About The Weakerthans
Hometown
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Formed
October 1996
Genre
Alternative
The spirit of The Weakerthans’ rootsy power pop is driven by songwriter John K. Samson’s mythologies about Manitoba and his literary sensibilities. Following Samson’s departure from beloved punk band Propagandhi, The Weakerthans formed in Winnipeg in 1997 and released their debut, Fallow, the same year. On it, Samson sang of downtown dives (“Wellington’s Wednesdays”) and small town ennui (“Anchorless”) over sinewy, melodic fury, creating a sound that was radically sharpened on 2000’s Left and Leaving. While songs like “Aside” retained a breakneck energy, others employed folkier arrangements to address their lofty subjects like loss and urban decay (“Left and Leaving”). Samson’s ability to capture the nuances of his home province made him a sort of punk poet laureate of the place, memorably addressing the residents’ love-hate relationship with its capital in the “I hate Winnipeg” refrain of “One Great City!” on 2003’s Reconstruction Site. In 2007, Reunion Tour continued a previously introduced feline epic (“Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure”), celebrated curling (“Tournament of Hearts”), and documented a prairie cryptid sighting (“Bigfoot!”). Their career-spanning 2010 record, Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre, set them to tape in front of an adoring hometown audience, testifying to their impact on Manitoba’s cultural tapestry.
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