When I first walked into the Wheel Club, the first thing I smelled was stale cigarette smoke. The next thing that struck me was the decor. It was like falling into a world of 1970s kitsch that I had only ever seen in movies and TV. Multicoloured Christmas lights were woven through large wagon wheels which marked the edge of the stage. Wood panelled walls hugged the forty or so occupants, many of which were elderly. Though my initial reaction was that this was a strange way to spend a Monday night, seeing as I’m usually in bed by 10 p.m., I quickly shed any jitters I had and tried to enjoy the eclectic scene before me.
I attended Hillbilly Night in connection with an elective course at Concordia in the Faculty of Fine Arts: FFAR 298, Rock ‘N Roll and its Roots. Attending one of these nights is a mandatory component of the course as it is linked with an assignment. I decided to go to the first one to get it out of the way. To say that I did not expect to enjoy myself would be an understatement. However, before long I was tapping my foot and even quietly singing along with the performers.
A few days before I began the course, I had told a former professor of mine about this elective. She told me that often professors require students to go to the Wheel Club when teaching the history of rock and roll. The club offers an open mic night every Monday for musicians who are comfortable performing music released before 1966 in the Country or Western genres. Think less “Body Like a Backroad” by Sam Hunt and more like Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” But the style can vary greatly, from old timey to honky-tonk to bluegrass. Organized by Bob Fuller and his organization, the Old Time Country Music Club of Canada, this weekly event has a true feeling of community. From the garage-style find myriad of folding chairs to cardboard boxes of records, and plastic tablecloths, the decor of the Wheel Club is as integral as the music played within its walls.
As a novice to country music, I love the songs of Nashville, but that’s about as far as I have gotten, this was entirely new to me. Over the course of the two hours I was there, I had heard of a handful of songs, and knew lyrics to only two or three. But that did nothing to hamper the good time I had, and this is in part due to the patrons of the Wheel Club. Overall, they are a fun-loving and confident bunch that are eager to speak to students and even start line-dancing solo, in couples, or larger groups. Needless to say, it was an experience that made me smile, and one that I recommend to anyone looking to fill a Monday night.
The Wheel Club is located at 3373 Cavendish boul. Hillbilly Night takes place every Monday night from 9 p.m. to 12 p.m.