Hillbilly Highway – Visiting the Wheat City

by Sheldon Birnie

“Up in Brandon, Manitoba, I left 13 empty jugs / Canadian Women, lord, Canadian Club.” – Tom T. Hall, “Canadian Women”

Decades before Dead Brody dropped his catch CMT Canadiana-country hit “Canadian Girls,” country heavy-weight Tom T. Hall wrote a little ode to Canadian songwriters (“Old Tom taught me how to stomp a tune or two / I hung around a while and I got those Sudbury Blues” and “Gordon introduced me to a folk or two…”) and, more importantly, the joys of getting wild on Canadian Club and getting frisky with babes north of 49. The best line in this underrated classic, in my books, is old Tom T. giving mad props to Brandon, Manitoba for being the place he boozed it up hardest.

For any of you who know the Wheat City, you already know how much they love to party. The place has got the most tattoo shops and beer stores per square kilometre I’ve ever seen in all my travels up and down the Hillbilly Highway. I’ve been to plenty of parties, socials, punk shows, and honky tonks up in Brandon, and they’ve almost always rocked my socks.

For travellers on the Highway, there’s a couple venues and events of particular interest, especially if you’re looking to take a nice drive out Highway 1 for a Friday night, or you’re stuck there anyhow on Business. If you’re into a folky sort of sit down vibe, with great food and beverage service, check out Lady of The Lake. Our pal Zachary Lucky just played a show there, and for his sort of intimate stylings, the place is perfect. If you’re into getting a little wilder, maybe dancing on a table or at least hammering back Jagermeister shots by the handful, then the Double Decker Tavern is the place for you, my friend.

Brandon is also home to a great little folk festival. While obviously not as expansive and crazy as our Folk Fest, Brandon Folk Festival is a tight, well run affair, located in a nice wooded area behind the Keystone Centre. Great camping, great tunes, and a quick walk to the closest beer store make it an entirely enjoyable way to spend a late-July weekend, and the cost is far from prohibitive. Many of our own fair city’s pickers and singers hail from the Wheat City area, including Ingrid Gatin, and pals of mine in Bog River.

I’m heading to the Wheat City myself tomorrow evening, for an engagement at the Double D. They’ve recently changed owners, but I’ve been told they’re running the ship much the same way as the old owners. This is good news. The Wheat City is a great place to get into it on the Hillbilly Highway, and I hope more of you fellow travellers will take note.

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