UNITY — The Unity and District Chamber of Commerce has announced Celebrate Unity will be back in a live format in 2023.
The gala evening, to be held March 6, will include a catered meal and special presentations to some of Unity’s best-known businesses and individuals. Dusan Maljan, who waited until he was 80 to retire, is just one of the people who will be recognized.
After the positive reviews Jake Vaadeland and The Sturgeon River Boys received following their appearance in Unity on Canada Day, Unity Chamber organizers say they are excited they were able to secure the group to entertain. Limited tickets are available for sale at the Unity Credit Union.
Vaadeland is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Cut Knife. His traditional sound and interesting style could be defined as a blend of bluegrass and ‘50s rockabilly, with Vaadeland also specializing on guitar and banjo in addition to impressive vocals. Vaadeland strives to write and play with a focus on storytelling and messages that he says he hopes his audience can relate to, all packaged in foot-stomping, high-energy performances with The Sturgeon River Boys.
Vaadeland received two Saskatchewan Music Awards in 2022, winning Roots/Folk Artist of the Year and the fan voted award for Album of the Year for Everybody But Me. Vaadeland also was awarded four 2022 Saskatchewan Country Music Awards, including Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Alternative Country Album of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year. His album, Retro Man finished at number two in fan voting for the Saskatchewan Music Awards Album of the Year in 2021.
Mississippi Chris Sharp, The Bluegrass Standard, Rancho Mirage, California: “He cut a foppish figure and seemed to have stepped right off of a Greyhound Scenic Cruiser double-decker bus, fresh from the fertile plains of Saskatchewan, bound for Music City with a pocket full of songs, a guitar and the dog-eared stub of a one-way ticket. Jake had just enough attitude to let you know that he wasn’t kidding ... a healthy dose of bravado and svelte, and a double dose of knowing who he was and where he wanted to go while working out for himself how to get there.”
