For immediate release: May 16, 2024 



FREDERICTON, NB - The James Barker Band, one of Canada’s most popular country bands, will headline free Canada Day festivities in Fredericton, organizers announced today. 



This year’s Juno-award winners for Country Album of the Year, the band will perform on the new Officers’ Square stage in the Historic Garrison District on Monday, July 1st at 9:00pm before the fireworks. The festivities include a full-day lineup of concerts and activities to celebrate Canada Day. 



The performance by the four-piece Canadian outfit is set to attract residents and visitors from across New Brunswick. Since 2018, the band has won multiple Canadian Country Music Awards. 



“The excitement around this band is tremendous. It’s huge get for the city to have artists of this calibre on our stage and it’s going to make for a spectacular Canada Day celebration”, said David Seabrook, the City’s Director of Tourism, Recreation, and Culture. 



Based in Nashville, the James Barker Band has enjoyed incredible, meteoric success in the last decade, supported by headliner tours across Canada, the United States, and Europe.  



They currently hold the title for the most No. 1 hit songs for a Canadian country group in the BDS/Mediabase era. 



“This band is one of the top country acts touring right now. It’ll be a show not to be missed and a great finale capping off to four spectacular days of free entertainment in Officers’ Square,” Seabrook said. 



The performance is supported by funds provided by the Tourism Accommodation Levy and was secured by volunteer Canada Day Committee member Nick Zildjian.   



The band’s small town country roots are genuine. Members of this iconic Canadian quartet grew up within an hour of each other in rural towns around Toronto and became best friends. The band is made up of James Barker (lead vocals/guitar), Taylor Abram (guitar/background vocals), Connor Stephen (drums), and Bobby Martin (bass). 



In 2017 these best friends saw their hard work pay off when they sent their single “Chills” straight to the top of Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100 chart.  



From there, the James Barker Band released a string of successful singles, including the GOLD-certified tracks “Wastin’ Whiskey,” “New Old Trucks,” “Over All Over Again,” “There's A Drink For That”, “Just Sayin',” “It's Working,” “Lawn Chair Lazy,” “Good Together,” “Summertime,” as well as Platinum-certified songs “Keep It Simple” and "Chills'' and a GOLD-certified EP (Game On).  



The Canada Day concerts include four straight days of free live shows in Officers’ Square, kicking off on Friday, June 28, with GarrisonFest performances by Jeremy Dutcher, Tony LePage, and the Don Bosse Band. 



GarrisonFest continues with 12 bands June 29 & 30, featuring Adam Baldwin and Alysha Brilla on Saturday and the Hypochondriacs, the Jimmy Swift Band, and Brooklyn’s Moon Hooch on Sunday. 



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Media Contact:   

David Seabrook  

Director of Tourism, Recreation and Culture  

(506) 471-0548 

david.seabrook@fredericton.ca