Two Hours Traffic at Music Trader, Winnipeg, Oct 6 2009

– by Eugene Osudar

Beautiful expectations,

Two Hours Traffic

every time i see
this band

this

is

what

i expect,

a beautifully
intense
set of live music
in which i will
again and again
dance
and more!
my music/celebrating
soul
to lift
out of body

out

of my

b
o
d
y

Liam Corcoran
is
the most intense
lead singer
i have Felt
since Alex Soria
of The Nils

and if you ever
watched
The Nils
if you ever
Felt
the intensity
and
saw
the fragility
of
Alex Soria

www.myspace.com/thenilsmtl

you know

to go
see
Liam Corcoran
and
to experience
Two Hours Traffic

these are such

beautiful expectations.

and Never unfulfilled.

i bound
with
happiness burn(ing)
into Music Trader
around 8 PM
on Tuesday night
ah, some dear
music-passionate
friends
browsing CDs

university
radio DJs
Jeff Robson
and
Stu Ried

you know
this is a
Not
to be missed
event
when Jeff and Stu
are in the house!

but

i don’t see
a drum kit

i see Liam and Alec O’Hanley
setting up

okay,

this is a stripped
down
2 man version
of
Two Hours Traffic

hmmmm,

surprise
beautiful
expectations…

www.myspace.com/twohourstraffic

Liam on acoustic
Alec on electric
and
a switch
aaahhhhh
rooooo
later…

stripped down
naked intensity

these are the 8
songs, played
in 26 minutes,
and,
go!

Happiness Burns
Just Listen
I Don’t Want To Get Over You
(a Magnetic Fields
cover
that strikes me
hard and deep)
I Did What I Could
Territory
Sure Can Start
Stolen Earrings
Close Up To Me

and yes
i’m dancing.
i don’t have
a choice.
they make
me
Dance,
Lift,
Elevate,

in the strangest places,

like a record store
in front of
(with employees)
13 people.

and all the passers
by
by-passing
so much
beautiful intensity,

these
gorgeous new songs,

Happiness Burns
Just Listen
Territory

without
the big sounds
of the rhythm
section,
Andrew MacDonald, bass
Derek Ellis, drums.

so
we’re
getting intimate.

“Any requests?”

Jeff says, “Drop Alcohol.”

i second that emotion
i Love that song!

and just like
Jeff
I Love the new cd
Territory

it’s
more beautiful
than their
Polaris Prize
nominated
Little Jabs
CD.

only, Liam
and Alec
haven’t practiced
Drop Alcohol as a
duo
and we’re laughing
along with Liam,
about those
brilliant
shot,down
requests!

no one’s asking
for songs after that!

if only my brain
worked at the moment,
Weightless One
Painted Halo
Monster Closet

and so
we get
Sure Can Start
and
Stolen Earrings

oh, well
such is this beautiful
life
that we don’t get
Drop Alcohol
and i get to dance
to two up,Lifting
pop gems
from Little Jabs
instead.

i loved it all.

oh,
i have something
More
to say,
to the character
of

Liam and Alec
and Derek and
Andrew,

these are
wonderful
young men,
too. their families
have raised four
Exceptional
young
men.

i met
Alec’s parents
a few years back
after the band had
a drunk driver “total”
their touring van
in Edmonton?
(luckily,
they weren’t in the van,
it was parked as
they were loading up
the van after a show)
his parents
rushed to Winnipeg,
one flew in,
the other drove in
from PEI (that is quite
a drive)
with another vehicle
for the band, for their son.
and
they
are
Wonderful!

we bonded because
we were clearly
the oldest
people in the club
The Academy
that night…and they
saw how much I Loved
seeing Two Hours Traffic
(my first time).

that was the night
i bought
Little Jabs
and danced to it
for weeks
after
and I still do…

now, the new CD
(Territory)
plays
over and over…

supporting a band
this awesome
and four
beautiful
young men
is easy to do…

they are
deserving.

they work
hard. they tour
relentlessly

all the way from PEI
across this vast country
to Victoria
and back again.

i wanted to see another club
show! but they played The Albert
the same night The Hold Steady
rocked WECC. 24 September.

so, instead
an in-store…

oh,
i would have been
ecstatic
hearing 6 new songs
and a couple
of Little Jabs.

sell
your new CD
Territory,

Be proud of it.

Beautiful

Expectations.

Always

Terrific.

Two Hours Traffic
Liam and Alec
Music Trader
October 6.
Winnipeg.