Rising-star country musician Tony Stevens will perform close to home during another Battle of the Brews event Saturday, Aug. 17 at Surrey Civic Plaza, outside city hall.
For a sixth summer, the annual afternoon of beer tasting, food trucks and music benefits Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society's youth initiatives.
A Surrey resident, Stevens is on a high after earning a Canadian Country Music Association Award (CCMA) nomination for Songwriter of the Year for his hit single “Whiskey In Colorado," released by Willing Records and Universal Music Canada). For promotional purposes, he's represented by Strut Entertainment.
With his fusion of country, rock and R&B, and lyrics drawn from real-life experiences, Stevens' music "resonates deeply with his growing fan base," according to Strut. "His debut single 'Tomorrow Today' propelled him into the coveted top 50 on the charts for the first time, followed by the summer anthem 'Thirst Aid Kit' and his latest single, 'Days Like This.'"
Meantime, the ballad “Whiskey in Colorado” is #8 on the Canadian country charts, and has accumulated over two million streams. The hit found Stevens named Rogers Media’s ‘One to Watch’ and iHeartRadio’s ‘Future Star’ recently.
Last winter, Stevens was among two B.C. contestants in SiriusXM’s 2024 Top of the Country contest, along with Vernon resident Zach McPhee.
Raised in Coquitlam, Stevens moved to Surrey as a 13-year-old, and in his 20s took a break from music to get married, start a family and, because he’s in the construction business, renovate a house. Eleven years ago he was seriously injured in a wakeboarding accident in Tulameen, northwest of Princeton.
Saturday's Battle of the Brews event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at Surrey Civic Plaza. General-admission tickets are sold for $55 on surreyfirefighters.com/battle-of-the-brews, via zeffy.com.
Attendees can help choose their favourite beers. An admission ticket includes all beer samples and a souvenir tasting mug (no annoying beer tokens needed). Bring a refillable water bottle for free water on site. Food from trucks will be sold, and there will be light complimentary snacks available. There will be a 50/50 draw and raffle, and donations accepted on site by card or cash.
The Battle's beverage partners include Backcountry Brewing, Barnside Brewing, Dead Frog, Driftwood Brewing, Five Roads Brewing, Four Winds, Granville Island Brewery, Hoyne, KPU, Locality Brewing, Mariner, Moody Ales, Parallel 49, Red Truck Beer Company, Russell Brewing, Stanley Park, Trading Post, Wayback Brewing and White Rock Beach Beer. Nude beverages will also be available.
Food trucks at the event are The Mad Greek, Taste of Heaven Gourmet Sausages, Cheez and Crema Ice Cream.
