Most Serene Republic at the Pyramid, Winnipeg, Oct. 3. Lisa Varga photo
Review–Most Serene Republic at the Pyramid Cabaret, Winnipeg, Oct 3 2009
– review by Eugene Osudar/photos by Lisa Varga
you have
mere
minutes
to impress
The Most
Serene
Republic
a big stage
a big room
a small audience
who
nonetheless
filled the dance
floor/stage
gap
continuum
and forward
marched
closer
closer
on the edge
of touching you
most
serenely
70 people at The Pyramid
the very same Saturday
night
one thousand
three hundred
people
sucked up
all the life/music
force/energy
Gogol Bordello
gave
and frothing,
spat it right
back
go on then,
color
me
impressed
(The Replacements),
hard and fast
and faster still
and then
slowing
it
down
and
tempo
rebuilding, amidst
crunching noise
and rushing
thrills with
rapid,fire,
drum,fills
in your fortress
of delicious
sound
huffing and puffing
their new drummer
Adam Balsam
came over
after their 60
minute set
this band is a test
of pulses
of tempo
of heartbeats
attack
attack
attack
and he thanked me
for Dancing
that’s what i do
when a band
plays it hard
and fast
Loud
and
True.
hard blowing
magic stream
pumping
turbulent
consciousness
fisting trombone
breathing keys
purgatory guitars
machine gun
percussion
wild mushrooms
long lost family
stolen guitars
empty bellies
swollen tears
your beautiful
cousin
yellow tights
in the house
of blue kites
now, you’re
flying so
high
don’t ever trust
those Roberts
that you meet
on mean
Vancouver
street
with “a syringe
in one hand” and
the other accepting
generous dollars
to watch the vehicle
with the gear
inside
as you dine
feeding your bellies
on the road
when your
“30 year guitar”
is gone,
what can you
do? but
play your songs
hardfastloudtrue,
Bubble Reputation
Anhoi Polloi
Sherry and Her Butterfly Net
O God
Heavens To Purgatory
Phages
Phi
The Men Who Live Upstairs
Old Forever
Why So Looking Back
Content Was Always My Favorite Colour
4 Humours
Don’t Hold Back, Feel a Little Longer
No One Likes a Nihilist
Present Of Future End
encore,
You’re Not An Astronaut
lyrics available here,
and generous
listening
opportune(ities)
generosity
as motif
Adrian Jewett, yellow tights
Emma Ditchburn, blue tights
Ryan Lenssen
Nick Greaves
Sean Woolven
Simon Lukasewich
and Adam Balsam
did not show the
color of their tights.
if they
wore
tights at all!
The Most Serene Republic
October 3
Pyramid.
Winnipeg.
Most Serene Republic at the Pyramid, Winnipeg, Oct. 3. Lisa Varga photo
