey. Their working relationship is long and plentiful and was recently documented in a documentary focused on Brody’s compelling songwriting capabilities and career, shot by CMT called Dean Brody & The Making of Beautiful Freakshow.

In the earlier days, Brody had first packed up to work with a Nashville-based music publisher in 2004, after landing a 2-year deal. When it didn’t work out, he headed back to Canada, taking shifts at the same sawmill he’d first worked at in high school until a call from Matt Rovey and a deal from Broken Bow Records called him back, culminating in his releasing a self-titled album in 2008. The result was a roaring hit: In particular, his single “Brothers” made a massive impact, landing in the U.S. top 30, Canadian top 10, taking home the 2009 CCMA award for Single of the Year and receiving an official certificate of appreciation from the U.S. Army for his song’s contribution to the Armed Forces.

Brody’s ability to tell stories with genuine feeling and authenticity flowed through all the singles that followed, of which “Dirt Road Scholar” and “Undone,” went on to break the top five on Canadian radio. “Dirt Road Scholar” also hit number one on CMT, becoming the most spun song by a new Canadian country artist in 2009. With renewed energy and drive, he finished his second record and struck a deal with Open Road Recordings, with which he put out his next four albums: Trail in Life, Dirt and Crop Circles as well as his latest, Gypsy Road.

In addition to uplifting people with his music, Brody was so moved by the story of one young girl he met while travelling, that he set up The Dean Brody Foundation to physically help in the rescue and prevention of young girls being exploited in child prostitution and human trafficking in Brazil and around the world.