Review – The Dears at the West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, June 6 2009

– review by Eugene Osudar/photos by Dallas Ludwick

no expectations
no informations
no my,spaces
no nothings

wait!

i lies
i have two songs
on my itunes
i have parts one and two
The Stars song
covered by The Dears
What I’m Trying To Say
from
Stars: Do You Trust Your Friends?

interesting
interpretations

Christian,
a visual artist
from Toronto/ish
area
Loves The Dears
swears by The dear Dears

“they’re Great live.”
his eyes on fire
his eyes are Stars
for The Dears

that convinced me
to give The Dears
a look/see

and then there’s
Lindsey
of Flying Fox and The Hunter Gatherers
another Fave Winnipeg band
who also swears by The Dears
i didn’t know he would be
at the show/

16 songs

Saviour
Money Babies
Demons
There Goes My Outfit
You and I Are a Gang of Losers
Lost In The Plot
Berlin Heart
Disclaimer
Crisis 1 & 2
Dreamz
Whites Only Party
Hate Then Love
Meltdown in A Major
Lights Off
We Can Have It
22: The Death of All the Romance

It’s pitch black
no stage lights
no house lights
Murray’s singing
i’m looking for him
i’m right up to the stage
is he in the wings?
behind the curtain?
i feel a tap on my shoulder
is he in the balcony?

no, he’s in the audience
another show with an artist
right in the heart
of the audience

there are only 125 at the WECC
the last time The Dears played
Winnipeg it was sold out

“where is everybody?”
lindsey says.

i don’t know
200 lost souls

Murray has my heart
and our hearts
100 hearts
tight to the stage
around him
accepting and loving
his gift

he has a spotlight
flashlight
on the mike
and he points it
at audience members

and he shines the light
on their hearts!
their hearts
he’s capturing and has captured
our hearts
beating
for him
The dear Dears

a simple
light
on the heart
of matters

and we’re taken
away,
in the show

celebrating

Yann/drums
Jason/guitars
Christopher/guitars
Rob/bass
Laura/keys
(i loved watching her dance
to Yann’s rhythms and beats)
Natalia/keys
and Murray/Voice/guitars/
and
thief of hearts

and he holds
the mike out
for the audience
to sing harmonies

i’m dancing to Money Babies
and so it begins
my dance
with The dear Dears
Demons has my body
spasmmmmming to the deep grooves

i’m lost,
Lost
In The Plot
of dance

these are not easy songs
these are sad songs
of longing, lost love
these are songs of deeply
personal revelation
this is The Gospel
now i know
what Christian meant about
the fervor
of the live show

the reverie
and revelry

There Goes My Outfit

i’m losing it
i’m alone in it

and yet here we are,
the all of it
the hearts of it
125 hearts
lost
to the thief of hearts
and The Dears

dear heart,

“You’re Not Alone!”

“Keep lovin’
Keep dancin!”

is what i found written
in my journal
after i went to change shirts
from the salty sweat soaked
dance
bright pink shirt,
after all these songs
of love lost

and i lost it

breaking down
in free/flowing tears

and talking to Claire
how she had to sit away from it
because these songs are too sad
too bare
too stark
too real
threadbare
naked
hearts,

and i’m dancing

i’m lost in the romance
the death of it

it makes no sense
until i have to read
and re/read
the words
of love
from dear,dear,friends
who see my sorrow
danced out
every night
every show
every set
every song
every beat

like there is no tomorrow

and there isn’t

there’s only Now

this is it
i’m in the Now
we’re in it
The Now
Now
N
o
w
.

Berlin Heart destroys me.

Whites Only Party
i’m moving
i’m not in control
of my body
of my heart

Murray jumps back into the audience
for Hate Then Love
he moves deeper
nearer the heart
of a woman
and they’re so close
so touchingly close
he’s singing to her
she’s lost

her heart/
is his

the thief of hearts

Christian
places his beer
down and disappears
then,
reappears with his arm
around Murray
and they’re rolling
rocking
swaying
Murray climbs back
on the stage

Lights Off
we’re dancing
we’re finger,snapping
we’re ending it

We Can Have It

22: The Death of All the Romance

i’m 45,

Christian and Claire
are in their 20s?

Don’t let Love escape.

it’s too bare.
too raw.

nourish your love.

N
o
w
.