The Weakerthans Roll Home

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Over a million people got a tiny snippet of some prairie poetry during the 2005 Juno Awards telecast on April 3, courtesy of The Tragically Hip. During The Hip's Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction performance at the MTS Centre, Hip singer/songwriter Gord Downie belted out a few lines of a song by Winnipeg's own The Weakerthans, exciting local audiences and intriguing others.

The brief tribute may have also surprised The Weakerthans - guitarist/singer/lyricist John K. Samson, guitarist Stephen Carroll, and drummer Jason Tait - who were on tour and not able to participate in or even watch the Juno festivities. But the tribute isn't undeserved. Since their 1997 debut Fallow, The Weakerthans have built a reputation as a beautifully literate political punk act, know for Samson's inspired lyrics, many of which reflect their flatland home.

After Fallow came the critically-acclaimed and highly successful Left and Leaving in 2000, which blew open many doors for the indie outfit. In February of 2003, The Weakerthans signed with legendary American punk label Epitaph and released their third effort, Reconstruction Site, which was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year at the 2004 Juno Awards. Most recently, the band took home the Outstanding Independent Album award at the 2004 Western Canadian Music Awards in Calgary, where Samson was named Songwriter of the Year over stiff competition from big hitters Sarah McLachlan and Jann Arden.

Winnipeggers will get a chance to catch The Weakerthans, who don't often perform at home, at Le Rendez-Vous as part of the band's cross-country Rolling Tundra Revue on April 15 and 16 with The Constantines. The tour features 30 concerts in 17 cities with 49 guest bands from across the country. Winnipeg's dates will feature two other local acts on each night: Novillero and Mike Trike on April 15, with Inward Eye and Burnthe8track taking the stage to open on April 16.

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