Review and photos–Romi Mayes at Times Change(d) Cafe, Winnipeg, July 31 2009

– review by Eugene Osudar/photos by Ailsa Dyson

Corndog huffing

and puffing after another
5 minute
100 meter sprint
how does that work?
(stop making sense,
eugene)
from the starter’s gun
Ryan’s finger,popping the bass
strings dashing razor straight on
to the finish line
Corndog smashing cymbals
every song is a 100 meter
world record
Bolt of lightning
from Cookie’s keys
to Sam’s sliding guitar

Romi Mayes and the Weber Brothers
and their farewell show
at the Times Changed
High and Lonesome
two shows

for six months
home
for the Weber Brothers
has been cold blustery
unpredictable
Winnipeg

deep in the heart
of winter
Sam said hello to me
at the Times Changed
double,taking
i discover the why
the Webers were about to embark
on a six month tour
spieling adventure
playing Romi’s songs
and then doing a set of their
own rollicking rock n roll romps
through Canada,
the USA and Europe
and Winnipeg was
home
base

Romi’s house
and another friend
housing,

Ryan Weber, upright bass, vocals
Sam Weber, guitar, vocals
Shai Cookie Peer, piano, organ
Emmet Corndog VanEtten, drums

home is where the heart is

is a Weber Brothers song
another hot one live
another one for
the guys to pour
their passions out on
organ, guitar, drums, upright bass
it’s a family
in spirit
two brothers by blood
two more born, nurtured and
raised in the practice space

Ryan and Cookie
are so connected
you’d think they were
brothers
throw in
Corndog’s impeccably
perfected beats
and Sam’s just right
guitar lines

and there is a band
of brothers
the Weber Brothers
band

sometimes
they play behind
Ronnie Hawkins
and for six months
Corndog’s played
right behind
Romi’s pretty
derriere
(she tells you so)
sweaty, drenched
Corndog slips
so deep inside
the pocket
and groove
of
Ryan, Cookie and Sam’s
musical poetics

 

have you ever just watched Ryan’s fingers
tickling the bass strings
or flying over the neck
his hands
slapping rhythms
on the curves
of his so,sweet,sexy,lady
or just watch when he
slap,plucks
the strings
no one does it better
Ryan stands alone

have you ever watched Cookie
clawing at the keys
tiger
lion
feline kitty
he’s ferocious
and playful
he’s dancing with his keys
pushing it
(towards me
i won’t let it fall)

have you ever watched Corndog
playing it
on the drums
and then letting it all go
and full,on,raging
to the end of a song
do you see how much
he’s given?
how he’s nearly done
toweling off
and i’m applauding
him
and he sees me
and nods and smiles
“thank you”
no, buddy,
Thank You
cuz the very next song he’s back again,

like they all are
giving,

Every,thing

Cookie said to me
after the late show Romi set
he was So Tired
but man, he was going to give it
even more
during the Webers set
cuz that’s what these guys are about
no excuses
they just play
it way harder than anyone
on this planet.

 

have you ever watched Sam play guitar
he plays it pure
for Ryan and Cookie
to perform
the lines are beautiful
the rhythm is poetic
every note
every slide
every fingering
joy ride
its as if the syllables
of the language
of his guitar
is translated from his soul
to his fingers
in every dialect
known to the human ear
to our musical souls

Derek Trucks heard Sam’s
perfect poetry
and invited him
to join his band
for their encore

Derek Trucks
one of the all time
electric guitar players

but all you need to really do
is go and see them
watch them
believe what you’re hearing
and seeing
don;t doubt it

Romi tells us
over and over
this is the world’s best
backing band
and yes
they are

and when
they’re in the forefront
as in the last
set of Friday night

oh my, the dance floor
explodes
the groove is on

home is where
the heart is

early shows at the Times
are usually sparsely attended
20, 30 tops
a guaranteed “in”
not last night
7 PM
and the Club is filled
not packed, like later
on, but filled with 85
lucky souls to be alive
in this moment
now,

the sets were recorded

Finally,

a recording
for CD release to the general
music loving public
of a live document
to what Romi’s new CD
sounds like with the world’s
Best Backing Band
The Weber Brothers

i’ll be buying it
and listening to it
so many days and nights of my
music loving years
to be

in this moment now

i was there
howling and cheering
and applauding the beauty
stunning musicianship
the band
and those gorgeous songs
by a woman
with a beautiful voice
stories told poetically
a woman on the edge
point of view
with an Edge

Romi’s songs
church hymns
lover’s laments
heartbreak poems

How I Roll
Somethin Goin On
Long Way Home
Tire Marks
Givin Is Gone
Arkansas
Achin In Yer Bones
The Other dame
I Won’t Cry
Can’t Get You Off
Lord Don’t Love Me
Bible
Styx and BTO
Hard Road

a few more songs
for the late show set
and the seriously
jam,packed
Times Changed

can you get any more
people in there?

well, maybe
for some of those
Neilfest shows

(the Neil Young 3 day
celebrations
in November,
Neil’s music and his birthday,
where local bands learn
and perform
entire Neil Young
albums)

every Romi song
is a treasure
because every
performance
is perfection
when you see,

Romi Mayes
and
The Weber Brothers

home is where
the heart is

Romi’s at home in Winnipeg
the love is obvious
she doesn’t need to impress
and now
home
draws the Webers away
to their own music
a new CD
their own supporting tour
and some shows with The Hawk

 

Romi says,

“the problem with having
the best back,up,band
in the world is
what am i going to do
tomorrow?”

we laugh,

“i’m serious,” says she.

“you have me,” says Romi’s
daughter.

“you’re the reason why i breathe,”
says the mother, “i’m talking
musically.”

Romi Mayes
musician
needs to breathe
some new songs
give it some time
rest and relaxation
and the poems will
come
just like you breathe
the love of your daughter
in and out
naturally

Oh, we’ll have this live CD
somewhere down the line to
warm us up in the cold winter!

The Webers blazed
through a 65 minute set
they played Fire
they played Brimstone
they played the Devil’s music
they played in the Church
they even played
Home Is Where The Heart Is
and
You Don’t Know Me
and we danced
on that nearly impossibly
small, soaked in beer puddles
dance floor
the smiling beauties curving
their swerving gorgeous hips
to the sexy grooves
it’s hands on
and hands off
we’re sweating
it’s so darn hot
and for John Scoles
a special dedication
there’s
Born To Run
by The Boss
and for us
for Romi
for the local musicians
the community of music
lovers and their friends

the Webers
ended it all
With a Little Help
From My Friends

they’ll play Dylan
they’ll play Stevie Wonder
they’ll play The Boss
they’ll play The Band
they’ll play The Beatles
because they’re not ashamed
to display their hearts

and say
thank you
to genius

Thank you,
Romi,
Thank you
Weber Brothers
band.

Home Is Where
The Heart Is

Times Changed
July 31
Friday