Alcohol & Irony Pt 2
The second and third Weakerthans' shows were held at Richard's on Richards Cabaret, walking distance from the Firetrap. Richard's is one of the darkest venues I've ever been in. It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust, minutes spent wondering if I'd need 'night vision' goggles to find my way to the bar. All the staff appeared to be large islanders with Aussie or Kiwi accents. It was very strange for a "Cabaret".
On the Friday night, while I was walking south, hundreds of people were walking east - to the other sold out show that night, put on by some up and coming Irish band called U2.
The first guy to play spent about 65% of his time tuning and talking nervously while doing so - mostly talking about tuning.
The Constantines were excellent once again and I started to realise that my favourite band made quite a mistake when they picked them as a support. As good as the Weakerthans and their songs are, they're not amazing performers like the Constantines, who put on a rock show to rival any I've seen. They're all interesting to look at. The drummer is short, balding (although with long hair) and sports an AC/DC t-shirt. The keyboardist is the Wil Anderson lookalike who jumps up and claps whenever he doesn't have to play. The guitarist is the nerdiest rock guy I've seen in a while. He wears a t-shirt advertising an anarchist publisher (AK Press) and strays out into the crowd with his guitar every now and then. The bass player wore an acid wash, zip up denim vest that must have been made in about 1984 (and worn by a teenaged girl with crimped hair). He has a kind of limp fauxhawk and every now and then one can glimpse the purple g-string as it rises over the back of his jeans. The singer is the tall love child of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen (I know that's biologically impossible but bear with me). His presence is based on his distinctive voice and occassional kick out into the air.
This time around I made sure I was sober for JKS and the band. I took note of what songs they played (see the set list below if you're inclined) and tried to remember what they and the crowd looked like. I stood behind three jockish guys who regularly punched the air, told the band how much they rocked and talked loudly over the soft songs. I think they took a wrong turn south on their way to the U2 gig. I made a mental note to avoid such people the following night.
The Weakerthans were good once again. They played a couple of songs they hadn't at the all ages gig, which was a nice touch. The crowd loved Plea from a Cat Named Virtute (a song written from the point of view of a cat who is a little disappointed with how his owner is faring - "you sleep as much as I do now and you don't eat much of anything") and Left & Leaving (a tale about the band's home town, Winnepeg, and how people tend to leave it "the city's still breathing but barely it's true, through buildings gone missing like teeth"). I wouldn't have picked those songs as crowd favourites before seeing the band but it made sense when I was there. Once again the show finished with End of the Line, John K Samson doing the Tom Petty bits and the Constantines' guy channelling (even though he's still alive) Bob Dylan. Once again, never choose the Constantines as your support band.
The show finished early so I went back to the Firetrap via the punk club down the street from the hostel. The first band was terrible. They did a Ramones cover and it was like how the Ramones would sound if everyone in the band was Dee Dee Ramone (ie retarded). After spending 45 mins searching for an ATM that took Visa, I returned to watch the retarded guys dance to the sh*tty headlining band - who must be some kind of Vancouver punk rock institution (ie they were old and drew a crowd despite being sh*thouse). I left at 12:05am singing "happy birthday to me" under my breath feeling rather dejected. That's when I found 20 bucks on the floor. Score.
Some nice people from Seattle bought me a beer back at the Firetrap for my birthday (20 bucks and s free drink in the first 30 mins of my b'day!). I didn't just pipe up and tell them it was my birthday. One of them asked, "what's your sign? when were you born?" Usually not a good thing but in this case... After showing ID to prove I wasn't bullsh*tting - they poured me some kind of pale ale (pale ale in Canada is dark!). I then gesticulated madly, while making some important point, and spilt the lot off the table and onto my foot. I went to bed soon after.
Weakerthans set list
(Manifest)
Our Retired Explorer
Watermark
Last Call...
Aside
A New Name For Everything
Night Windows ((new song))
Relative Surplus Value ((new song))
The Reasons
Elergy for Elsabet
Left & Leaving
Plea from a Cat Named Virtute
Reconstruction Site
ENCORE
One Great City (JKS solo)
Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist (only song from first album, Fallow)
Reunion Tour ((new song))
End of the Line ((Travelling Wiburys cover - with Constantines))
On the Friday night, while I was walking south, hundreds of people were walking east - to the other sold out show that night, put on by some up and coming Irish band called U2.
The first guy to play spent about 65% of his time tuning and talking nervously while doing so - mostly talking about tuning.
The Constantines were excellent once again and I started to realise that my favourite band made quite a mistake when they picked them as a support. As good as the Weakerthans and their songs are, they're not amazing performers like the Constantines, who put on a rock show to rival any I've seen. They're all interesting to look at. The drummer is short, balding (although with long hair) and sports an AC/DC t-shirt. The keyboardist is the Wil Anderson lookalike who jumps up and claps whenever he doesn't have to play. The guitarist is the nerdiest rock guy I've seen in a while. He wears a t-shirt advertising an anarchist publisher (AK Press) and strays out into the crowd with his guitar every now and then. The bass player wore an acid wash, zip up denim vest that must have been made in about 1984 (and worn by a teenaged girl with crimped hair). He has a kind of limp fauxhawk and every now and then one can glimpse the purple g-string as it rises over the back of his jeans. The singer is the tall love child of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen (I know that's biologically impossible but bear with me). His presence is based on his distinctive voice and occassional kick out into the air.
This time around I made sure I was sober for JKS and the band. I took note of what songs they played (see the set list below if you're inclined) and tried to remember what they and the crowd looked like. I stood behind three jockish guys who regularly punched the air, told the band how much they rocked and talked loudly over the soft songs. I think they took a wrong turn south on their way to the U2 gig. I made a mental note to avoid such people the following night.
The Weakerthans were good once again. They played a couple of songs they hadn't at the all ages gig, which was a nice touch. The crowd loved Plea from a Cat Named Virtute (a song written from the point of view of a cat who is a little disappointed with how his owner is faring - "you sleep as much as I do now and you don't eat much of anything") and Left & Leaving (a tale about the band's home town, Winnepeg, and how people tend to leave it "the city's still breathing but barely it's true, through buildings gone missing like teeth"). I wouldn't have picked those songs as crowd favourites before seeing the band but it made sense when I was there. Once again the show finished with End of the Line, John K Samson doing the Tom Petty bits and the Constantines' guy channelling (even though he's still alive) Bob Dylan. Once again, never choose the Constantines as your support band.
The show finished early so I went back to the Firetrap via the punk club down the street from the hostel. The first band was terrible. They did a Ramones cover and it was like how the Ramones would sound if everyone in the band was Dee Dee Ramone (ie retarded). After spending 45 mins searching for an ATM that took Visa, I returned to watch the retarded guys dance to the sh*tty headlining band - who must be some kind of Vancouver punk rock institution (ie they were old and drew a crowd despite being sh*thouse). I left at 12:05am singing "happy birthday to me" under my breath feeling rather dejected. That's when I found 20 bucks on the floor. Score.
Some nice people from Seattle bought me a beer back at the Firetrap for my birthday (20 bucks and s free drink in the first 30 mins of my b'day!). I didn't just pipe up and tell them it was my birthday. One of them asked, "what's your sign? when were you born?" Usually not a good thing but in this case... After showing ID to prove I wasn't bullsh*tting - they poured me some kind of pale ale (pale ale in Canada is dark!). I then gesticulated madly, while making some important point, and spilt the lot off the table and onto my foot. I went to bed soon after.
Weakerthans set list
(Manifest)
Our Retired Explorer
Watermark
Last Call...
Aside
A New Name For Everything
Night Windows ((new song))
Relative Surplus Value ((new song))
The Reasons
Elergy for Elsabet
Left & Leaving
Plea from a Cat Named Virtute
Reconstruction Site
ENCORE
One Great City (JKS solo)
Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist (only song from first album, Fallow)
Reunion Tour ((new song))
End of the Line ((Travelling Wiburys cover - with Constantines))
posted by woden pete @ 12:44 PM
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