Dan Mangan at Into the Music and Lo Pub, Oct 28 2009

– by Eugene Osudar

the ooops
factor

i received
a lovely little
email
from Dan Mangan
today

he thanked me
for coming to BOTH
of his shows in Winnipeg
(his caps)

and i’ve just Now
cranked

Road Regrets,

and
oh my
deities

that voice
those words
these melodies
that textured
husky
loud in the mix

V
o
i
c
e

“is it too loud?”
he asks

someone says a little

no. it’s good.
really good
and raw
and brittle and hard
and edgy
and sharp
and jagged
and prickly

and
i’m bleeding
here
and
now

that’s my reaction
instantly
to his voice
so perfectly loud
in the mix

his voice
digs,un/der all the things
that make up
you
your layers
of skin
on skin on skin
and bones so thick
shattering you
like peanut brittle
and hardly
breaking your soul
fully hope,fully

you’ll understand
there’s a strand
of wondrous
nonsense
in this
non
sense

i’ll make this stand
get stood down
sideways round
break neck chills
these words
spin right up
my boogie shoes
shuffling with
my righteous
itunes

when i shuffled into the Lo Pub
after Zeus and Metric

and there it was

packed
and people
oh youngsters
sitting
reverent

listening
attentive
and celebratory

church
hymns
whimsical
Lovelies
these songs

just like
those hours earlier
at Into The Music

30 minutes

Road Regrets
Sold
You Silly Git
Tina’s Glorious Comeback
Indie Queens Are Waiting
Fair Verona

a soulfully hardy few
and by the time
they were
done
25
and many old friends

hugs
and smiles
and pictures
and promises
of love

“are we cool, now?”
oh indie queens
“are you watching me?
your days are numbered.”
tattered and busted down
spirited and alive,
oh you vibrant
local music stores
like Into The Music
praise be
Greg
and all the people who work
and buy and sell
vinyl
and CDs
and host indie
in-stores
and documentary films
about Music.

this is Music
indie style/
with a smile
and a cheer
and a roar
to break your
bones.

oh Fair Verona
your gorgeous
melody and Dan’s
staggering
heart
breaking
voice
these words,
“and if we go
where we go and don’t tell
anyone
where we’re from
we can cut and paste
the stars
into our hearts
and understand their language.”

Laura Smith, keys, trumpet, voice
Erin Aurich, fiddle, percussion
Michael Owen Liston, bass

there’s roaring
there’s silence
there’s wonder
there’s awe

there are stars
(and bubbles
at the Lo)
in the indie
music room

twinkling
like diamonds
like Bob Dylan
on a good night
a very good night

“i’m Mr. Charming
without the charming
i can hear the eyebrows
raise when i start singing
cuz the songs i sing
are all about myself
you can read me like
a book, i’m
not as clever as i look
i’ve got a sneaky kind
of selfish that i keep
up on the shelf
with jars of…”

“we’re not Elvis anymore
we’re not Frankie
in his wild years
we’re not
tina’s
glorious comeback
we’re not us
we’re not us
we’re not us
anymore.”

and the bubbles
were handed out
and we were
a glorious
choir
singing Robots!

bubbles flying and bursting
poPpiNg
everywhere
and we’re children
in Grade 4
singing
something simply
so beautiful
something like
Puff the Magic Dragon
dressed up
and disguised
Robots,

“your robot heart…
tried to be the robot
king…
ring the bells
that still can ring…”

we’re singing it
now
all together now
ready
are you ready?

N
o
w

“robots need love too
they want to be loved by you
they want to be loved by you
they want to be loved by you
robots need love too”

and Dan’s in the audience
off the mikes
and we’re singing
perfect
harmony

and we’re children again

do you understand
when you’re in it?

i work with kids
and i see it
and feel it

all the time.

sublime.

this is wonder.

this is your moment
now
student
Shakespeare
Chagall
Karsh
faceless dreamer
truest singer
fleeting
lover.

“are we cool, now?”

Dan Mangan.
Into The Music.
Lo Pub.
October 28.