The Weakerthans- WECC, Winnipeg, MB Dec. 3, 1998

A couple weeks ago, the West End Cultural Centre (WECC) celebrated 30 years as a music venue in Winnipeg. The renovated church has since become an institution for music fans of all genres and musical styles. The WECC has endured many trials and tribulations dealing with financial difficulties as well as upgrades for much needed renovations about eight years ago that helped refresh this vital venue. An excellent well written article appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press: And The Bands Played On, detailing the history of the WECC and I was amazed about how many people were responsible for keeping this venue operating for so long. An interesting and informative read!

Personally, I have attended many many concerts, readings, plays and fundraisers there since the doors first opened. I honestly can not remember the first show I attended at the West End, but there were several talent /hootenanny nights I was at in the late 80's for sure. The earliest ticket stub I can find is from Moxy Fruvous in 1992, but there are numerous too many to count (or remember) shows from the late 80's, 90's, 2000's and right up to present that I was at. I have seen some great concerts there and it has become my preferred venue to record at as the much improved sound system is clear and crisp and depending on the size of the crowd and the setup of the room, you can usually get pretty good sight-lines to the stage. With the renovations came a upper mezzanine that allows a view over top of the crowd on the floor and a more chatter-free sound area. If they expect a smaller "intimate" size crowd, the seating is arranged with tables and chairs. With a medium size crowd, the chairs are in rows (no tables) and for a sold out (or expected larger crowd) show, it's a general admission free for all standing. As far as I remember all the shows I've been to at the WECC are general admission, no reserved seats. The atmosphere at the WECC is much more relaxed than bar shows with a less drunken vibe and more people-friendlier staff (mostly volunteers). They host many all-ages shows and I've seen everything from punk to jazz, folk, blues, rock and everything in between.

The first time I saw the Weakerthans live was at the WECC as an opener in 1998. It was the Bonaduces album release for their brilliant record, Democracy Of Sleep and the Weakerthans and B'ehl opened the show. The band was performing many "new" songs at the time, that would appear a couple years later on Left and Leaving as well as songs from the debut, Fallow. I recorded both the Weakerthans and Bonaduces sets and have hoarded these recordings for almost 20 years. I thought it was about time I shared the Weakerthans set as I finally transferred the cassette to CDR and I've listened to this recording a lot in the past few weeks. It sounds fantastic, the sound is clear without too much distractions and it's a rare early performance from a band that personifies the spirit, energy and sense of community and social conscience of Winnipeg. Very similar to the mandate and purpose of the West End Cultural Centre. We are lucky to have a lovely venue like the West End and proud that the Weakerthans are from my hometown.
Enjoy!

Share!
Please do NOT sell or convert to mp3!

THE WEAKERTHANS
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
December 3, 1998
AUD Master

Sony mic> Sony WM-GX35 Recording Walkman> Maxell XLII 90 Cassette> Fisher Cassette Deck> Teac CD recorder> CDR> FreeRip> WAV> Direct WAV splitter> FLAC> rar

01. The Last Last One
02. Diagnosis
03. Aside
04. Letter Of Resignation
05. None Of The Above
06. This Is A Fire Door Never Leave Open
07. Watermark
08. Left And Leaving
09. Confessions Of A Futon Revolutionist
10. Wellington's Wednesdays
11. Everything Must Go!

THE WEAKERTHANS- 1998-12-03 WECC, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar 

Sorry folks, the file is no longer publicly available for download. For some unknown reason, I had a takedown down notice for copyright infringement. I've shared the Weakerthans many times in the past so I don't think the band has a problem sharing live shows, but perhaps their publishing company, record label or overzealous lawyers have an issue. Please PM me first if there are any objections sharing live shows on this blog.

On that note, please PM me if you are interested in the show. I will try to hook you up!
Thanks!
Binky

John K. Samson- Winter Wheat Album Release Show, Nov. 4, 2016

Album release shows, some people love them, while some don't. It comes down to what level of fan you are of the performer or band. If you're a die hard fan that is familiar with all their music and attends concerts most times the band is in town, you should be dying to hear the latest songs from the just released album. You might not have even heard any of the new songs yet and this may be your first listen to the new record, but you are excited about being one of the first to hear it live. To be honest, there will be some songs, the deeper cuts, that might not be played often after the initial new release shows, so that in itself is kind of special.

There are also the fans that aren't excited by the prospect of hearing a large percentage of the show dedicated to the new stuff. These fans love the band, but they want to hear something they are already familiar with, no surprises. In John K. Samson's case, they still want to hear all the Weakerthan's "hits" and will tolerate his solo material because they have no choice. This might sound narrow-minded, but there are a lot of fans that fall in that category. The new songs to them is the time to update their friends beside them or on their phone about what's new and not so new about their self-centred lives. Chatter usually increases and I jokingly refer to this time as the bathroom break or refresh your drink time. All kidding aside, I love album releases. I feel this privilege of hearing something no one else has heard yet live. Since John's hometown is Winnipeg, we are very lucky to have this privilege.

Full disclosure, I downloaded the album right when it was released and had a chance to listen to the album before the concert on November 4th. My first impression was that the album is mellower than my liking, but after repeated listening and seeing eight of these songs performed live, it really has grown on me. The set John K and his band, The Winter Wheat gave us was split almost evenly between Weakerthans and post-Weakerthans solo material. The new stuff works well live especially songs like, Postdoc Blues and the Neil Young/Crazy Horse inspired, Vampire Alberta Blues. Considering there were 3 of 4 members of the Weakerthans on stage, the Weakerthans songs sounded refreshed and bright and with the addition of John's wife, Christine Fellows (who opened the show) on keyboard and backing vocals and Ashley Au on double and electric bass and guitar, the sound was full and satisfying. The Neil Young vibe was still in the air during the first encore when the band performed a cover of Neil Young's, Don't Be Denied. The reference to Winnipeg in the song are unavoidable and I always felt a secret Winnipeg joy whenever I heard the song. I remember when the Constantines played that song as their encore when they opened for the Weakerthans at the now deceased, Rendez-Vous back in the mid 2000's. They wrote the lyrics on a pizza box and propped it against the monitor in front of them. A classic Winnipeg moment!

If you've been to the West End Cultural Centre recently, you know they have a upper mezzanine balcony type seating area. I decided I wasn't looking forward to several hours of standing surrounded by young folks all taller than I am. The upper seating area is only 2 rows deep and offers an unimpeded view of the full stage and band. No more trying to peak around some swaying drunken talking idiot (that Winnipeg is full of!). The sound was incredible and it was as comfortable as hell. I taped my microphone to the rail and sat almost centre directly above the soundboard. The live recording is amazing, being up above the crowd, the sound is crisp and balanced and you can actually hear all the lyrics and instruments clearly. There was almost no crowd chatter and this may possibly be the best sounding live recording I have ever recorded! A must hear for anyone that's a fan of John K. Samson, the Weakerthans and Winnipeg.
Enjoy!!

Please share!
DO NOT sell or share in lossy formats (mp3)!


 JOHN K. SAMSON & The Winter Wheat
West End Cultural Centre
Winnipeg, MB
November 4, 2016
AUD Master

01. Select All Delete
02. Sun In An Empty Room
03. Postdoc Blues
04. Reconstruction Site
05. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
06. Cruise Night
07. When I Write My Master's Thesis
08. Vampire Alberta Blues
09. One Great City!
10. (Hospital Vespers)
11. 17th Street Treatment Centre
12. Bigfoot!
13. Aside
14. Alpha Adept
15. Requests
16. Winter Wheat

Encore
17. Confessions Of Futon-Revolutionist
18. Left And Leaving
19. Don't Be Denied
20. Virtute At Rest

Encore 2
21. My Favourite Chords

JOHN K. SAMSON- 2016-11-04 WECC, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

The Weakerthans- Table Of Contents

Last July, according to drummer, Jason Tait the beloved Winnipeg band, The Weakerthans were officially "done". It's hard to believe, but the band was together for 18 years. They hadn't played a live show together in over two years and their last studio album, The Reunion Tour was released back in 2007 and their last release was 2010's, Live At Burton Cummings Theatre, so really it's no surprise they would call it quits. There is always the hope for a "reunion tour" and the members are still in the "biz", so this isn't beyond the realm of possibility. John K. Samson continues with his solo career and operating Arbeiter Ring Publishing, Stephen Carroll works at Manitoba Film & Music and Jason Tait currently drums for Bahamas.

According to Songkick, the Weakerthans last official show was in Edmonton, August 31, 2013. If this isn't correct let me know and if any live recordings from their final shows (including Riot Fest) are floating around, I would be interested. The last time I saw the Weakerthans live was back in December 2010 when they performed 4 shows at 4 different venues playing each album in chronological order each night. I attended 3 of the 4 shows. For the final night at the Burton Cummings Theatre, the band performed all four of their records from the most recent back to their debut. This amazing feat was recorded in it's entirety (almost) by myself and posted here. It's posted in mp3 format (I wasn't posting in FLAC yet), but I have it also in FLAC format and if there's an interest I can re-post (please let me know in the comments).

I'll get together more Weakerthans live recordings to post in the future, but for now here's an interesting collection of B-sides and rarities that include live tracks, alternate versions and covers. I saw this on the Besides Asides blog, but it is now unavailable for download, so I thought I should share this here. Unfortunately, I only have this version in mp3, so it'll fit nicely on your iPod or pad or smartiPhone. I always love compilations like this and some tracks would work well as bonus tracks if their albums ever get reissued and get the special edition treatment. An enjoyable listen and great memories from this well accomplished and important band of the past two decades.
Enjoy!!

THE WEAKERTHANS
Table Of Contents (B-Sides & Rarities)

1. My Favourite Power Chords
2. Ringing of Revolution [Phil Ochs cover]
3. Bad Time To Be Poor [Rheostatics cover]
4. Past Due [Alternate Version]
5. Confessions Of A Futon-Revolutionist (Country Style)
6. Everything Must Go [Alternate Version]
7. Utilities [Alternate Version]
8. Illustrated Bible Stories For Children [Live on CKUW]
9. The Last Last One [Live on CKUW]
10. Left and Leaving [CBC Version]
11. The Reasons [CBC Version]
12. Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call [CBC Version]
13. One Great City [CBC Version]
14. Reconstruction Site [CBC Version]
15. Utilities [CBC Version]
16. Judy G [Sarah Harmer cover]
17. Swingin' Party [Replacements cover]

    Track 1 originally appeared on Take Penacilin Now. G7 Welcoming Committee Records 2005.
    Track 2 originally appeared on Return of the Read Menace. G7 Welcoming Committee Records1999.
    Track 3 originally appeared on The Secret Sessions. Zunior 2007.
    Track 4 originally appeared on Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 4. Hopeless Records 2002.
    Track 5 originally appeared on Hopelessly Devoted to You Vol. 3. Hopeless Records 2000.
    Track 6 originally appeared on Sub City: Take Action sampler. Hopeless/Subcity 1999.
    Track 7 originally appeared on Help: A Day in the Life. Sony/BMG Recordings 2006.
    Tracks 8 & 9 originally appeared on the Watermark CD Single. G7 Welcoming Committee Records 2001.
    Tracks 10-14 are not commercially available. Recorded live in-studio at the CBC.
    Track 15 originally appeared on CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1. 2004. It is credited on the CD to John K. Samson only because at that point the song had not been recorded by the full-band on any commercial releases.
    Tracks 16-17 are Not commercially available. Recorded live at Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, Ontario on November 18, 2005. Sarah Harmer assists on "Swingin' Party".

WEAKERTHANS- Table Of Contents (B-sides & Rarities) mp3. rar

John K. Samson at The Good Will 2014

I was trying to recall the amount of times I have seen The Weakerthans/John K. Samson live in concert and just based on ticket stubs, I've seen The Weakerthans 10 times and JKS (& The Provincial Band) once. The venues have varied from the larger/medium-sized halls (Burton Cummings Theatre, Le Rendezvous, West End Cultural Centre) to bars (Pyramid, Royal Albert) and at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. I may have seen John and/or the band additional times, but none were as small and intimate as John K. Samson's show on Sunday night at The Good Will. This was the first time I've been to this somewhat new venue (opened officially last month) and I have to admit it isn't bad. The room is long and narrow which means good sight-lines and the music is well contained and directed nicely to the audience. It was perfect for a solo acoustic show, but I'm skeptical whether the sound will be half as good for a loud electric rock show. I'll have to check back later.

This is not meant to be a review of the show (Anthony's review for Exclaim is here), so I have nothing but good things to say about the show. John, of course played songs from his band, The Weakerthans, as well as his solo effort, Provincial, but the bonus for fans (especially for a taper) was two new songs, Fellow Traveller and Oldest Oak At Brookside. Promising and likable, it will be interesting to see if they appear on a project in the future. Hearing all these songs in their bare-bones versions really showcase Samson as a master lyricist and very competent musician. The solo acoustic format allows Samson to highlight the song, closer to poetry set to music, than in the full band format, powerful, but in a different way. It's been a while since I've seen John play and this was a real treat.

This Winnipeg solo show was a warm-up for an upcoming solo tour starting later this week, that will take Samson across the Atlantic to Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the UK.

Unplugged! Not only is John hard to see, but he was also hard to hear.

The recording was recorded in the sweet spot, dead centre, near the back edge of the floor in front. The sound is near perfect, definitely one of the better sounding recordings I've done. Crowd noise wasn't an issue, though I did have a "singer" beside me that I tried to turn away from. I adjusted and lowered the levels during the second song, so you might want to turn up the volume after that one. It's always safer to set the levels lower than to have the sound distorted by heavy strumming and crowd clapping.
(Note: The last song (#19), Samson is at the edge of the stage, unplugged and off mic...turn it up!)
Enjoy!

JOHN K. SAMSON
The Good Will
Winnipeg, MB
November 23, 2014
AUD MASTER

solo acoustic

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

01. Heart Of The Continent
02. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
03. Reconstruction Site
04. Letter In Icelandic From The Ninette San
05. When I Write My Master's Thesis
06. Elegy For Gump Worsley
07. Pamphleteer
08. Time's Arrow
09. Fellow Traveller (new song)
10. Oldest Oak At Brookside (new song)
11. Relative Surplus Value
12. Hospital Vespers
13. One Great City!
14. Aside
15. Left And Leaving

Encore
16. Tournament Of Hearts
17. Bigfoot
18. My Favourite Chords
19. Virtute The Cat Explains Her Departure (off-mic/unplugged)

JOHN K. SAMSON- 2014-11-23 The Goodwill, Winnipeg, MB FLAC. rar

The Weakerthans- The Fallow Show

The title more accurately should read, songs from the Fallow album at The Albert, on December 15th. It was the first of four concerts the Weakerthans played in four consecutive nights conquering one album each night, at four different venues...the 4 & More series. This is an interesting concept as I've heard about more and more bands doing the "complete album" shows sometimes concentrating on a classic record for a tour (Liz Phair- Exile In Guyville or Roger Waters- The Wall). I only had the opportunity to attend 3 of the 4 nights (due to Christmas work commitments), so if anyone went to the 3rd night (Reconstruction Site) and recorded the show, please let me know! I recorded the shows I attended and I want to share them with you, but ran into some trouble during the last show, I'll fill you in later. Wow, the last time I was at The Albert was seeing the Weakerthans in 2002 during their 5th anniversary concert series. Similar to this year's event, the band also played 4 shows in 4 nights at 4 different venues, but substituting the Burton Cummings Theatre with Wellington's, a now closed bar that hosted many amazing punk and alternative shows from the 70's right through to the early 2000's. The Albert hasn't changed much, still the same dank looking place I remember, kind of both friendly feeling and scary at the same time. Fortunately, with a band like the Weakerthans, the audience is fairly evenly split male/female ratio so the aggression I've felt at this bar seeing punk bands wasn't evident. I was just thinking about some of my most memorable shows I attended at the Albert. Green Day, (before they were famous), Plumtree (their last ever Winnipeg appearance), and the New Duncan Imperials (still the BEST show for under 10 bucks) are just a few of the bands I've seen there. I staked out a "sweet spot" in front of a pillar directly in front of the centre of the stage and watched the band "perform" Fallow in order from the first track to the end of the album. I'm sure there were songs that they hadn't played live in some time, if at all, but Fallow is a solid debut album and it was a thrill to hear it all live. The second half of their set featured 2 songs each from their other 3 albums and for the encore they played one more song from the other 3 albums. There is something extra special to see a band play at a venue that is "too small" for their popularity and see them genuinely have a good time and I know the crowd was into it as they passionately sang along at the appropriate times, it was a great feeling! A highlight (or low light) was when some drunken guy barged through the crowd and stumbled on stage during Plea From A Cat Named Virtute and grabbed the mic to sing along with Samson. The guy was harmless, he got off the stage after the song, but not before chugging from Stephen Carroll's beer. John K. later told me they just cautiously carried on when he came on stage, figuring as long as he wasn't a threat, no big deal. I guess this shows you the type of security the Albert has or lacks, if this was the Garrick, Pyramid or the Burt, security would have surely beat this guy. Here's a real review of the show. THE WEAKERTHANS Royal Albert Arms Winnipeg, MB December 15, 2010 Fallow Show 01. Illustrated Bible Stories For Children 02. Diagnosis 03. Confessions Of A Futon-Revolutionist 04. None Of The Above 05. Letter Of Resignation 06. Leash 07. Wellington's Wednesdays 08. The Last Last One 09. Greatest Hits Collection 10. Sounds Familiar 11. Anchorless 12. Fallow 13. Tournament Of Hearts 14. Sun In An Empty Room 15. Reconstruction Site 16. Plea From A Cat Named Virtute 17. Aside 18. Left And Leaving Encore 19. One Great City! 20. Hymn Of The Medical Oddity 21. Watermark Songs From "Fallow": tracks 1-12 THE WEAKERTHANS- 2010-12-15. rar (mp3-256 kbps) If you prefer, I've posted this show in lossless FLAC on dimeadozen.org (you need to register to be a member). If you can't download this and you want a lossless copy, leave a message or email me. Please do not sell this recording and please ask before re-posting elsewhere. Thanks!