After performing for a couple of hundred thousand people at the Grandstand Show at the Calgary Stampede over 10 nights, you can excuse the Polyjesters band members if they are a little tired this week.
If that wasn't enough, the band also played a daily show at the King Eddy bar in Calgary during the same time period.
The Polyjesters are led by brothers Sheldon and Jason Valleau, who both went to school in Didsbury and later lived in Carstairs.
Sheldon told the Gazette the band was thrilled to get the chance to play in front of so many people on such a big stage.
"A show that size, you really can't even begin to grasp the capacity of what's going on or what's going to happen," said Sheldon. "Everything's in pieces. You rehearse things not necessarily in the same order you're going to play them on stage. To be involved with something on that stage -- it's amazing."
Sheldon said the band members had to put their faith in the hands of the show's producers.
"That's what's amazing is watching all these people who are professionals," he said. "They bring in people from all over the world. This is what they do -- they put on these groundbreaking shows with the newest acts and newest technology."
Sheldon said playing the Stampede was a great opportunity for a local band.
"To be so close to it in Mountain View County, you're like, whoa, it's local and such a big thing," he said. "It's not until you get there do you realize how big it is. It's like Cirque du Soleil meets Burning Man meets a Super Bowl halftime show with all the headsets and dancing. My brother is 200 feet off the ground flying around on a platform. There were aerialists and acrobats."
Playing at the Grandstand Show at the Calgary Stampede is quite the feather in the cap for the Polyjesters, said Sheldon.
"Everyone out there is pushing it to the max," he said. "That's what keeps you going. Everyone is just giving it. Over the course of the 10 days there were easily 220,000 people. That's a real good show."
Sheldon also added that they are very appreciative of the great support from the Mountain View County community.
