Over this past week the Paisley Party Tour has made the rounds in the Pacific Northwest with stops in Spokane, Portland and Tacoma.

On Sunday, it's time to party in
Yakima.

That's when Brad Paisley, with his trademark white cowboy hat, plays the Yakima Valley SunDome. Joining him are free and easy country cutie Dierks Bentley and the up-and-coming Crystal Shawanda.

"It's all been quite a blur," the 20-something Shawanda said last week from a stop in her native Canada. "We're learning so much -- going from honky-tonks to arenas."

While Shawanda just joined the tour this month, Paisley's been on the road for a good while now. He kicked off the last leg of the Paisley Party Tour in January, about a month before racking up six Academy of Country Music Awards nominations, including one for male vocalist of the year, which he's won the past two years in a row.

It's an interesting nod because Paisley's latest album, "Play," is a guitar-heavy display of his skills as one heck of a six string slinger rather than just a good-lookin' singer. One of its tracks, "Cluster Pluck" -- which also features James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, John Jorgenson, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner -- recently won Paisley a Grammy for best country instrumental. He won his first Grammy in that same category the year before for "Throttleneck." This year, he also picked up a best male country vocal performance Grammy for "Letter to Me" off his album "5th Gear."

Paisley's other country chart toppers include "Online," "Alcohol," "Mud on the Tires," "I'm Still A Guy," "Waiting On a Woman" and "Start A Band."

As for Bentley, you can expect to hear some cuts off his new album, "Feel That Fire," which was released just a few weeks ago. Both the record and its first single, the title track, hit the top of the country charts.

"It's been great to have new music out on the road," Bentley said earlier this week. "For us as a band it's fun to play new songs."

The second single off the album, set to hit airwaves Monday, is the bar-loving "Sideways," in which that little white tank top he's so fond of makes a cameo.

"It's been fun, people have been digging on that," he says about the song.

Of course, Bentley fans will want to hear his previous hits such as "Settle For A Slowdown," "Free And Easy (Down the Road I Go)" and "What Was I Thinkin.'" And Bentley won't let them down.

"We want people to walk away having a great time," he said. "It's all about having a good time."

Prior to hitting the Northwest this week, the Paisley Party made its way through Canada, allowing Bentley time to indulge in some hockey and Shawanda to play to a home-country crowd.

As a Native American, Shawanda says she was born country. She grew up on the Wikwemikong reservation in Ontario, Canada -- and on Loretta Lynn, who she had the opportunity to play with at the Grand Ole Opry.

"That was a dream come true that night," she said.

Her debut album, "Dawn of a New Day" -- what Shawanda means in her native Ojibwe language -- came out last year and features the singles "You Can Let Go" and "My Roots Are Showing." She also starred in her own reality series on CMT, "Crystal: Living the Dream."

Boasting a deep, emotional voice, Shawanda is set to perform at Canada's Juno Awards in March -- and take her album as far as it will go. The Paisley Party is her first big tour.

"Right when you think it can't get any better," she said, "it does."

If you go

WHAT: The Paisley Party Tour with Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and Crystal Shawanda.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Yakima Valley SunDome, 1301 S. Fair Ave.

HOW MUCH: Tickets cost $39.75 and $49.75 and are available through TicketsWest, 800-325-7328, www.ticketswest.com, or the State Fair ticket office, 248-7160. Parking costs $6.