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!

 

  

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

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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

 

Mise En Scene- West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, MB: May 8, 2026

 

 

 

It's not often you go to a show to see the headliner and realize the opening bands might be worth the price of admission alone. I went to see the Bonaduces at the WECC two weeks ago, a local band I enjoy a lot, but I went more out of nostalgia (the only time I saw them live was in 1998), so I bought a ticket at the door. I usually try to avoid the openers, but for $30 I thought I should try to get my moneys worth. 

 

The first band was Greg Rekus And The Inside Job, who were intriguing to say the least. Greg played an electrified acoustic guitar and jumped and thrashed upon a small wooden platform (Stompin' Tom-style) in such a frenzy, he was quite entertaining. His delivery and singing style reminded me a bit of Jeffrey Lewis, except the secondary focus was the guy center stage wailing away on the saxophone. Actually, they had an unique enough sound and stage presence, they held my attention through most of the set. Watch out for this guy!

 

 I remember hearing the hype surrounding Mise En Scene several years ago and I meant to see the group perform, but I kind of forgot about it. Alas, the band has a new album, Drive-Thru Confessional, that was released a couple months ago and then they were a late addition to the Bonaduces show line-up. Fortunately, I recorded their set which proved to be well worth it and I was impressed with, not only the strength of their songs, but also with their performance. They are hard not to like, front-woman, singer/guitarist, Stefanie Blondal Johnson is a joy to watch and the confidence and energy she has on stage is infectious. Since the show, I've listened to the new record multiple times and I must say it's a really great album and I regret not buying it at the show (though $40 is a bit much for vinyl). You must hear it! (and watch their music videos). They're a band that will go on to greater successes and I'm telling you now, they'll be winning a Juno for Drive-Thru next year. (note: I still despise the Junos, but it would be a tremendous achievement regardless, right?)

 

As I said earlier, I recorded Mise En Scene's set, but I had a "mishap", so the first song and half the second song is missing. Every tapers nightmare happened while I was checking the levels and I dropped the recorder on the ground. No damage to the machine, but the mic jack pulled out so the recording stopped and it wasn't saved properly, so everything I had recorded up to that point was lost. Oh well, it could have been worse and happened later in the set. What I did capture sounds good, though I wasn't too impressed with the sound at the West End despite being in an optimal position, so the vocals are difficult to make out at times.

Enjoy! 

 

  

Recent media:

Winnipeg Free Press- February 27, 2026 

The Manitoban- March 25, 2026 

CKUW Stylus Magazine- Album Review- April 29, 2026 

  

 

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MISE EN SCENE
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
May 8, 2026
Audience Master

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01. Angel (...in progress) *
02. Dollar Dreams
03. Leftovers
04. Unsolicited Advice
05. Creature Of Comfort
06. Days Of Our Lives
07. Love And War   
08. Beige Corolla
09. Nicer
10. Super Bowl Sunday

*missed first song and first half of track 1 (second song)
-Opened for The Bonaduces

MISE EN SCENE- 2026-05-08 West End Cultural Centre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar 

Grapes Of Wrath- Acoustic Duo, Live In Winnipeg: March 26, 2026

 

Sometimes the lure of nostalgia is a powerful incentive of expectations of what once was and the hope that you won't be disappointed. The Grapes of Wrath was a Canadian band that had a respectable run of some really fine albums in the late 80's and early 90's. Led by singer/guitarist, Kevin Kane and the Hooper brothers, Tom (bass) and Chris (drums), the band produced a satisfying jangly, folk-rock sound that was commercial enough to get some radio play (CBC...), yet not too popular to be annoying and they were one of the few Canadian bands I liked at the time. I saw them once in 1989, but for some reason missed them the other times they toured through town. 

 

 

On this recent Grapes of Wrath tour, the principle singer/songwriters Tom Hooper and Kane traveled light, bringing only acoustic guitars (along with a harmonica for Hooper) for stripped down versions of their best known songs. It was a pretty mellow show, with lots of interesting storytelling, even if it wasn't about the song at hand and the duo's harmonies were still bang on. Here are some notes:

•  The show at the Park Theatre was sold out. It was a seated event, rush seating which I always dislike because you have to arrive early when the doors open to get a decent seat. I don't like being too close to the front, so I chose to sit maybe 3 or 4 rows from the back in front of the soundboard and dead centre, so the stereo sound is balanced.
• The setlist touched on all their studio albums and performed two new songs. I Live For You (Hooper) and Blanket In The Sun (Kane). They played a request, which meant they bumped a "well-known popular song". I'm guessing it must have been, O Lucky Man, one of their best songs. The first encore song, You And Your Sister, is a Chris Bell (Big Star) cover. During the song I was thinking about how much they remind me of the Posies, or at least when Ken and Jon perform duo acoustic sets (the Posies play a lot of Big Star covers and played in the "reunited" version of Big Star). Both groups key strengths are their harmonies, though the Posies can rock a lot harder.
• The recording sounds really great! The sound at the Park Theatre is always good, at least when I've been there and the vocals and guitars are crystal clear. I wish I set the levels a bit higher, as it's quiet at times so you have to turn the volume up, but be forewarned the applause is loud! The good thing about seated, acoustic concerts is that people don't talk during the songs, but people still shout out stupid stuff between. 
• Overall, I wasn't disappointed. Acoustic shows are okay, though I prefer the full band performances, but as a performer it must be nice to connect with your audience and not have your ears blasted night after night. With a majority of the crowd around my age or older and lots of white hair around, at least I didn't feel like I was the oldest in the room. Yikes!

Enjoy! 

 

  

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Grapes Of Wrath
Park Theatre
Winnipeg, MB
March 26, 2026

Audience Master
Acoustic Duo

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SET 1
01. Intro.
02. Do You Want To Tell Me
03. You May Be Right
04. Misunderstanding
05. I Live For You
06. A Dream
07. Mexico
08. Blind
09. I Can't Find My Home
10. Backward Town
11. What Was Going Through My Head

SET 2
12. Good To See You
13. Isn't There
14. Stay
15. Blanket In The Sun
16. Like A Fool
17. Peace Of Mind
18. I Am Here
19. All The Things I Wasn't
ENCORE
20. You And Your Sister
21. A Very Special Day

Kevin Kane- vocals, guitar
Tom Hooper- vocals, guitar, harmonica

 

GRAPES OF WRATH- 2026-03-26, Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar

 

Grapes Of Wrath- Walker Theatre, Winnipeg, MB. October 25, 1991

 

 

It's already March and I finally attended my first concert of the year, this past Saturday at the Park Theatre, The Fuse, a local treasure, that are celebrating their 50th anniversary. For the past decade or so, The Fuse have played an annual fundraiser (once a year) usually in March and I make an effort to attend. I've also bought a ticket and a flight for a concert in Vancouver, in April (more details on that in a later post), which I am very excited about and I return to the Park Theatre this week, March 26 for the Grapes of Wrath Acoustic Duo show. With this spattering of shows this early in the year, my hope is that 2026 will be my return to watching more live music. I've had a bit of a dry spell the past few years and I really do enjoy watching concerts and the next two I definitely need to record!

 

To get you warmed up for the Grapes of Wrath event this week, I dug up a live recording (not mine) from 1991, when the band was arguably in their height touring These Days, before Kevin Kane left the band in 1992. They've reformed and released more records since, but their heyday was definitely in the late 80's/early 90's, with classic albums, Treehouse and Now And Again. This recording is almost 35 years old and the historic Walker Theatre, has since been renamed the Burton Cummings Theatre. I don't usually buy "bootleg" live recordings, but I found it in the used CD bin of a local record store several years ago and I was intrigued, because I've never seen or heard this before (why didn't I go?). I saw the band during the Now And Again tour in 1989, when the opener was a somewhat unknown, Sarah McLachlan. The sound quality here is excellent, as it's a radio broadcast (probably CBC) and the show is a good length, my version is 2 CD's. I don't know exactly what to expect with this recent acoustic tour that lands here on Thursday, but I will try to get a good recording, stay tuned!

Enjoy! 

 

 

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GRAPES OF WRATH
Walker Theatre
Winnipeg, MB
October 25, 1991
FM Broadcast> CD> FreeRip> Wave> FLAC

Disc 1
01. Away
02. Stay
03. The Most
04. You May Be Right
05. Thru To You
06. I Can Tell
07. I Can't Find My Way Home
08. Backward Town
09. The Time Is Near
10. All The Things I Wasn't

Disc 2
01. Travelin'
02. Days
03. I Am Here
04. Peace Of Mind
05. A Fishing Tale
06. What Was Going Through My Head
07. Miracle
08. Oh Lucky Man
09. See Emily Play

GRAPES OF WRATH- 1991-10-25 Walker Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

 

Sloan- Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg MB, November 25, 2025

 

It's sad to say, but this has to be one of my worst years for attending concerts. My apathy and lack of interest in the bands coming to town is probably a weak excuse for a generally enjoyable experience. My wife suffers from tinnitus, so to her it's all a roar and I still feel the need to record all the concerts I attend and sometimes I still get worked up and anxious about it, more than I should be. Recording live shows in the 21st century is easier than ever before (no tapes to flip, longer battery life) and with almost every frickin' person in the crowd waving their phones in the air (and filming videos), the chances of getting "caught" is at the minimum, though I try to avoid venues that use metal detectors. The guy immediately in front of me at the Sloan show, spent most of his time filming videos with his phone and even posted clips during the intermission. I'll post a link below so you can see pretty much where I was sitting. 

 

 

Though I don't go to many shows anymore, there are certain bands that will get me out of the house. I like Sloan (I saw them once) and they always put on a solid live show. In reality, it's only Chris Murphy (vocals/bass/drums) that engages with the crowd, but they always feel sincere and appreciative of their fans. Their set was split in two with a brief intermission between, which meant no opening band, which is always a bonus. There aren't a lot of bands that have been around as long as them that play a lot of new stuff live. They performed several tracks from the newest album, Based On The Best Seller (they sound as good as ever!) and they sprinkled in songs, in both sets, from throughout their long and modestly successful career. They saved the best for the finale (last 5 songs, including encore) that had everyone on their feet. Definitely the highlight! The recording turned out good, as the Burt has decent (not great) sound and I was ideally situated in the third row, centre in the first balcony with a clear sound path to the stage and speakers. If you want the best view of the stage at the Burt, I highly recommend the first few rows in the balcony, especially if you're not tall. Another tip, never sit in the 2nd balcony! Worst sound ever and the views are claustrophobic and scary! A fun night and I MUST go to more concerts in the future!

Enjoy!

 

 

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Here's a couple video links from the guy sitting in front of me:

Sloan- The Lines You Amend 

Sloan- Underwhelmed

Sloan took/posted this selfie with their endearing fans! Note: If you look closely I'm visible in the first balcony, third row, left of the aisle. I have fuzzy hair.

  

SLOAN
Burton Cummings Theatre
Winnipeg, MB
November 25, 2025
Audience Master

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SET 1
01. Capitol Cooler
02. Live Forever
03. Scratch the Surface
04. Right to Roam
05. The Other Man
06. Ill Placed Trust
07. Baxter
08. Traces
09. Dream It All Over Again
10. All I Am Is All You're Not
11. So Far Down
12. The Lines You Amend
13. Take It In
14. Unkind

SET 2
15. Dream Destroyer
16. Congratulations
17. Fortune Teller
18. No Damn Fears
19. I Can't Sleep
20. The Dogs
21. All Used Up
22. Witch's Wand
23. The Rest of My Life
24. Money City Maniacs

ENCORE
25. Snowsuit Sound
26. Underwhelmed
27. The Good in Everyone

 

SLOAN- 2025-11-25 Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

 

Cheekface- Live at The Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB, January 23, 2025

 

So, I went to my first concert of 2025! In recent years, I've reduced the amount of live shows I've attended, not necessarily by choice, more that there hasn't been a lot of acts I'm excited to see. At the risk of sounding like an old fart, most of the artists I've seen have been around my age or older, which means I seem to be the median age or target audience of these dinosaur performers. So it's refreshing to see a band that was formed within the last decade with more energy on stage than I've seen in a very long time! 

On a cold, winter night in January I saw, America's Local Band, Cheekface, a band from L.A. who braved the chilly weather to take part in the Winterruption 2025 mini-music fest in Winnipeg. I listen to a lot music, but not much new music, so when I discovered Cheekface, they instantly became a new favourite. I first heard the band at the beginning of the pandemic when I was at home 24/7 making art and streaming music all the time and the talk-sing vocals, dry humour and super catchy songs hit the spot, made me laugh and now follow the band.

 

As I said earlier, it was a change of pace to see a younger band which in effect attracts a younger audience. I was definitely in the upper age range in the crowd, but this band seemed to attract a wide range of fans, maybe an equal male/female ratio. A lot of the fans knew the songs enough to either sing along or chant at appropriate times and the connection between the performers and audience was quite strong. In some ways, Cheekface reminded me a bit of the Descendents. Apart from the obvious coffee reference (see photos for "coffee cup" stage backdrop), their music is infectious and easily relatable delivered in a similar nerdy pop-punk style. The song "Noodles", a short, one line song, repeated over and over (12x?) was performed four times (three in a row and once during the "encore), each time with the introduction, "the next song is an original Cheekface composition" was haha funny the first couple of times, but will get tiresome if you see the band more than once. Front-guy, Greg Katz's sing/speak vocal style is often compared to Lou Reed, Jonathan Richman and Stephen Malkmus, but after seeing him live, I would add one of the John's from They Might Be Giants too. Katz was upfront and in the centre, but it was hard not to keep an eye on bass player, Amanda (Mandy) Tannen, whose energy is a much needed stage presence. 

 

 

It's been awhile since I've recorded a show and this one turned great. The floor was crowded with standing fans, but it wasn't too crammed so the sound was clear and bright. I must say the Park Theatre is one of the better venues in Winnipeg to see a live band, not only are the sight lines really good (the floor is slanted and elevated towards the back), but the sound system and whoever works the sounds did an excellent job. For the recording, it was relatively hassle-free, not bullshit searches, metal detectors or over-enthusiastic security personnel. As with most modern concerts, phones are always actively recording videos, snapping photos (yeah, me too) or turning on the flashlight to stupidly wave around. It's part of the concert experience I suppose and I'll hold back my rant about not allowing audio sound recorders. Anyways, fun show and you can experience it too, at least audibly with the download link below.

Enjoy!

 

Additional link:

Exclaim- Cheekface Winnipeg concert review 

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CHEEKFACE
The Park Theatre
Winnipeg, MB
January 23, 2025
Audience Master

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01. Next To Me (Yo Guy Version)
02. Popular 2
03. When Life Hands You Problems
04. Plastic
05. Hard Mode
06. Life In A Bag
07. Featured Singer/Cha Cha Slide
08. Best Life
09. Pledge Drive
10. Growth Sux
11. I Only Say I'm Sorry When I'm Wrong Now
12. Flies
13. You Always Want To Bomb The Middle East
14. Dry Heat/Nice Town
15. Noodles
      Noodles
      Noodles
16. The Fringe
17. "Listen To Your Heart". "No"
18. Noodles
19. We Need A Bigger Dumpster
20. Eternity Leave

 

CHEEKFACE- 2025-01-23 Park Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar

 

Nick Lowe- Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB. June 15, 2024

Better late than never!

Nick Lowe is a performer I had on my "must-see live" before I die list for a long while and had almost gave up hope thinking my only opportunity to see him might include a long car ride or flight to another city. Imagine my surprise when it was announced he would partake on a short tour of Canada with fellow song-smith, Ron Sexsmith. It's funny because I over-heard a guy seated a row behind me telling someone he drove in for the concert from Minneapolis and he had see Lowe many time previously, ha imagine that, Winnipeg has something worth visiting for! 

 

Anyways, both sets were solo acoustic, which meant it wasn't going to be a rowdy earplugs show or standing throughout. Ron Sexsmith played a solid set with songs from his long (though not nearly as long as Nick!) and respectable career and it's interesting how many songs he's had covered by other artists, Emmylou Harris, Feist, and Nick Lowe to just name a few he played. I've seen Sexsmith before and though he isn't the most exciting performer, he is sincere and he writes some pretty nice songs. Nick was his usual charming self, an interesting and funny storyteller and a pure joy to listen to. I have joined the ranks of the "easy listening" crowd with their polite applause, cushy seats and opportunity for a night out, I felt right at home with an audience where I'm not the oldest in the room. Lowe's set was fairly quiet (you can hear a pin drop during songs), but things started to get more upbeat when Nick brought Ron onto the stage to join him for the latter section of the show for the last five songs. The highlights for me, were the older "hits", Cruel To Be Kind, I Knew The Bride and the show closer, What's So Funny 'Bout (Peace, Love and Understanding) with Ron playing some surprisingly tasty leads on guitar. A thoroughly low-key concert, I'm glad I bought a ticket for. Since I'm been trying to live on a low budget (except my stupidly expensive Jets tickets!), I'm more selective on concerts I can afford or want to pay for. I feel kind bad I missed the Violent Femmes last month, but my rationale for buying Nick Lowe over VFs is because I haven't seen him (I saw the VFs once) and tickets were reasonably priced. Interesting to note, I actually bought a first row in the middle (balcony) seat the day after tickets went on sale. There were lots of empty seats in the first balcony, only the first three rows were filled and some scattered in the lower-priced upper section. Clearly, this wasn't a top draw as there was a 25% off sale in the weeks leading up to the show.

 

The opportunity to tape (record) the show was too good to pass up. Getting through security was a breeze, as there was no airport style-metal detectors, bag checks, wanding or pat-downs, as it was anticipated to be tame crowd. My seats were perfect, unobstructed view and no one in front of me to block the sound. Extra bonus was that the couple to the left of me didn't return after the intermission, so I was able to get some extra armrest action and no worries about them talking. Talking was to the minimum, so it was ideal. I always worry that security would get excited with audio recorders, but seriously, so many people pull out their phones constantly taking photos and recording videos. In fact three seats over from me someone recorded almost the whole show on their phone. There was a ledge in front of us, but they still had to lean it and hold it sturdy for over an hour. That's more work than I'd be committed to. Good for them, hope the video turned out good. The sound quality is pretty decent, my only regret was I should have set the volume levels higher, as it was a quiet show, so of course the audience applause is so much louder than the music. I considered boosting the volume with Audacity, but I didn't want the crowd to clip too loudly or use compression which might have altered the sound. The first song is too quiet, but I increased the levels for the rest of the recording and sounds nice. I didn't record Ron's opening set because of a post from one of his earlier shows that got removed by the request of someone from his camp (if you want to hear that show, PM me), so I don't need the potential hassle. Anyways, enough technical jargon...listen to the concert!

Enjoy!

 

 

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NICK LOWE
Burton Cummings Theatre
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
June 15, 2024
AUD Master

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01. Stoplight Roses
02. 12 Step Program
03. Long Limbed Girl
04. Lately I've Let Things Slide
05. I Live On A Battlefield
06. Rome Wasn't Built In A Day
07. Lay It On Me Baby
08. Heartbreaker (Bee Gees cover)
09. Somebody Cares For Me
10. Love Starvation
11. The Beast In Me
12. Trombone
13. Indian Queens
14. Without Love
15. Where's My Everything? *
16. Cruel To Be Kind *
17. I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock 'n' Roll) *

Encore
18. My Baby's Gone (Louvin Brothers cover) *
19. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding *

* With Ron Sexsmith

 

NICK LOWE- 2024-06-15 Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar

 

Trans-Canada Highwaymen- Club Regent Event Centre, Winnipeg, MB, March 22, 2024

 

 

I still have it, my actual copy!

One of the first record albums I bought (with my own money) was in elementary school and for whatever reason they were selling K-Tel records. I can't remember if there were other choices, but I bought, Sounds Spectacular, a compilation with "20 original hits" and "20 original stars", including hits such as Kung-Fu Fighting, You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, Crocodile Rock and I Got The Music In Me, along with 16 other songs jam packed on one LP. The sound quality of all K-Tel records had the quality of a super low-bit mp3 and a visual inspection of the grooves on the vinyl has you wondering, how the hell can they squeeze so many tracks on here? Anyways, for many kids my age at the time, it was the gateway to hearing a variety of different artists all at once. Yes, the sound sucked, but what did I know at the time. 

 

When I first heard the album by the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, Explosive Hits Volume 1, I had an instant flashback to that K-Tel album. I guess that was the point, to a certain demographic (and Canadians), the band included, we shared that feeling of familiarity. Explosive Hits Vol.1 is basically a covers record, except for the origin story theme song, with recognizable songs from well-known Canadian bands, circa late 60's to the mid 70's. The "super group" consists of front-men from some truly great Canadian bands from the 90's to present. There's Steven Page, originally from the Barenaked Ladies, now solo, Chris Murphy, singer-songwriter, bass player from Sloan who primarily is the drummer in TCH, Craig Northey from the Odds and Moe Berg from the Pursuit of Happiness. I haven't had much desire to go to live concerts lately, but when I heard they were coming to play in Winnipeg, I made a priority to get tickets during the presale and was fortunate to get some prime seats.

Since the pandemic, I've only attended a handful of concerts, both indoors and outdoors, and I've taken a hiatus from recording shows, except for a Cheap Trick show last summer. The Trans-Canada Highwaymen concert is the first indoor concert I've recorded in almost exactly 4 years (Wilco in 2000), and I must admit I was hesitate. Since I've last attended a concert, "enhanced" security at larger venues is now the norm with airport-style metal detecting technology and wanding, so I'm not sure exactly what can or can't be detected, so dealing with the extra security is another challenge. Anyways, I made it through unscathed and accomplished a good sounding recording. The concert venue within a casino is actually pretty nice. The sound quality is amazing, the sight lines were really good (they even had video screens scattered around the room), the seats are comfy and the crowd was well behaved. Recently, when I've gone to shows I've felt like the oldest person in the crowd, but here the average age of the crowd must have been over 50, as there were many, many white-haired fans a lot older than me. I guess, there's a reason the concert was held in a casino. Overall, the show was great and the banter from the band was highly enjoyable and funny, mainly Chris Murphy and Steven Page. Here are some other highlights and notes:

• Along with the many cover songs from the album, each member of the band took their turn with songs from their own bands. It felt like a greatest hits showcase and it really was a smart format. As much I wish I had previously seen the Odds and Pursuit of Happiness live, I heard the songs I wanted to hear from each group, Someone Who's Cool, She's So Young and I'm An Adult Now, are some of my favourite songs by a Canadian band, ever.
• As mentioned during the show, it was Moe Berg's birthday, so a unrehearsed, impromptu version of Birthday by the Beatles was an added bonus.
• The retro look of their album, Explosive Hits Vol. 1 is no doubt a tribute to K-Tel records, as acknowledged by the band. K-Tel of course, proudly (or shamelessly) rose up from Winnipeg.
  
• You can't overstate the talent on stage. Each member took their turn on the drums and the trading of instruments showcases their versatility and amazing musicianship. Chris Murphy is the bass player in Sloan, but it quite competent at drums (I've also seen him play drums with Tuns). Along with the other members of Sloan, he can sing and can write some pretty great songs. I've underestimated Steven Page, he truly is a excellent entertainer and incredible singer and the fact he can play guitar, keyboards and drums amazes me. I've never been a fan of the BNL's, but Page is a talent beyond that band.
  
• As far as the recording, it turned out great. It has to be one of my best sounding recordings! I was situated about 14 rows back, dead centre, there was no one sitting directly in front of me and the sound at the venue was amazing. The levels are adjusted a couple of times and there's a bit of chatter between songs, but nothing that takes away from the experience. Hmmm, I predict I might have to attend more casino shows? Well, the next night was Reveen...

Enjoy!

 

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

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TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAYMEN
Club Regent Event Centre
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
March 22, 2024
AUD Master

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

01. Intro (Kevin McDonald)
02. It's All Been Done
03. Someone Who's Cool
04. Hard To Laugh
05. Lovin' You Ain't Easy
06. Theme From Trans-Canada Highwaymen
07. Birthday
08. It Falls Apart
09. Jane
10. Pretty Lady
11. Underwhelmed
12. Tonight Is A Wonderful Time To Fall In Love
13. Undun
14. She's So Young
15. The Other Man
16. The Old Apartment
17. Make You Mad
18. Brian Wilson
Encore
19. Rock Me Gently
20. The Rest Of My Life
21. I'm An Adult Now

Band:
Steven Page
Chris Murphy
Craig Northey
Moe Berg

 

TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAYMEN- 2024-03-22, Club Regent, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar

Descendents- Liveage In Winnipeg 1987

Another punk show I missed back in the day was a show from the Descendents, when they came through town in 1987. They were already on my radar and I always enjoyed the band with their high energy melodic punk sound and their debut album, Milo Goes To College still remains as one of my favourite punk albums. I missed them in '87 and I missed them more recently in 2019, so I've had to be content with hearing live recordings of the band. Fortunately, someone taped the show in '87 and this recording has been kicking around for years (and has been sitting on my hard-drive for years, as well) and recently I was reminiscing and gave it another listen. The show in Winnipeg (on July 12th) was the night before the band performed at the First Avenue in Minneapolis where the live album, Liveage! (and some of Hallraker) was recorded. This is a decent sounding audience recording (a YouTube audio recording claims a soundboard, but it's the same recording as this. You be the judge), the band is top form and this show was part of the FinALL tour during the summer of 1987 to support the band's latest album, All and their final tour (at the time) with Milo returning to college for post-graduate studies. The rest of the band would relaunch themselves as ALL, Milo would reunite with the band in 1995 and return to recording and touring under the Descendents name. 

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

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Please share!!

Descendents
Punk Douglas Club
Winnipeg, Manitoba

July 12, 1987

 

sound quality: good audience recording
lineage: ? > cassette tape (unknown generation) > Tascam CC-222 (WAV) > CD WAV Editor (track split) > FLAC Frontend (FLAC)

1. intro (1:46)
2. Descendents (1:40)
3. I Wanna Be A Bear (0:44)
4. Coolidge (3:08)
5. Silly Girl (2:12)
6. Wienerschnitzel (0:10)
7. Hurtin' Crue (2:36)
8. My Dad Sucks (0:37)
9. Van (3:03)
10. I Don't Want to Grow Up (1:20)
11. Wendy (2:37)
12. Myage (3:00)
13. Clean Sheets (3:24)
14. Suburban Home (1:40)
15. Enjoy/My Tattoo (5:29)
16. Hope (1:59)
17. Pervert (1:42)
18. Sour Grapes (4:42)
19. Kids (0:43)
20. Iceman (fades out) (3:01)
21. segue (0:54)
22. Get the Time (3:08)
23. Global Probing (1:03)
24. I'm Not A Loser (1:31)
25. segue (1:48)
26. Cameage (2:57)
27. Kabuki Girl (1:08)
28. Pep Talk (3:16)

 

DESCENDENTS-  1987-07-12 Punk Douglas Club, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

The Dickies- Live In Winnipeg 1982

 

I've always wondered why there wasn't more live albums or unofficial live recordings from my hometown of Winnipeg? It's not like this is a international hot-bed of a music scene, but I'm always hoping there is a live recording of the show I attended because it's an unique souvenir and a cool document of an enjoyable (most of the time) concert experience. Since the mid-90's, with the exception of a few shows, I've attempted to record the shows I attended, most successful, others not-so-good, but I'm always glad I did so I could relive the show, especially with the bands I love. Since I've been taping, I haven't seen many other recordings of the same shows I have taped, so my recordings might be the only audio evidence of the show and I've only seen a few other recordings from a handful of tapers from the city. There are some recordings out there from before I taped and there were a lot of great concerts I wished I had a recording of, so I'm always on the lookout for shows I did attend. Anyways, in an ideal world I'd like to have recordings of all the concerts I've seen and shows I wish I saw.

A live recording of a Dickies show caught my attention because it was recorded in Winnipeg at Wellingtons, a club where I've seen many great punk shows. It's a small venue in the scuzzy basement of the St. Charles Hotel in the exchange district in downtown Winnipeg. This was recorded off the soundboard, so the sound quality is excellent and the setlist is a mix of originals and covers that appeared on their earlier albums. The Dickies would have been a fun band to see live with some entertaining banter from Leonard, singer from the band, but when this was recorded I was still too young to go bars (and I wasn't into punk yet), so I'm very happy someone recorded this! There is some discrepancy about the date of the concert. On this UK version (released in 2021), the hype sticker says, "live at the Wellingtons, Winnipeg 1982, an earlier German version from 1992 of the same recording says it was recorded December 15th, 1986. According to setlist.fm, it lists the same show/venue (same songs anyways) on 2 different dates (December 15, 1983 & 1986), but according to (the late great local music blog!) Music Ruined My Life, he has it "on authority" from people that actually got into the bar that this is the 1982 show- the only time in the eighties the Dickies played here. So there you have it...Live in Winnipeg 1982!

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

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THE DICKIES
Live In Winnipeg 1982 (2021)

01. Nights In White Satin
02. You Drive Me Ape
03. Pretty Please Me
04. The Sound Of Silence
05. Poodle Party
06. Solitary Confinement
07. (I'm Stuck In A Pagoda With) Tricia Toyota
08. If Stuart Could Talk
09. Fan Mail
10. She's A Hunchback
11. Curb Job
12. Manny, Moe & Jack
13. Gigantor
14. Paranoid
15. Eve Of Destruction
16. Banana Splits (The Tra La La Song)
17. Soundcheck: Banana Splits (No Vocals)
18. Soundcheck Without Leonard (Gigantor, Tricia Toyota)

Recorded live in 1982 (or December 15th, 1986 or 1983?) at Wellingtons, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The band are:
Leonard Graves Phillips - Vocals
Stan Lee- Guitar
Scott Sindon- Keyboards/Guitar
Lorenzo Buhne - Bass
Nicky Beat- Drums 

The Dickies- Live In Winnipeg 1982 FLAC. rar

Wilco- The "Last" Concert Revisited- 2020

 

 

As you're probably aware, this week marks the one year anniversary when the world changed. You can interpret this whatever way you want (I don't want to get political), but there is no doubt things changed. Today marks the one year anniversary of WHO's official declaration of COVID-19 pandemic. It also marks the day the NBA put a hold on their regular season and the NHL's Jets played their last game (in Edmonton). This evening a year ago I was attended what would be the last music concert I've attended live. Wilco was playing at the Centennial Concert Hall and this would be the band's last show, the next day the rest of their tour was postponed, then later cancelled. Even at the concert, things felt different, a little uneasy with the news swirling about the pandemic throughout the days leading up to the show, we were lucky the show went on. There was casual joking references to "social distancing" during the show and never could imagine it was so serious. In today's Winnipeg Free Press (*) some of the writers share their stories of the last show they attended before the lock-down, Many were at this same show I was at. They also shared some of their most memorable concerts they had attended (good idea for another post!), so the reminiscing of the lack of live music continues and really highlights how important live music is in people's lives. 

 

(*) You may need to be signed in to the Winnipeg Free Press website to read these articles. I took photos of the newspaper articles and posted them on the TDIT Facebook page. Interesting read.

 

 

I posted a write up and the live recording of the show, (Wilco- Live In Winnipeg March 11, 2020) so I'll spare you a repeat of the details of the evening, but as an encore I am re-posting the link so you can relive the show and fantasize of when we can do this again, at least in this scale of a full-blown concert experience. We can only hope!

Enjoy!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!

Do NOT convert to lossy formats, except for personal use.

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WILCO

Centennial Concert Hall
Winnipeg, MB
March 11, 2020
AUD Master

Row 7 middle
Sony ECM-DS70P mic> Tascam DR-07> SD card > 16 bit Wav>
Direct Wave MP3 splitter> FLAC> rar file

01. Bright Leaves
02. Before Us
03. Company In My Back
04. Can't Stand It
05. One and a Half Stars
06. Handshake Drugs
07. War On War
08. Hummingbird
09. Via Chicago
10. How to Fight Loneliness
11. Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season)
12. Random Name Generator
13. Reservations
14. Impossible Germany
15. Love Is Everywhere (Beware)
16. Box Full of Letters
17. Passenger Side
18. Everyone Hides
19. Theologians
20. I'm the Man Who Loves You
21. Hold Me Anyway
22. The Late Greats

Encore:
23. California Stars
24. Red Eyed and Blue
25. I Got You (At the End of the Century)
26. Outtasite (Outta Mind)

WILCO- 2020-03-11 Centennial Concert Hall, Winnipeg, MB FLAC Master. rar

 

WOW! It's Been 14 Years!! Day One: Nova Mob- Live At The Royal Albert Arms 1992, Winnipeg

 

 

Well well well, time does seem to fly by! This month marks the 14th year the Teenage Dogs In Trouble music blog has been online. I have to admit, it's been a struggle at times to find the energy and enthusiasm to write posts, but so far in 2020 with this post, I've already equaled the number of posts in 2018 and 2014 (yes, I've been slacking the last few years). I am excited to be still doing this and as I've said previously it's not about the money or the fame, because there are none, but as a way to contribute in some way for fans that like to listen to live concert recordings, like I do. For the past four months or so, live music performances have been almost non-existent with online concerts a poor (but adequate) substitute for the real thing. There is nothing quite as exciting as hearing and feeling the thumping bass of a live band with sweaty hyper bodies pressed up against you on an overcrowded floor at a concert venue or club. That scenario may become a rare sight, but live music is already starting to comeback. More shows will be performed and tour dates will soon be booked. When we are back to full capacity in concert halls, arenas, music festivals and clubs is anyone's guess. 

To celebrate the 14th anniversary, now is as good a time as ever to look back at concerts that have significance either historically or personal to me in some way. I was browsing through boxes of live discs looking for ideas to post and I selected a bunch of random shows that are interesting and/or cool. I'll be jumping between decades and style of music in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

 

 Last September, I wrote a post about Husker Du playing a show at the Royal Albert Arms in Winnipeg back in 1984. I recalled attending another show at the same venue with Grant Hart's (then) band, Nova Mob in my pre-taping days and wished I had a live recording of the show. Well, guess what? As luck would have it someone did tape the show and the live recording was posted on Dime by Loughney, not sure who actually recorded it. This rarely happens, when a concert I actually attended is recorded (besides myself), especially in the 90's. There are definitely more people that record concerts in the city now, but this is a true find and it sounds better than I expected. I personally think Nova Mob was a high point of Grant's post-Husker Du projects and the album, The Last Days Of Pompeii was his best record. If you're a fan of Huskers or Grant Hart this is a good one!

Enjoy!

#14yearsoftrouble

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Nova Mob 

Royal Albert Arms,

Winnipeg MB

November 21, 1992

Sony WM-D3 Master > TDK SA 90 > Onkyo TA-RW311 > Headset Jack > Sound Blaster external Sound Card > CDWAV > Audicity for fades, normalization, noise reduction, light editing of dropouts

01. Puzzles

02. Old Empire
03. Oh! To Behold
04. Evergreen Memorial Drive
05. Ballad #19
06. Admiral Of The Sea
07. Come, Come
08. Anything
09. Where You Gonna Land?

10. Over My Head

NOVA MOB- 1992-11-21 RAA, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

Neil Young Tribute- Live In Winnipeg 1995

With most everyone practicing social distancing, it is an opportunity to sort your record collection and an opportunity to listen to music you have been meaning to listen to. These days, streaming is the popular form for listening and discovering music and there are endless possibilities for making playlists. Presently, a cliche playlist would be about isolation and loneliness (maybe even depression) as it has become the norm for people around the world to avoid any social gatherings or the possibility of being within a meter of an another human being. When I think of artists and songs that meet that criteria, I often turn to the "loner" himself, Neil Young. Neil isn't always anti-social and though I'm thinking he prefers to perform solo, he does have Crazy Horse as his backing band and he has played in other groups such as Crosby, Stills and Nash, Buffalo Springfield, The Squires and even made a record and toured with Pearl Jam! Though his songs have taken on an increasingly critical opinion of politics, the environment and war he has still maintained a certain reputation as a solemn loner. A perfect thing to be during these times.

Instead of a playlist, how about a tribute to Neil Young in the form of a concert. There have been many albums and concerts that have paid tribute to Neil Young (despite being very alive!) so there are many to choose from with many popular artists participating. Today's post is unique to me because this was recorded in my hometown (and Neil's) with local bands all performing the music of Neil Young. This concert was to celebrate Neil Young's 50th birthday on the eve of his birthday, and yes, they sing Happy birthday at the beginning. The strange thing is the radio announcer says the date of the concert is September 27th, but Neil's real birthday is November 12th...??

• The recording: Recorded in 1995 and was aired nationally on CBC-FM "Real Time" broadcast. Thanks to Stevemtl who recorded it off the radio and posted the show to Dime. Each band performs a short set of Young covers each, but I'm assuming there were other songs that weren't aired on the broadcast.
• The bands: All Winnipeg bands, mainly indie and I'm slightly familiar with most of these bands though I have to admit haven't seen any of them live. The Blue Meanies, who became the New Meanies shortly after due to another band with the same name, gained modest success and even had airplay. Buick Six, I remember because Mike Koop also played in the band, The Bonaduces and they had a violin player, Julie Penner that was really good that went on to perform and record with many well known Canadian musicians. Zen Bungalow had Rod Slaughter in the band who went on to form Duotang and plays in Novillero. Grand Theft Canoe had a cool psychedelic sound I like a lot and all I know about Not Going To Vegas is that Phil Deschambault in the band co-formed the duo, Ash Koley with Ash Koley.
• The sound: The sound quality is excellent, FM broadcasts always sound great. All the bands do a commendable job in their own way and style. Very enjoyable!

Though this concert and the bands may only have only regional interest, Neil Young's music is celebrated and appreciated world-wide and the fact he spent many of his formative years in Winnipeg is something to be proud of. The concert is from almost 25 years ago and at the time I believe Young was touring with Pearl Jam. Most of the bands that performed on this night are no longer together (New Meanies still perform occasionally), but Young continues to record new music and tour. If your wondering what Young is doing to keep busy during these grim times, Young has shared his Fireside Session show on his archives site. He has filmed (with the help of his wife, Daryl Hannah) two sessions consisting of some deep tracks and some classic tunes. “Because we are all at home and not venturing out, we will try to do a stream from my fireplace with my lovely wife filming. It will be a down-home production, a few songs, a little time together,”says Young. The sessions have been filmed from Young and Hannah’s home in snowy Telluride, Colorado. Indeed!
Enjoy!!

Please do NOT sell or profit from this recording!
Do NOT convert to lossy formats (except for personal use)
Please share!

NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB 
September 27, 1995

Recorded by stevemtl: at a later date - CBC 'Real Time' broadcast > analogue cable FM > Yamaha RX586 > Fostex D5 or Sony R500 (DAT @ 16/48)
Transferred by stevemtl: DAT > Sony R500 > Roland R44 (16/48 wav) > SD chip > HD
Mastered by stevemtl: wav > Soundforge (L2 dither > 24/48: L2 level adjust, trim, edit) > r8brain (vhq downsample > 24/44.1) > Soundforge (L2 dither > 16/44.1) > CDwave (track cut) > TLH (flac level 8, ffp, md5) > TLH (torrent marker)
Posted to DIME by stevemtl on 2019-12-15.

01.  -radio host intro-
02.  -Happy Birthday, talk-
03.  Southern Man
04.  -talk-
05.  No More   >>>
06.  Cortez the Killer
07.  -radio host talk-
08.  Albuquerque
09.  -talk-
10.  Walk On
11.  -radio host talk, talk-
12.  The Sultan
13.  -talk-
14.  Burned
15.  -talk-
16.  Expecting to Fly
17.  -talk-
18.  Harvest
19.  -radio host talk-
20.  Mr. Soul
21.  -talk-
22.  The Loner  >>>
23.  Tonight's the Night
24.  -radio host talk-
25.  Look Out for My Love
26.  -talk-
27.  Cinnamon Girl
28.  -radio host outro-

[57:10 m.]
note:
Leora Kornfeld - radio host
t03>06: Blue Meanies (now called New Meanies)
t08>10: Buick Six
t12>18: Grand Theft Canoe
t20>23: Zen Bungalow
T25>27: Not Going to Vegas

NEIL YOUNG TRIBUTE- 1995-09-27 WECC, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar