Jully Black Brings Soul to the Stampede

by Jeanne Dupuis on July 12th, 2008

Jully Black was incredible last night at the Calgary Stampede. Her show was earlier than most of the “big acts” I’ve seen this week and it was the first non-rock show on the Coca-Cola Stage but it didn’t matter. Her dedicated audience was there waiting for her well before the show even began. That was something else that was different also. While acts like Hedley and Faber Drive and, well, basically every other band this week attracted mostly younger fans, Jully’s crowd consisted of all types of people - young, old, different cultural backgrounds, etc… It was so nice to see and it speaks volumes about the kind of artist she really is.

Right off the bat, Jully got things going and before I knew it, I was moving and grooving so much I was barely paying attention to much else. I was a fan - not a reporter, not a blogger but a fan! Her backup singers deserve special mention too. Those women were incredible - their singing, their movements, their exchanges were just so on point that I can’t even explain it. They were really together and the band was just as good. This was a group of people who love performing together and it showed. I enjoyed the songs that I didn’t know just as much as hits like “Sweat From Your Brow” and “Seven Day Fool.” It really was a great show.

I’ve had the fortune of meeting her at the 2008 Juno Awards and now again at the Stampede and she’s just as sweet as you would imagine. Here are some pictures (click to enlarge):