Chilliwack to rock Alberni District Secondary School theatre

Canadian rock band Chilliwack are set to bring their classic tunes to the Alberni District Secondary School theatre on March 27.

Originating in Vancouver in the 1970s, Chilliwack released 12 albums over a 15 year period producing numerous Canadian and international hits including, My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone,), I Believe, Whatcha Gonna Do, Crazy Talk and Lonesome Mary.

Chilliwack singer and guitarist, Bill Henderson, said the band will play shows in Duncan, Port Alberni, Courtenay, Campbell River and Sidney for during their Vancouver Island tour.

In addition to the classics, Henderson said the band will also play some new music.

“One’s called ‘Take Back This Land’ which is kind of a big rock anthem, people used to get into that pretty good,” Henderson said.

“We’ve got another one, Solar High, which is about the high school on Salt Spring Island where the community got together with the high school and funded… and they put up this huge solar array on the roof of the school so that they can run the school on solar power. It’s a real rocking song,” Henderson said.

Prior to their upcoming tour, Chilliwack have played around Vancouver Island many times throughout the years. Henderson said they haven’t play Port Alberni that many times but he remembers a very “strange show” in the Valley in 2000.

“That was the year when all the computers were going to go down on January 1 at 12 a.m. Planes were going to fall out of the sky, everything was going to fall apart,” he laughed.

“It was a New Years gig for us and it was at the Beaufort.”

Henderson said the show was intimate with only 13 people in attendance.

“It was cool because some people look at that and go, ‘well should we play?’ We went yea, we’re playing, and we might as well make it a great night because why else are we here,” Henderson said.