Latest news with #BurtBlockParty
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Whatcha gonna do when veteran rock band Chilliwack is gone?
Chilliwack is soon to be gone, gone, gone. Burt Block Party with Kim Mitchell, Chilliwack and Harlequin Burton Cummings Theatre, 364 Smith St. Sunday, 5 p.m. Tickets $99.75 including fees at Ticketmaster After more than five decades on the road, the Vancouver rock band is saying a fond farewell to fans this year during its final cross-country tour, which includes a local performance at Sunday's Burt Block Party. 'We have this relationship with our audience and I feel like they're friends, so I want to say goodbye,' founder, frontman and guitarist Bill Henderson says over a video call from his home on Salt Spring Island, B.C. Chilliwack evolved from the Collectors — Henderson's previous psychedelic rock project — and released 12 albums between 1970 and '84, resulting in many Canadian hits and moments of cross-border recognition. Despite hiatuses and personnel changes, the group has continued touring since the mid-'90s and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2019. Chilliwack's current and longest-running lineup includes Henderson's brother Ed on guitar, Jerry Adolphe on drums and, more recently, Gord Maxwell on bass. Taking the stage with his bandmates is what Henderson is going to miss most about retirement. SUPPLIED PHOTO Chilliwack, from left: Jerry Adolphe, Ed Henderson, Bill Henderson and Gord Maxwell SUPPLIED PHOTO Chilliwack, from left: Jerry Adolphe, Ed Henderson, Bill Henderson and Gord Maxwell 'This particular unit has worked together for about 30 years and all we've done is play live. We go back and forth across the country and we've got our shit together; it's so cool,' he says. 'We cover for each other and we look around and laugh if something went a little funny, and then we get down to business and rock our faces off.' Henderson, 80, isn't coy about why he's stepping away from the spotlight. 'Old age is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. It's like Mars: you don't know what it's like until you get there. I'm clearing the decks so I can allow something to emerge that's appropriate to my age,' he says, adding there have been times he's walked up to the mic in recent years only to lose his train of thought. 'When your mind starts to do these things, you have to make room for it.' SUPPLIED PHOTO Bill Henderson is retiring after more than 50 years on the road. SUPPLIED PHOTO Bill Henderson is retiring after more than 50 years on the road. He's looking forward to spending more time at home with his wife and continuing to play music and write songs for personal enjoyment. 'I'm still going to play my guitar every day and sing and I know the songs will come and I don't know what I'll do with it, we'll see,' he says. Henderson's career has been a long and varied one. In 1983, he and bandmate Brian MacLeod won the Juno Award for Producer of the Year for their work on Chilliwack's 10th album, Opus X. He served as the musical director for Sesame Street Canada during the early '90s and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023. Henderson was also made a member of the Order of Canada for his longtime advocacy work as president of SOCAN and other artist rights organizations amid foundational industry changes, such as the rise of file sharing platform Napster. 'It's always been a tough fight to try and get enough income for musicians so they can survive,' says Henderson, who describes the work of musicians as an invaluable public service. 'We help people feel good, and when you feel good, I think you make better decisions. So I think music plays a very important role in society.' Attendees at tomorrow's Block Party can expect a feel-good setlist focused on tried and true Chilliwack hits, from Whatcha Gonna Do to Fly at Night to Lonesome Mary to My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone). 'And we do a jam tune called 17th Summer that's nine minutes long, depending on the night, and we just let it rip,' Henderson adds. Chilliwack's Farewell to Friends Tour kicked off in Calgary in March and is scheduled through November with more dates to be announced. Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Free Press Head Start for Aug. 14, 2025
Thunderstorms ending this morning, then a mix of sun and cloud with a 30 per cent chance of showers late this afternoon. Risk of a thunderstorm late this afternoon. Wind from the south at 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light late this afternoon. High 29 C. Humidex 37. UV index 7 or high. What's happening today The Burt Block Party kicks off tonight and runs until Sunday outdoors beside Burton Cummings Theatre, 364 Smith St. This year's headliners include Canadian country singer-songwriter Dean Brody (Thursday), Vancouver-based pop-rock band Marianas Trench (Friday), anthemic Ontario rock outfit the Glorious Sons (Saturday) and rock vet Kim Mitchell (Sunday). Tickets: $99.75 per day at Ticketmaster (Friday sold out). For more information, click here. The Burt Block Party has become an annual summer staple. (Supplied) Today's must-read Manitoba has seen an increase of 201 net new physicians practising in the province since the NDP formed government. Another 12 have accepted offers and are set to begin their practices in the coming months, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said in a statement Wednesday. A contract with Canadian Health Labs to recruit 150 physicians that was signed by former Progressive Conservative health minister Audrey Gordon in 2023 resulted in the hiring of two physicians, each from the United Kingdom. Carol Sanders has the story. Doctors Manitoba president and Neepawa family doctor Nichelle Desilets. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files) On this date On Aug. 14, 1953: The Winnipeg Free Press reported thousands would fill the new Winnipeg stadium at its official opening, which would also include a fundraiser by the Shriners for disabled children. The prospect of the worst grain tie-up since the war years faced Canadian farmers, who were preparing to harvest another bumper crop. Searchers near Moose Lake said they had discovered clues as to the whereabouts of an 18-year-old man who had been missing since July 24. Read the rest of this day's paper here. Search our archives for more here. Today's front page Get the full story: Read today's e-edition of the Free Press .
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Talking with the lead singer of Chilliwack
Winnipeg Watch Lead singer Bill Henderson talks about 55 years of Chilliwack, the band's farewell tour, and their upcoming performance at the Burt Block Party.
