Review and photos - C’mon at the Royal Albert, Winnipeg, May 13 2009

– by Eugene Osudar/photos by Tammy Kimmel

a hard rocking
balls,splattering
smack/gobbing
to the filthy walls
show at the royal
albert arms,
the urinals are disturbing
to the !senses!

here’s what i heard,
that because pride
tiger
had such a very horrible
very terrible, very messed/up
day
they wanted to play ahead
of C’mon

when at first
they were scheduled to play
last

so, they were supremely
bummed
they wanted to Get Off
the stage
as soon as Now,

as when,
that was My Cue
to take it
to them,

The Joy
of maximum
rock n roll

and there i was,
beside the stage,

they began playing,

“It’s Always Somebody Else”

Mr Somebody Else
that’s me!
dancing
dancing
like there were
No Tomorrow’s Parties

says kim (during the later C’mon
set), “i’ve never seen you dance so intensely.”

“really,” surprises me.

i didn’t think it was out of the extra
ordinary
apparently
i was mistaken

by the second song
pride tiger’s
lead singer
tattooed armed
drummer man,
matt wood
was looking over to me

grunting, “yeah!”

we were on!

and then it began
in
earnest
(and oscar wilde
has it square to dare,
I Will Dare
there is an importance in being
earnest)

maximum rock n roll
when this dancing dude
who
makes no sense at all
at 45
dancing
taking it to them
hold on now youngsters
(los campesinos)

and Pride Tiger
came back
twice as hard!
sunny, bob, aaron and matt
F that
and we went
to the place
where rock n roll
climbs
summits
take it to the mountain
top
and plant that banner

maximum rock n roll

some where next to
the third or fourth song
cuz you see
i was Maximum Dancing
taking no notes

here’s the set list,

it’s always somebody else

a new jones
forget everything
man of the land
what it is
own memo
56 days
no one’s listening
the lucky ones
sweet dreams

(cuz i asked matt after
the gig for the list
which there wasn’t
they just played
the songs
that we made right)

so somewhere,
third or fourth song
matt turns to me,
points drumsticks,
“this song is for the dancing dude!”

and that’s it,

the dancers are on

shayna and her friends
erica too
formerly of the essential
(sadly gone)
winnipeg all/punkette
band
The Quiffs
find their cd and celebrate
the rebirth of the winnipeg
music scene

and we go
all the young dudes
and we go
the young dudettes
go/go/go
gogol
bordello!

pride tiger
70s
southern US
maximum
rock n roll
and somewhere
near the end of pride
tiger’s blistering 45 minute set
matt leaves the drums
(the guys keep playing)
and he walks off stage

down the stairs
to me,
he says words
all i heard was a
thank you
cuz it was So Loud
and then he comes to me,

arms open
wide and we
hug

we’re sweat soaked
i’m 45
he’s 25?
sharing the maximum
rock n roll
moment
Now

and they’ve made it
through the very terrible
very horrible
very messed up day
for at least these 45 minutes
and few more hours,

cuz it’s time to tear down
the equipment
and get minimalist,
in a maximal
kinda way
C’mon
3 piece
ultra,supreme
noise,

Sir Ian Blurton
who first i saw at Verna’s
(so long gone)
when i was in my 20s,

“No way,
you saw Change Of Heart
at Vernas! that
was the first time we played winnipeg!
we’re getting back together again
for a show
at North By NorthWest,”
says ian.

katie lynn campbell on the boss stringed bass
She Is Sexy
there, i said it
I Am Sexist

dallas bentley
on the skins
and wearing
a winnipeg
jets t/shirt
that some audacious
cool dude
booed, and ian
nearly jumped off the stage
in a glaring rage

he beat some 20something
butt with his \scowl/

now,
i took the set list
after the sweat
dance intensive
therapy session
i don’t know their songs
if you know C’mon
c’mon, help me out,

psychotic
i want it all
desperate
get on top
burn all night
i don’t wanna
fever
waste
Unh (katie killing me,
cuz like emm gryner
says, Girls Are Murder)
stasis/stealing
feeding off the dirt
captain
enemy
city
come taste
army
too bad

and maybe some of these songs too:

waiting for a new way
rock and roll can break your legs
messenger
southern

so again,
we did it
we danced
and ian
after the second or third
song
he came over to me
and played his solo over me
grinning
as i danced
and
throughout the maximum
monster rocking
C’mon
set

he’d come over and we rocked

and then near the end
he walked his guitar
down the stairs
over to me
and he played his solo for me
and i danced with him

we danced

me and ian
and it’s like
two guitarists or
a bassist and a drummer
playing off
the other
in perfect harmony,

we’re dancing
and then
he goes down to his knees

to me

and then drops
his back
to the floor

(here,
is where
i say,
always

thank you
musicians)

thank you.

C’mon
is the Max.

and after,
ethan osland
says,
“eugene,
you’re getting all that tribute
paid to you,
you’re going to become
a winnipeg legend.”

says me,
“ethan i’m 45,
i may be done
in a year.”

so yes
i’m full of me
but
i need to be

i’m alone,again
and
i’m heart,broken.

but there’;s
this thing, that you need to know
(the young and the old)
every night
it’s you and the musicians
it’s you and the band
it’s a relationship,

a love affair
intensely so

any given night

any given where

you can see
the greatest rock n roll band
on the planet

it’s up to you
and the band

just make it happen

it’s magic,

thank you pride tiger
thank you c’mon

thank you,
musicians.

thank you.