Review and photos – Plants and Animals at the Park Theatre, March 24 2009

– text by eugene osudar/photos by Mike Latschislaw

yum/yum/bums
of
winnipeg

park theater
tuesday night

car sliding
rink skating
streets and avenues
of winnipeg

ice pellets
striking
wind gusting
faces stinging

sold out show
325 bums
yum/yum/bums
of winnipeg

local boys
crosstown rivals
cody, anthony, louis and jon
meet
montreal’s
plants and animals
warren, matthew and nic

the p’s and a’s
barely slid their way
across ice dangerous
highway
from saskatoon
sound checking
for the assembled
lobbyist yum/yum
bums of winnipeg
at 7:40 PM,
like the coffieman says,
“showtime” 8 PM.
a just a little late.

crosstown rivals
burn the new wave
dance groove
i suggest no breaks be/
tweeeeen
songs. one
long
new wave
dance
groove
medley
so
“Hold Tight”
!
here are the other songs:
billy mitchell/don’t look up
waste of time/move on/chests
and hands and (yum/yum/bums
of winnipeg) friends/
dead controller
exiting with “exits”

jon keep the sticks
beating
cody go/go/go
louis and anthony
jump/sweat
don’t say a word
just burn the dance
house down
and i promise
i’ll be upfront
instead of

sweat soaking my
holy f#ck
kool kitty
t-shirt
from the first beats of Hold Tight!
to the last bang
of Exits
dancing at the back
\sly,ding! across the smoooooth
(bums of winnipeg)
new wooden floor

an intense set.
thank you.

for plants and animals
i moved to the front
to lead the dance chaos

warren was worried
it was going to be
a movie house audience
all seated with a gap
on the floor
before
the stage.

(i like to fill that gap
in
and dancing
by myself
billy idol)

the park was an old style
movie house in a previous
business life
now it’s a venue for
music and comedy
theater and dance
pretty, much, anything
with a cafe in the front
dvds for rent too.

i took the set list
ink scribbled on a
park theater napkin
in front of nic
“lola
good friend
sparks/feedback
(in the field)
a l’oree (des bois)
nkol/mercy/mama/
faerie (dance)
bye (bye bye)”
and “guru”
was part of the unwritten
encore songs

setting the tone
right from lola
moving and oops
stepping on a toe
“i’m sorry,” says me
says she, “that’s okay, you’re grooving.”
her hand on my shoulder
softly, this is for the propagandhi/ist
crowd (read, “i’m getting too old for this”)
oh the yumyumbums
of winnipeg
so many dancing
in front of the stage

3 of first 4 songs
hard grooving for
the yumyum/bums
of winnipeg
to find their courage
watching me break/down
the beat and
to join the otis redding “shake”
with their yums/yums
joining the mayhemmmmm

another tshirt to go/go/go
gogol bordello

oh bums.
of winnipeg.\
ice storm
sticking to my windshield\
at least my face was
protected.
on the drive home.

oh winnipeg
will this winter
ever end?

thank you
plants and animals
safe journey
ahead
on the icy highways

perhaps i’ll see you at the juno
(you’re playing the railway club
on saturday)
celebrations in vancouver.

Montreal’s beast
then
you say party we say
die! saturday at the biltmore
and ellllliottttt brooooooooooood
friday night
in vancouver!

if i was in winnipeg,
the set i wouldn’t miss
saturday night at the pyramid
a wedding social
with The (sizzzzzzzzzzzzling) Weber Brothers
now talk about
the yumyumbums of winnipeg
shaking it
that will Be Hot. Sweaty.

and patrick alexandre and the f-holes
cd release at the times changed
highly lonesome bar
friday and saturday night
4 shows,
early and late shows
magnificent 7s joining
them, opening the
late show saturday.

and if i wasn’t dancing
in vancouver
i’d be dancing
in winnipeg
here and there to:

friday night at cavern,
sask’s brilliant
sheepdogs
with local heroes
The Nods opening.

thursday april 2nd,
the academy: nathan and
patrick keenan

friday april 3rd
the albert, radio ethiopia
tribute to patti smith!!!!
damn!

saturday april 4th
junior boys at the pyramid

sunday april 5th,
crescent fort rouge church
hosts one of the great songwriters
guy clark
with slaid cleaves (damn)!

and please
winter
end
while i’m away,
and thank you.

and thank you
yumyumbums
of winnipeg
!