As 2019 nears its end, there is plenty to look forward to in 2020, with Centerfield Music Festival set to take place June 12 and 13 at the Jaycee Ball Park in St. Paul. And it's now official - one very familiar face will take the stage in St. Paul for the first time in three year, along with a line-up of other impressive country music artists confirmed.
Brett Kissel will be returning to Centerfield Music Festival as this year's headliner for Saturday night, and on Friday night, one of Canadian country music's hottest duos, The Reklaws, will hit the stage.
Coming back to his hometown to perform for the first time in three years is no doubt an experience Kissel is looking forward to. While festival organizers have him contracted to play for a certain amount of time, Kissel says, "I'm going to play all night long," as long as fans - and the Town of St. Paul - will let him.
While hints have been floating around that Kissel would be returning to Centerfield, he notes that when people would ask him about it, he would tell them they had to wait for the official announcement. As far as he can tell, there's been nothing but excitement regarding the rumours, and "that kind of excitement really makes me proud to come home."
And the timing couldn't be more perfect. With a new album set to release on Jan. 1, 2020, Kissel will have new material to play for the hometown crowd.
"This record is really special," says Kissel, when speaking about his album 'Now or Never.'
When asked how the upcoming performance will be different than past performances at the music festival, Kissel says that over the last three years, him and his band have been playing for larger and larger crowds, they've opened for Garth Brooks for example, and have become headliners themselves.
"We're just at a level now where we're playing to big crowds," says Kissel. But, that doesn't mean he isn't excited to be coming back to play in St. Paul.
The support he's received from St. Paul and the surrounding area has always been something he appreciates and attributes to his success. The support has never waivered, "I believe it actually seems to grow," says Kissel.
And so, part of his visit back home in June will include bringing his 2019 CCMA Fan's Choice Award with him. The award, which he has described as the equivalent to the Stanley Cup in Canadian country music, will be available for fans to see at the festival.
Other acts
Headlining on the first night of the festival will be an act that Kissel speaks highly of - The Reklaws. The brother-sister duo from Ontario has been on a trajectory that has never really been seen before in Canadian country music, says Kissel. They already have plenty of awards and accolades behind them, including two number one hits in the last 12 months. The Reklaws are also recent CCMA Album of the Year award winners.
"They are going to crush it," says Kissel about The Reklaws' performance, adding, he plans to be in attendance on Friday night, enjoying the festival and visiting with old friends.
Playing ahead of The Reklaws on Friday will be Jojo Mason. Mason has been nominated as a Rising Star at the CCMAs twice and has his own list of top 10 hits.
"He's a great entertainer," says Kissel. The Prairie States, based out of Edmonton, will also hit the stage on Friday.
Performing ahead of Kissel on Saturday night will be a group that hasn't toured for about a decade, but is another familiar name in Canadian country music - The Wilkinsons. The band was active from the late 90s into the 2000s.
"They're coming back, and they're going to perform one of their first festival shows (in St. Paul)," says Kissel. He says they were able to sell the group on Centerfield for its "small town value and small town pride."
Petric, another Canadian country music duo, will also perform on Saturday.
The weekend will also include some local ties hitting the stage, but those details haven't been confirmed yet.
"We think it'll be the best line-up yet, without question," says Kissel.
Tickets
When speaking about the festival itself, Kissel says that one of the things he believes makes the event great is the affordable price that two-day tickets have once again been set at.
"You can’t go to a bar and see a budding act in country music for $50 a day," says Kissel. This year's two-day passes are once again set at $99 plus service charges and taxes. "You can't afford not to come out."
Keynon Ternovoy has been involved with the festival over the past five years. He acknowledges that the support of the community has been crucial in the success of the festival over the years.
“We’re just super excited to celebrate a milestone,” says Ternovoy, co-founder/director of marketing and business development with Troubadour Event Management. He adds that for a community the size of St. Paul to be able to support something that's achieved the success the Centerfield has, is "extraordinary."
Organizers aim to put St. Paul on the map with the festival, and Kissel says he touts St. Paul as “the best small town in Canada. . . . It’s my hometown and I want everyone across Canada to know about it."
In the end, Kissel is clear about the fact that he has missed performing at the Jaycee Ball Park.
"I missed being a part of it. I missed it a lot . . . I'm going to make up for lost time."
Tickets go on sale Thursday, Dec. 19 at 10 a.m. Ticket are available online through the Centrefield Music Festival website, along with a limited number of tickets being available at the Cornerstone Co-op Home Centre in St. Paul. Tickets are $99+service charges for a two-day pass. Two-day youth tickets will also be available for $59.99 (ages 5-14).
