Review and photos–Electric 7s at the Royal Albert Arms, Sept 8 2009

– review by Eugene Osudar/photos by Ailsa Dyson

The Electric 7s
are actually
The Magnificent 7s
gone electric
(for one night only?)
who are actually
only 6 members
and last night
were only 5,

(Ida likes the nifty,
knife
throwing
Magnificent 7
from the film.)

www.myspace.com/themagnificent7s

Chris is in Toronto,
he’s been traveling
and busking
ultra mega
this year, through
the USA, Tennessee
and Frisco
and places
in between.

i missed that sweet
something extra
layer of vocals
and another
stringed instrument
strumming away
layers and layers of
mostly, usually,
acoustic strings
(not last night),
right up until
Ida
Cherry
began singing,
smoldering,
burning
up the Royal
Albert Arms
stage
to Iggy Pop’s
I Wanna Be Your Dog.

 

and then
never
mind, we’re howling,

we’ve already been
dancing, that’s a given,

it is Matt, Ida, TJ, David
and Andy

 

and i’m there
and that means
dancing
ecstatically
and i don’t care
if no,body joins me
until the second song
or the third
but join they do
dance we must

“cuz if you don’t dance
you’re no friend of mine”

Today’s Empires, Tomorrows Ashes
a song about Hanging Round Downtown
TJ’s haunting Winnipeg song, This City
There is a Time
Matt’s wonderful new song, All Kinds of Mean
Whiskey Song
Buddy Holly’s Rave On
Donna
Darling Cory
Elvis Presley cover, Mystery Train
It Must Have Been the Pills that I Took
next was either a Fred Penner cover
(jokes Matt) or The Tennessee Waltz
I’m Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms
Rambling Man
and the very last song
of the night,

The Electric 7s
are yellllllllllping
as Ida’s howling
and we’re wild
dogs mesmerized
around
Ida’s
blazing
inferno.

she’s singing to her punk
sexy
band,mates
in the Ex-Girlfriends
and as the song
mercifully
ends

she falls to her knees
before me
and this old dancing
dog’s howling
like a frisky young
pup.

finally,
photographs
of one of my fave
local bands.
and yet again,
i write
I Love Their CD,
Dirty Road.

 

Paper Tiger
are Temy Phem
and Chris Regtop
from Holland.
sweet singing,
folkster punks.
who happened to meet
Vancouver’s
The Wind Whistles
over in Europe
and hit it off
brilliantly.

 

www.myspace.com/papertigerholland

Paper Tiger arranged house
concerts
and places to stay for
the traveling,touring,
friendly
Wind Whistles,
Tom and Liza

 

www.myspace.com/thewindwhistles

and now,
Temy and Chris
are touring
Canada
coast to coast
with Wind Whistles
for six weeks.

Both bands
return to Winnipeg
playing Ragpickers
on October 4th
a Sunday/early
autumn. also
with local band
Ultra Mega.

Jannelle,
a straight ahead
punk and hard,core,
rocker, says to me,
of Paper Tiger,
“we’re probably
never gonna see
these guys again
and they’re great!”

 

they’re returning!

and yes they are,
great
and fun and friendly
and generous…

the Paper Tiger set,

Windshield Wipers
Ms Selfish
Joilen
Sandy
In My Livingroom
This Year
Medi’s Asleep
Never Throw in a Pick Up Line
Stay Together
and a song about a dog.

Temy asks
if anyone’s been to Holland
and he has a conversation
with one of the 40
people who braved
the steady downpour
(on a Tuesday night)
to get to this wonderful
roots,rock
show
at the legendary
punk,rock
venue of Winnipeg.

after their set,
i make my confession
to Temy and Chris
i’ve been 4 times
and that
i’m in love with Amsterdam
i love The Jordaan
especially
after dark
strolling
canal lights
a beautiful Dutch woman
hand in hand
laughing easily
Vondelpark
in the daytime
hours and hours in the museums
the galleries
wandering the streets
no, not the Red Light District
yes, flirting with the women
everywhere
(i don’t think we got
to the women because
Wind Whistles were on
so fast)
we talked about my travels in Asia,

he asks
where.

he’s a curious
young man,
asking between
songs,

“does anyone have any
questions?
who is your favorite
Magnificent 7?”

(my answer is the one
who sings
in The Geek Street
Band, the Bruce Springsteen
cover band
Matt Magura)

India,
Nepal,
Thailand, Malaysia.
europe in my 20s.
asia in my 30s.
year after year.
with my best friend.
my traveling partner.

The Wind Whistles.
yummy songs.
tasty pop hooks.
delicious dancing/

 

Turtle
Judo
House For a Mouse
Jim and Ruth
making Your Own Stuff
Gold Fever
Somedays
The Sun
Art and Work
Ballad of a Jailbreak Wedding
Garbage
Spooks

6 wonderful
uplifting, pop
songs from
the engaging
new CD,
Animals Are People Too.

and i caught
a shy
Liza
smiling.
her eyes open.

 

as we bopped around the floor.
mostly, the beautiful,
punk
nymphs
in their gorgeous
thrift store
dresses
(Ragpickers?)
and me
the old, sweaty dog.

Before we walked
into the Albert,
Matt recounts finding
deposit envelopes
at an instant teller
earlier in the day,
with, well,
thousands and thousands
of dollars in cash
and cheques.
all safely
returned.
of course.

Temy, Chris,
Liza, Tom
and the drummer!
(apologies
for forgetting your
name!)
wonderful,
friendly,
curious,
youngsters,
and
talented
musicians.

oh, just like
those
Electric 7s.
6s.
5s.
4s
3s
2s
1s
we have
celebration.
on a dreary
rainy
Tuesday night
at the Royal Albert.
in Winnipeg.

The Electric 7s
Paper Tiger
The Wind Whistles