The Brad Paisley Concert
On another subdued winters night in February in Regina SK, all was very normal until many 18 wheelers that had rolled in from the Southern States, had emptied their cargos into the Brandt Ctr at the fair grounds and the set up for a concert began. This was going to be the night of something very extraordinary that would include the WA WA Shriners in one form or another. Noble Bob Keep had been told weeks prior that Country star Brad Paisley would be performing a concert in Regina and his “Crushin it World Tour” was coming soon to a theatre near you.
Knowing that Brad Paisley was a famous and current Shriner from the Nashville TN Temple, Noble Bob got busy trying to contact Bros Paisley’s management and promotions team to ascertain what opportunities might be available for Bros Brad to meet WA WA Shriners. He started enquiries with a letter of intent to his closest cousin who is very influential in the music business and through many contacts and phone calls finally connected with the tour promoter. The tour promoter AEG contacted Bob and graciously supplied 4 media seats for the concert. Noble Bob assembled a group of Shriners, namely David Pascoe, president of the Regina Shrine Club, Stu Larson, the circus chairman and Steve Bell, Southern SK Membership chair to attend the event to represent WA WA Shriners where possible. If nothing else we were going to stand out in the crowd with our Fez’s ablaze. Nothing as far as a formal invite was obtained and no guarantees that we would be able to meet Bros Paisley. Our Illustrious Sir Harry Martin provided an honorary WA WA Fez to present to Brother Paisley along with an honorary membership into the WA WA Temple. The rest is history.
Noble Brad Paisley was born and raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia, to Noble Douglas Paisley and Sandra Paisley. Glen Dale is part of what is called the Ohio Valley and is a 15 minute drive across the Ohio River from Bellaire, Ohio, which is where my wife Jackie was raised. Jackie’s dad and sister still live in Bellaire and Jackie’s grandparents and many of her maternal relatives are from Moundsville, West Virginia and the surrounding area. Moundsville and Glen Dale are what I would call sister cities since where one ends the other starts. Brad’s mother Sandra was a teacher in Glen Dale and taught a couple of my wife’s cousins, including Corinne, who can be seen in the first photo which I have attached. The second photo is of Jackie’s Papou (grandfather) Nick. These photos were taken in 2002. Jackie’s cousins TJ and Dominic DeFelice founded DeFelice Bros. Pizza which has several locations throughout the Ohio Valley and was named Best Pizza in the USA at a 2005 world level pizza competition held in Italy. Before becoming a superstar, Brad performed many shows at the Capitol Theater in Wheeling, West Virginia which is a 10 minute drive from where my wife was raised and Jackie and her family used to go see Brad perform.
Brad and his dad (Doug) are both members of Osiris Shrine which is located in Wheeling, WV. I have attached a photo of the temple building, which I had the pleasure of touring in December 2014 when on a trip to spend Christmas with Jackie’s family. Just as a bit of interesting history, the Osiris Shrine Centre is located on the site of the former Shepherd plantation, tannery and grist mill site in what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. The main temple building was built in 1798 and is the former Shepherd Hall (Monument Place) and is the oldest home in Wheeling. It was purchased by the Osiris Shriners in 1926. One of the most interesting things about the temple is that there was an entrance to the underground railroad located in the building by which slaves escaped to the banks of Wheeling Creek, which took them downstream to the Ohio River. Once in Ohio, slaves were able to get assistance to travel north to Canada and other States which did not support slavery. Since taking over the building, the Shrine has added an auditorium and banquet centre onto the original building.
In addition to being members of the Osiris Shrine, Brad and his dad are also members of Al Menah Shrine in Nashville, Tennessee. Both are active masons in Hiram Lodge 107 in Franklin, Tennessee and are both Scottish Rite Freemasons (Brad is a 32 degree, and Doug a 33rd degree). As well, Brad was a Senior DeMolay.
When we arrived at the concert we were very early to receive our tickets. Bros Stu Larson and his wealth of acquaintances proceeded to enter into the concert through a back door staging area. While we 3 Nobles were alone waiting in the car outside, Bros Stu came back with some unbelievable news. He had arranged for us to take our car into the underground staging area where the road crew and band members were to congregate. Stu had also met the father of Brad Paisley in the interim and arranged a meeting with all of us. Bros Doug Paisley is a Master Mason and a 33rd degree Scottish rite member. He is also a Shriner in Nashville. He arranged for us to move to behind the scenes and was instrumental in our meeting with his son Brad.
Bros Doug Paisley upgraded our tickets to beside the stage once he knew where we were seated. Noble Pascoe then took our tickets we received from the promoter, went to the furthest most point of view of the stage, selected a family of 4 and escorted them to their new seating arrangements on behalf of the WA WA Shriners. The family was ecstatic and certainly knew who the Shriners were after that encounter.
Now the moment we were all waiting for. Bros Doug Paisley had arranged a meeting for us with Bros Brad, his son, in front of all the media personnel, concert winners from all media contests and had us first in line to meet Noble Brad behind the scenes to make the presentation. Noble Keep presented the WA WA Shrine Fez in a quick but awesome tribute and when Brad tried it on it was far too large so he mounted it atop his famous cowboy hat so we could see at least his eyes. Noble Pascoe then presented our honorary membership declaration by reading to Brad the words on the certificate. We all had a surreal moment that passed in a flash but what memorable moments.
We then went and took our seats beside the stage and let the festivities begin. The staging, as usual, was exceptional. In addition to a 60-foot video screen at the back of the stage, there was a smaller screen on each side of the stage along with video screens built into two pieces of the set. Having all this video capability is one thing but it’s another to use it properly and Paisley did exactly that — while some footage from song videos was used, many of the songs received individual video treatment that made it unique.
And then, of course, there was Paisley himself. A gifted songwriter and an incredible guitar player, Paisley connects with his audience with sharp comedic interaction. While many performers in the past have fallen back on the old “Regina, the city that rhymes with fun” joke — and that includes current movie box office hit Dead Pool — Paisley took a different tact.
“Canada it is so good to see your Regina. I can see your Regina right now,” he said with a laugh. “I may not stop making these jokes tonight, it’s just so easy.”
He also mentioned on a number of occasions his fondness for playing in Canada. Paisley wasn’t thrilled with the weather on Saturday — I guess the wind and snow flurries aren’t for everyone — but he isn’t shy about traipsing through Canada in the winter.
“We’re going to play some country music for God’s frozen people up here,” he said.
Paisley also has a connection to Canada through his steel guitar player Randle Currie who is from Prince Albert SK. The good news for Currie is that Paisley always gives him a shout out during the show. The bad news is that it also gives Paisley an opportunity to take a shot at Currie.
Paisley got the fans on their feet early in the show and kept them there was he wound his way through his impressive catalogue of hits. Paisley mixed with the old with the new and the funny with the serious and although he didn’t include every one of his hits, no one was complaining about the songs he delivered.
Paisley, he keeps coming back and the fans keep coming back because he always, always delivers a top-notch show. In simple terms, Paisley gives the fans their money’s worth and for that reason he has developed a dedicated and loyal following that will be ready to do it all over again the next time he comes to town.
Finally the concert was over and the night ended with encore after encore. The most memorable night of the year in Regina.
The Shriners did their small part to raise the bar once again of the WA WA Temple and to seek much needed public profile.
All in the name of “MEMBERSHIP “ !!
Noble BOB KEEP
On another subdued winters night in February in Regina SK, all was very normal until many 18 wheelers that had rolled in from the Southern States, had emptied their cargos into the Brandt Ctr at the fair grounds and the set up for a concert began. This was going to be the night of something very extraordinary that would include the WA WA Shriners in one form or another. Noble Bob Keep had been told weeks prior that Country star Brad Paisley would be performing a concert in Regina and his “Crushin it World Tour” was coming soon to a theatre near you.
Knowing that Brad Paisley was a famous and current Shriner from the Nashville TN Temple, Noble Bob got busy trying to contact Bros Paisley’s management and promotions team to ascertain what opportunities might be available for Bros Brad to meet WA WA Shriners. He started enquiries with a letter of intent to his closest cousin who is very influential in the music business and through many contacts and phone calls finally connected with the tour promoter. The tour promoter AEG contacted Bob and graciously supplied 4 media seats for the concert. Noble Bob assembled a group of Shriners, namely David Pascoe, president of the Regina Shrine Club, Stu Larson, the circus chairman and Steve Bell, Southern SK Membership chair to attend the event to represent WA WA Shriners where possible. If nothing else we were going to stand out in the crowd with our Fez’s ablaze. Nothing as far as a formal invite was obtained and no guarantees that we would be able to meet Bros Paisley. Our Illustrious Sir Harry Martin provided an honorary WA WA Fez to present to Brother Paisley along with an honorary membership into the WA WA Temple. The rest is history.
Noble Brad Paisley was born and raised in Glen Dale, West Virginia, to Noble Douglas Paisley and Sandra Paisley. Glen Dale is part of what is called the Ohio Valley and is a 15 minute drive across the Ohio River from Bellaire, Ohio, which is where my wife Jackie was raised. Jackie’s dad and sister still live in Bellaire and Jackie’s grandparents and many of her maternal relatives are from Moundsville, West Virginia and the surrounding area. Moundsville and Glen Dale are what I would call sister cities since where one ends the other starts. Brad’s mother Sandra was a teacher in Glen Dale and taught a couple of my wife’s cousins, including Corinne, who can be seen in the first photo which I have attached. The second photo is of Jackie’s Papou (grandfather) Nick. These photos were taken in 2002. Jackie’s cousins TJ and Dominic DeFelice founded DeFelice Bros. Pizza which has several locations throughout the Ohio Valley and was named Best Pizza in the USA at a 2005 world level pizza competition held in Italy. Before becoming a superstar, Brad performed many shows at the Capitol Theater in Wheeling, West Virginia which is a 10 minute drive from where my wife was raised and Jackie and her family used to go see Brad perform.
Brad and his dad (Doug) are both members of Osiris Shrine which is located in Wheeling, WV. I have attached a photo of the temple building, which I had the pleasure of touring in December 2014 when on a trip to spend Christmas with Jackie’s family. Just as a bit of interesting history, the Osiris Shrine Centre is located on the site of the former Shepherd plantation, tannery and grist mill site in what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. The main temple building was built in 1798 and is the former Shepherd Hall (Monument Place) and is the oldest home in Wheeling. It was purchased by the Osiris Shriners in 1926. One of the most interesting things about the temple is that there was an entrance to the underground railroad located in the building by which slaves escaped to the banks of Wheeling Creek, which took them downstream to the Ohio River. Once in Ohio, slaves were able to get assistance to travel north to Canada and other States which did not support slavery. Since taking over the building, the Shrine has added an auditorium and banquet centre onto the original building.
In addition to being members of the Osiris Shrine, Brad and his dad are also members of Al Menah Shrine in Nashville, Tennessee. Both are active masons in Hiram Lodge 107 in Franklin, Tennessee and are both Scottish Rite Freemasons (Brad is a 32 degree, and Doug a 33rd degree). As well, Brad was a Senior DeMolay.
When we arrived at the concert we were very early to receive our tickets. Bros Stu Larson and his wealth of acquaintances proceeded to enter into the concert through a back door staging area. While we 3 Nobles were alone waiting in the car outside, Bros Stu came back with some unbelievable news. He had arranged for us to take our car into the underground staging area where the road crew and band members were to congregate. Stu had also met the father of Brad Paisley in the interim and arranged a meeting with all of us. Bros Doug Paisley is a Master Mason and a 33rd degree Scottish rite member. He is also a Shriner in Nashville. He arranged for us to move to behind the scenes and was instrumental in our meeting with his son Brad.
Bros Doug Paisley upgraded our tickets to beside the stage once he knew where we were seated. Noble Pascoe then took our tickets we received from the promoter, went to the furthest most point of view of the stage, selected a family of 4 and escorted them to their new seating arrangements on behalf of the WA WA Shriners. The family was ecstatic and certainly knew who the Shriners were after that encounter.
Now the moment we were all waiting for. Bros Doug Paisley had arranged a meeting for us with Bros Brad, his son, in front of all the media personnel, concert winners from all media contests and had us first in line to meet Noble Brad behind the scenes to make the presentation. Noble Keep presented the WA WA Shrine Fez in a quick but awesome tribute and when Brad tried it on it was far too large so he mounted it atop his famous cowboy hat so we could see at least his eyes. Noble Pascoe then presented our honorary membership declaration by reading to Brad the words on the certificate. We all had a surreal moment that passed in a flash but what memorable moments.
We then went and took our seats beside the stage and let the festivities begin. The staging, as usual, was exceptional. In addition to a 60-foot video screen at the back of the stage, there was a smaller screen on each side of the stage along with video screens built into two pieces of the set. Having all this video capability is one thing but it’s another to use it properly and Paisley did exactly that — while some footage from song videos was used, many of the songs received individual video treatment that made it unique.
And then, of course, there was Paisley himself. A gifted songwriter and an incredible guitar player, Paisley connects with his audience with sharp comedic interaction. While many performers in the past have fallen back on the old “Regina, the city that rhymes with fun” joke — and that includes current movie box office hit Dead Pool — Paisley took a different tact.
“Canada it is so good to see your Regina. I can see your Regina right now,” he said with a laugh. “I may not stop making these jokes tonight, it’s just so easy.”
He also mentioned on a number of occasions his fondness for playing in Canada. Paisley wasn’t thrilled with the weather on Saturday — I guess the wind and snow flurries aren’t for everyone — but he isn’t shy about traipsing through Canada in the winter.
“We’re going to play some country music for God’s frozen people up here,” he said.
Paisley also has a connection to Canada through his steel guitar player Randle Currie who is from Prince Albert SK. The good news for Currie is that Paisley always gives him a shout out during the show. The bad news is that it also gives Paisley an opportunity to take a shot at Currie.
Paisley got the fans on their feet early in the show and kept them there was he wound his way through his impressive catalogue of hits. Paisley mixed with the old with the new and the funny with the serious and although he didn’t include every one of his hits, no one was complaining about the songs he delivered.
Paisley, he keeps coming back and the fans keep coming back because he always, always delivers a top-notch show. In simple terms, Paisley gives the fans their money’s worth and for that reason he has developed a dedicated and loyal following that will be ready to do it all over again the next time he comes to town.
Finally the concert was over and the night ended with encore after encore. The most memorable night of the year in Regina.
The Shriners did their small part to raise the bar once again of the WA WA Temple and to seek much needed public profile.
All in the name of “MEMBERSHIP “ !!
Noble BOB KEEP
