One of Canada’s rising county music stars, Dallas Smith brings his act to Casino Rama this Saturday.
The buzz over this tour stop, in support of his new CD Side Effects, has grown so loud that tickets have been totally gobbled up.
Smith, 38 and a product of Langley, B.C., has toured with some of the best offshore country acts such as Jason Aldean and Keith Urban, as well as domestic stars like Chad Brownlee.
Such has been his somewhat underplayed way that his prowess as a songwriter has been largely ignored, but his single “Slow Rollin’” was covered by Lady Antebellum on their “747” album just two years back.
And he and his band can’t wait to hit the stage at Rama
“My band and I have played a lot of big stages these last few years so we're excited for this one. My guys and I are going to do what we do best. Play these songs and have fun doing it.”
Smith made his first big splash in 2012 with “Jumped Right In,” containing the hit single, “If it Gets You Where You Want to Go,” followed by “Nothing but Summer.”
Apart with the inroads Smith made in the states with Lady A, his cover of the Florida-Georgia Line song “Tippin’ Point” got the toes of Canadian fans tappin’, a song that went number one on the Sirius XM Hot 45 Countdown.
“Lifted” soon followed, with two other stick-in-your-head tunes, “Wastin’ Gas,” and “Cheap Seats,” which fans at Rama should sing along with no matter where they’re sitting.
Despite his legendary shyness, Smith is proud of his part in the Canadian country community, which he says has much to take pride in.
“I think Canadian country is in a very great place right now. We are starting to really feel more comfortable taking risks and pushing boundaries in the genre. That's when music is at its best.”
Nor has he forgotten the privilege of playing with superstars like Urban.
“Keith's been a massive influence on me for many years now. I really looked up to him in the way he pushes the genre forward but stays true to his fans. In my opinion, he's the best live entertainer there is out there. I learned a lot from watching him.
Dallas Smith plays Casino Rama this Saturday. The doors open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8.
