Chilliwack is headlining the annual festival this year and those are just a small sample of their many hit songs they will be playing. Another B.C. music group, Moontricks and children’s performer Flyin’ Bob Palmer and his Flyin’ Bob’s Circus Show from Edmonton are also set to appear.
A release from the Magnificent River Rats Festival Society said, “Rising out of the ashes of psychedelia in 1969, Canada’s legendary Chilliwack released 12 albums over a 15 year period producing numerous Canadian and international hits including Lonesome Mary, Fly at Night, and California Girl in the 70s and My Girl (Gone Gone Gone), Whatcha Gonna Do in the 80s.”
Now the rockers, who have had cross border success, are slowing down long enough to play in Athabasca and Bill Henderson, the lead singer of the band, is looking forward to the event.
“I like festivals because there's usually happy people there and I like to reinforce that, and I like to have a great time when I play,” Henderson said, speaking from his home in B.C. “It's what makes it worth doing.”
The energy from the crowd pumps up the performers who in turn rock out a bit harder, which pumps up the crowd, Henderson finds. He loves how the band and crowd form symbiotic mutualism, both benefiting from the presence of the other.
“We just go out on stage and have one thing in mind, and that is to really get into it and really enjoy what we're doing. And people pick up on that and they enjoy themselves too, which makes the energy comes back to us, which reinforces our energy and it gets bigger and it’s sort of a circle that keeps growing,” he stated.
Henderson has also found the music of Chilliwack is reaching new audiences as the band continues touring the festival circuit.
“Festivals usually are pretty much all ages and it's really cool. With the younger people, teens or in their 20s, some of them get right down in front of the speaker. They're just really getting into it, really enjoying it. So, yeah, that's cool,” Henderson said. “And, you know it's funny – I guess it's YouTube – but they know a lot of the songs and (the songs) were out long before these people were alive.”
Don’t expect the band to stick to the music sheet though, they like to mix things up sometimes and keep the audience on their toes.
“We improvise too, we don't just play exactly note for note. There's the things that we do note for note and the things that we allow to be free and move around,” he said. “A lot of the young people really pick up on that and get it; they can tell that we're doing something a little more than just playing the song.”
Henderson was happy to reminisce and talk about his songwriting process that has helped the band with their enduring success.
“When I write a song, a lot of times I just sit there and play my guitar until something comes along and then someone says, ‘Oh, that's neat,’ or my wife says, ‘Oh, that's nice, what is that?’ and I say, ‘I don't know,’” he laughed. “We have this great myth of the artist about to get this great thing and it's just theirs and it comes from on high and it sort of does in a sense, but it also comes from all your experience.”
Chilliwack has had 15 gold and platinum certifications from singing about those experiences, a host of awards, high profile TV appearances, coliseum concert tours and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2019.
Moontricks
Unfortunately, the duo was unavailable for an interview because they are on tour but sent a message through their management company, “This is actually gonna be our first time in Athabasca; really excited about the opportunity. Looking forward to playing a boot stompin’ set of twangy electronic music. Fans can expect banjo and harmonica combined with bumpin’ bass drops.”
Their website states that nestled deep in the beautiful Kootenay mountains of Western Canada lies the home of Moontricks, a duo whose timeless sound captures the essence of their rugged roots.Combining their love of folk, blues, and electronic music, Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman are blazing their own trail, merging musical worlds previously unacquainted and capturing audiences along the way. Since connecting in their rural hometown through a shared love of music, the pair’s chemistry was instantly apparent.
With Gurley at the production helm and Rodman on songwriting and vocals, they’ve birthed an authentically raw and seductive sound infusing grassroots blues, wistful soul, and gritty, boot stomping bass. Their breakout organic hit “Home” has surpassed 1 million streams and their music is frequently licensed for film and television.
Once a best-kept secret in Canada's festival circuit, Moontricks is now taking their sound worldwide. Feeling just as at home on an electronic festival stage one weekend and a folk festival the next, their spirited live performances feature an assemblage of guitar, keys, banjo, and vocals atop stunning original productions.
Their touring schedule has seen them play across North America and Australia with stops at major festivals like Lightning in A Bottle, Rainbow Serpent, and Shambhala Music Festival where they’ve become fan favourites, playing every year since their debut in 2013.
From rural beginnings to global festival stages, this humble duo is now taking on the world. Dazzling audiences with their infectious vibe and unmistakable rhythm, Moontricks are clear proof that originality and passion can spark a creative odyssey.
Flyin’ Bob’s Circus Show
Flyin' Bob will have a circus activities zone set up where the public, kids and adults too, can try juggling, diabolo, plate spinning, stilt walking, slack line balancing, rola bola and more.
“Flyin' Bob is over the moon to be returning to the Magnificent River Rats Festival for the 3rd year in a row!” said Palmer in an e-mail.
Palmer will bring circus fun and craziness to the unsuspecting citizens of Athabasca, in the form of juggling, riding a 7-foot-high unicycle, walking on an 8-foot-high tightwire, chair balancing, and fire.
“If the show looks like fun and you wish you could do circus too, well, you can,” he said. “Warning: learning circus skills is highly addictive. You may want to run away and join the circus!”
