Friday, April 24 • 7:00 PM
The Historic Market Hall
Valdy—born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa—has been stitched into the fabric of Canadian pop and folk for almost four decades, the kind of artist who feels less like a name on a poster and more like a familiar voice drifting out of a car window on a summer night. He’s a singer, guitarist, and songwriter with “a thousand friends” spread from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, and somehow as far as Texas and New Zealand—proof that an honest song travels farther than any tour van ever could.
At his best, Valdy is a collector of small, telling moments: the half-smile, the hard lesson, the good line you don’t notice until it’s already gone past. He’s forever linked to “Play Me a Rock and Roll Song,” that bittersweet snapshot of a mellow storyteller staring down a rowdy crowd at the Aldergrove Rock Festival (circa 1968)—a classic Canadian scene, equal parts charm and chaos.
Over the years, Valdy has sold nearly half a million copies across 13 albums, picking up two JUNO Awards—including Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year—plus seven JUNO nominations and four Gold albums along the way. Not bad for a guy who’s always sounded like he’s simply telling you the truth, one song at a time.
