Fan favourite Cruzeros reunite for Canada Day show

BAND WILL CLOSE OUT FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES

KELOWNA – The Cruzeros, local fan favourites and one of the most successful bands out of Kelowna, are reuniting to headline the Canada Day concert series at Waterfront Park.

And while singer and guitarist Barry Mathers says there’s no hard plans for the band to continue beyond Canada Day, he thinks it won’t be the last.

“Everyone was pretty excited at the rehearsals so you never know,” Mathers says.

Mathers says fans on Friday night will hear some new arrangements of familiar songs but the set list will be based on their numerous top forty country hits.

“All in all, it’s going to be an up tempo rocking hour and a half set,” he adds.

Friday night’s line-up will include original member Curtis Tullman and back-up singer Rachel Matkin, plus bassist Jim Ryan, drummer Jay Swetlishoff, lead guitarist Gary Smyth and keyboardist Rod Miller.

Tulman and Mathers began playing together in the mid-1980s but didn’t get a break until the mid-1990s when they recorded their first album earning them a series of hits on the national country charts and a Juno nomination for country group of the year.

The band continued to play both locally and internationally until 2008 and have made just a few appearances since then.

Friday’s show takes place on the TD Beach stage at Tugboat Beach as part of the Celebrate Canada Day Kelowna festival.

The Cruzeros hit the stage at 8:50 p.m.and will play until just before the fireworks display at 10:30 p.m.


To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

More Articles