The Bonaduces- West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, MB: May 8, 2026

 

It's already a month ago, since I saw the Bonaduces and Mise en Scene perform at the West End. Seeing the Bonaduces gave me a touch of nostalgia, seeing them back in 1998 for the album launch for The Democracy Of Sleep, which was their third full-length (depending how you feel about cassettes) as it still remains as their last record. The first time I heard of the band was when I bought their first release, Matching Socks, Missing Teeth, which was released only on cassette. It had a homemade colour photocopy, multi-fold out j-card, complete with lyrics and photos. What really drew my attention was Clare Danes cute face adorning the cover.
Of course I was curious, with such a promising package and a great band name, this had to be good! The music was fast and scrappy, definitely not polished, but the songs had an urgency and a sense of humor to them and most importantly, it was catchy as hell!

 

 

The band's next albums (on CD), K Is For Katherine and The Democracy Of Sleep, are (arguably) some of the best local indie albums of the 90's. Vastly underrated, it's unfortunate they didn't make a follow-up to, The Democracy. They never really broke up, Chris and Bob (drums and bass) did double time with B'ehl and Paper Moon, while singer/songwriter guitarist, Doug McLean went on to form, the Paperbacks, another outstanding Winnipeg band. They continue to play the odd show every once in a while, so the May 8th show was an opportunity to hear some music from 30 years ago and even some new songs. I recorded the set and I was fortunate to grab a setlist after the show because I didn't recognize several songs, so I'm guessing they have new material. The sound quality was okay, not great, but it's up close and it's a good document of the show. If you have a chance to see them live in the near future, check them out while you can!

Enjoy!

 

  

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use

Please share! 

 

 

 

THE BONADUCES
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
May 8, 2026
Audience Master

Sony ECM-DS70P mic> Tascam DR-07> SD card > 16 bit Wav>
Direct Wave MP3 splitter> FLAC> rar

01. Intro
02. A Separate Lid Behind Closed Eyes
03. First Curse
04. Armadillo
05. Catherine O'Clock
06. Ghost Kept Walking
07. The Songs We Knew Best
08. Val Left Her Inhaler In The Car
09. Queen Of Corneal Abrasion
10. Sara's Black Pajamas
11. Beat On The Betamax
12. Spite House
13. Bee Sting Necklace
14. Understudy Of Abby Grey
15. Holly

encore
16. We Never Close
17. Eyes As Black As Blueberries

THE BONADUCES- 2026-05-08 West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar