Whilst reading the article below, you can indulge yourself by listening to The Rucksack Willies set live from the Cameron House in Toronto simply by clicking play on the video above.
Let me start by saying that I’ve never been to The Cameron House before. I’ve definitely walked by the corner venue just east of Spadina on Queen, barely noticing the modest patio out front. So I walked inside and saw the innards of this mysterious venue: the shabby seating with upholstery barely clinging to the chairs, little hexagon tiles on the floor chipping away, art on the walls (and ceiling). Everything inside was rustic, like it had a story behind it.
Then I met Angie Hilts, Megan Thomas, Michael Eckert, Mike (the stand in guitar player for Adrian), Lucas Gadke, and Galen Pelley aka The Rucksack Willies. The Cameron House was so fitting to the vibes these people gave off. Not because their demeanor mirrored that of the pleasantly disheveled Cameron House, but because their music and company felt like home.
The band has smooth dynamic, Angie front woman-ing the stage with her casual conversation. The band members joked around on stage with each other and got the crowd laughing along. The topic of the night seemed to be Lucas’ recent appendix extraction, as it called for a bit of a mellow show but one to still be enjoyed. The down to earth bluegrass group played classics like Dolly Parton’s Jolene and The Band’s The Shape I’m In, as well as their originals like Moonshine (which has an actual recipe for moonshine in the lyrics) and Higher.
“Any of the old tunes I really like– they have a lot of history to them we’ve been singing them for a long time, like Higher, Waiting for Sun,” said Hilts. “We’ve been playing them for a long time, but I feel like its kind of important to keep playing them so people kind of get used to the sound of us, before we start making new stuff.”
The band recorded their first song, Moonshine, around Christmas 2008. During this time, they became “violently ill”, which I didn’t further delve into but I’m sure it kick started the closeness they share. Since then Angie has been writing songs for The Rucksack Willies, but not without the help of her band mates.
“For me I write a bunch of songs and then after I show them to the guys they then become my favourite songs because then they help me arrange them,” said Hilts. “Honey Harbour is a good example of one that kind of grew after I wrote it. You can probably see it on YouTube. Also this new song I wrote, The Grave, which hasn’t been recorded yet but we want to record it.”
The songs seem to resonate with you even after they are performed, not only because of the catchy melodies but also the poetic lyrics. I actually had to write down a couple of lines, specifically one: “smoke gets in my eyes but it’s never the right kind”. It’s difficult to find something that doesn’t bring out some sort of emotional response.
The Rucksack Willies have been playing at the Cameron House since September of 2011, playing 2 sets a night once every week. In addition to Hilts’ powerful voice, Thomas sings alongside with Gadke and Pelley. The multitalented group incorporates several instruments including the dolboro, bass, washboard, guitar, and drums during their set, and sometimes even switching instruments. It really showcases the talent this group holds as individuals but also their ability to get creative with their music.
The Rucksack Willies play every Monday at The Cameron House at 6pm for a 2 hour set.
Website
http://www.therucksackwillies.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheRucksackWillies
https://twitter.com/RucksackWillies
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Interview By: Steph DePetrillo
stephdepetrillo@dropoutentertainment.ca
