The “Billy” duo of Darrell “Slide Boy” Sandmoen and songstress Angel Calnek embarked on their Gypsy Tour back in mid-May after being delayed due to Calnek’s treatments for trigeminal neuralgia.
Since leaving home, they’ve canoed the back country of N W Ontario spending six days at Highwind and Porcus Lakes feeding on fresh trout every day, visiting friends at Sleepy Dog Cabins on Wabaskang Lake, and another back country canoe trip to Long Legged Lake which Sandmoen hadn’t visited since his teen years when he worked on the lake surveying roads for a logging company.
Truly inspired by their surroundings, they created lyrics for two new songs and recorded music for a third.
Returning home for a week, they made some awesome music at the 32nd Annual Summer Solstice BBQ Reunion with local notables such as Ken Pinchin, Patrick Boggs, Keith Dyck, Lianne Fournier, John Hudson and “Billy” drummer Julene Gravett .
The next stop was Crow Lake near Nestor Falls south of Kenora. Here at “Slide Boy’s” uncle’s house they were given the run of the Waldorf Ice Shack to put together their show for a July 10th gig at Sleepy Dog Cabins. Inspired by their friends living in North Western Ontario, they wrote a song about a fishing camp owner.
It was at Crow Lake that mascot Koko dog ripped her side open as she was tearing around and had to receive emergency stapling at the vet in Kenora.
It was also here at Crow Lake where they were notified of the sudden death on a dear friend from home.
They quickly packed and returned home where they will take some time to chill and let the dog heal. Barring any further unforseens, they hope to return to their Gypsy Tour in the near future playing the July 10th gig at Sleepy Dog Cabins in Perreault Falls, Ontario and a private outdoor party on the 16th of July in Waldhof, Ontario.
The duo are currently negotiating concerts in Dryden, Rainy River, Nestor Falls, Kenora, Atikokan and Thunder Bay.
September 5 to 18 is booked for an Artist in Residency at Quetico Park near Atikoka, Ontario where Sandmoen and Calnek spend two weeks being inspired by the park in exchange for concerts and songwriting. Then they head to Thunder Bay to spread the “Billy” gospel before returning home in October.
In other news, Hillbilly Burlesque’s new CD “Crazy Life” is being played on radio stations across Canada and in France on the Midnight Special Blues Radio. The band also has CD requests from UK Leicester Bangs music e-zine (www.leicesterbangs.co.uk) for inclusion in their reviews and Radio Coteaux in France to be added to their playlist.
The “Crazy Life” CD is now available at CDBaby.com and on I-Tunes!
Hillbilly Burlesque gratefully thanks the CBC for supporting local performers and helping Canada and the U.S. enjoy their music.