Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Ottawa
I wrote this review the morning after the concert, but waited to put it up because I wanted to add pictures to it.
So, last night was the concert. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. I had an eight-hour bus ride during the day, then went out for dinner with Hugh before going to the Babylon nightclub around 9:30. When we got there, I told the man at the door that I was supposed to be on a pass list (since I am on the band’s street team). He had no idea what I was talking about, so he went to ask about it. He came back, still in the dark about it all, and just stamped my hand anyway and let me in. I decided the first thing I wanted to do was to check out the merchandise table. We walked over there, and when I looked closer, I realized that the man running the merch table was Munly!
I got really nervous going over there to see him. I bought a t-shirt, and two CDs - the Auto Club’s Always Say Please & Thank You and Munly’s Blurry. Then I pulled out the picture I drew for the band and gave it to Munly. First he asked, “who’s that?” pointing to the drawing of Slim. I told him that it was of him and Slim. He said, “I think I like this one better,” pointing to the one of himself, then thanked me for it. I asked if he would sign the poster I’d saved, and he did, signing it “Munly Munly #13”. We chatted to him for a few minutes; Hugh asked if he knew anything about the opening act (“I just know they’re playin’ before we are.”); I told him I’d pretty much memorized Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots. He said, “I wish I could memorize it.” Hugh asked how their concerts had been going so far; he said they were pretty good, but “who knows, we could have a terrible night tonight.” I told him, “If it’s you guys up there playing, it can’t be bad.” Munly said he didn’t know about that, but he seemed flattered. We told him we’d leave him alone for now, and said we’d come back to the table later to see if the other band members would sign the poster too.
We sat down at the bar, and Hugh had a beer while I chatted with a man (wearing a Reverend Glasseye t-shirt) about music. A little while later, I noticed that Slim was hanging around the merch table with Munly, so we went back and I asked for his autograph as well. I asked Munly if he’d shown Slim the drawing; he pulled it out from under the table and showed it to him then. He thanked me too, and Hugh and I chatted with them for a bit. Hugh asked if he could take a picture of the three of us. Munly and Slim put their arms around me and Hugh took a couple of photos. Munly said to me, “You’re shaking,” “I am?” “Don’t worry, you’re with good people.” I thanked them again, then went to sit down before the opening act went on stage.
The opening act was a local singer named Trevor Alguire who was pretty good. He played for about half an hour to forty-five minutes, then they started setting up the stage for Slim and the others. Dwight had this one really cool guitar - it was a double guitar, covered in red velvet, and the pick guard was a hologram that changed when you looked at it from different angles, one picture of Mary and one of Jesus. I went and stood right at the front, close to the speakers. They started out playing Jesus is in My Body, then did 32 Mouths Gone Dry. This is the set list, as best as I can remember, and not quite in the right order (there were also probably 5 or 6 songs I didn’t know the names of, and they only introduced one of the songs) -
Jesus is in My Body
32 Mouths Gone Dry
Cranston
Port Authority Band
Pinebox
Magalina Hagalina
Goddamn Blue Yodel #7
Hold My Head
Lethal Injection
Mark of Vaccination
This is How We Do Things in the Country
He, Roger Williams
They were absolutely amazing to see performing live. The songs were a bit different, harder rocking and way louder (my ears are actually literally still ringing slightly, but I was probably too close to the stage for my own good). Slim and Munly were both very relaxed and laid-back when we were talking to them before the show, but once they got on stage, they went wild. Munly was shaking like a leaf, just vibrating. It was really weird, but I guess he just had lots of energy. They were dancing around, down on their knees, out in the crowd, Slim was lying down on the stage; they were both getting up and balancing on the speakers while they sang. Slim was even crowd-surfing at one point. They played lots of the songs I love, and a few I hadn’t heard before. Their usual drummer, Ordy, wasn’t there that night, (I heard he was touring with Woven Hand) so his 17-year-old nephew was in his place. He was an excellent musician. They finished their set, and left the stage, but the crowd cheered them back for an encore. They played two or three more songs, finishing up with He, Roger Williams (one of my favourites.) Hugh and I sat down for a bit, waiting near the merch table as Slim and Munly were kept busy with the crowd buying albums and asking for autographs. Eventually, Dwight joined them, and I got him to sign my poster too. I was hoping to find the others, so that the whole band could sign it, but they’d disappeared backstage. Once the crowd had cleared out, I went up to Slim and Munly to tell them how much I enjoyed the show and to say goodbye. Slim shook my hand, saying, “I’d hug you, but I’m soaking with sweat.” Munly said, “here, I’ll hug you,” and gave me a big hug goodbye. Then, Slim said, “oh, what the heck, come here,” and hugged me too. They weren’t lying, they really were absolutely soaked with sweat; I didn’t care because I was so excited. They thanked me again for the drawing and for coming to the show, and I said goodbye one last time before going back to Hugh’s house and to bed.
This morning we went out shopping, to a whole bunch of second-hand CD and record stores. At the first one we were in, they had Munly’s album Jimmy Carter Syndrome used, for $10. It’s out-of-print, and I’ve been searching for it for months, so I snapped it up. Now the only one of his I don’t have is Galvanized Yankee, which is currently out-of-print, but it’s being re-mastered and re-released this fall by Smooch Records, so I’ll have to order it then.
Bonus: here's my favourite of the photos; Munly stopped and stood still mid-song for Hugh to take a picture.
So, last night was the concert. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. I had an eight-hour bus ride during the day, then went out for dinner with Hugh before going to the Babylon nightclub around 9:30. When we got there, I told the man at the door that I was supposed to be on a pass list (since I am on the band’s street team). He had no idea what I was talking about, so he went to ask about it. He came back, still in the dark about it all, and just stamped my hand anyway and let me in. I decided the first thing I wanted to do was to check out the merchandise table. We walked over there, and when I looked closer, I realized that the man running the merch table was Munly!
I got really nervous going over there to see him. I bought a t-shirt, and two CDs - the Auto Club’s Always Say Please & Thank You and Munly’s Blurry. Then I pulled out the picture I drew for the band and gave it to Munly. First he asked, “who’s that?” pointing to the drawing of Slim. I told him that it was of him and Slim. He said, “I think I like this one better,” pointing to the one of himself, then thanked me for it. I asked if he would sign the poster I’d saved, and he did, signing it “Munly Munly #13”. We chatted to him for a few minutes; Hugh asked if he knew anything about the opening act (“I just know they’re playin’ before we are.”); I told him I’d pretty much memorized Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots. He said, “I wish I could memorize it.” Hugh asked how their concerts had been going so far; he said they were pretty good, but “who knows, we could have a terrible night tonight.” I told him, “If it’s you guys up there playing, it can’t be bad.” Munly said he didn’t know about that, but he seemed flattered. We told him we’d leave him alone for now, and said we’d come back to the table later to see if the other band members would sign the poster too.
We sat down at the bar, and Hugh had a beer while I chatted with a man (wearing a Reverend Glasseye t-shirt) about music. A little while later, I noticed that Slim was hanging around the merch table with Munly, so we went back and I asked for his autograph as well. I asked Munly if he’d shown Slim the drawing; he pulled it out from under the table and showed it to him then. He thanked me too, and Hugh and I chatted with them for a bit. Hugh asked if he could take a picture of the three of us. Munly and Slim put their arms around me and Hugh took a couple of photos. Munly said to me, “You’re shaking,” “I am?” “Don’t worry, you’re with good people.” I thanked them again, then went to sit down before the opening act went on stage.
The opening act was a local singer named Trevor Alguire who was pretty good. He played for about half an hour to forty-five minutes, then they started setting up the stage for Slim and the others. Dwight had this one really cool guitar - it was a double guitar, covered in red velvet, and the pick guard was a hologram that changed when you looked at it from different angles, one picture of Mary and one of Jesus. I went and stood right at the front, close to the speakers. They started out playing Jesus is in My Body, then did 32 Mouths Gone Dry. This is the set list, as best as I can remember, and not quite in the right order (there were also probably 5 or 6 songs I didn’t know the names of, and they only introduced one of the songs) -
Jesus is in My Body
32 Mouths Gone Dry
Cranston
Port Authority Band
Pinebox
Magalina Hagalina
Goddamn Blue Yodel #7
Hold My Head
Lethal Injection
Mark of Vaccination
This is How We Do Things in the Country
He, Roger Williams
They were absolutely amazing to see performing live. The songs were a bit different, harder rocking and way louder (my ears are actually literally still ringing slightly, but I was probably too close to the stage for my own good). Slim and Munly were both very relaxed and laid-back when we were talking to them before the show, but once they got on stage, they went wild. Munly was shaking like a leaf, just vibrating. It was really weird, but I guess he just had lots of energy. They were dancing around, down on their knees, out in the crowd, Slim was lying down on the stage; they were both getting up and balancing on the speakers while they sang. Slim was even crowd-surfing at one point. They played lots of the songs I love, and a few I hadn’t heard before. Their usual drummer, Ordy, wasn’t there that night, (I heard he was touring with Woven Hand) so his 17-year-old nephew was in his place. He was an excellent musician. They finished their set, and left the stage, but the crowd cheered them back for an encore. They played two or three more songs, finishing up with He, Roger Williams (one of my favourites.) Hugh and I sat down for a bit, waiting near the merch table as Slim and Munly were kept busy with the crowd buying albums and asking for autographs. Eventually, Dwight joined them, and I got him to sign my poster too. I was hoping to find the others, so that the whole band could sign it, but they’d disappeared backstage. Once the crowd had cleared out, I went up to Slim and Munly to tell them how much I enjoyed the show and to say goodbye. Slim shook my hand, saying, “I’d hug you, but I’m soaking with sweat.” Munly said, “here, I’ll hug you,” and gave me a big hug goodbye. Then, Slim said, “oh, what the heck, come here,” and hugged me too. They weren’t lying, they really were absolutely soaked with sweat; I didn’t care because I was so excited. They thanked me again for the drawing and for coming to the show, and I said goodbye one last time before going back to Hugh’s house and to bed.
This morning we went out shopping, to a whole bunch of second-hand CD and record stores. At the first one we were in, they had Munly’s album Jimmy Carter Syndrome used, for $10. It’s out-of-print, and I’ve been searching for it for months, so I snapped it up. Now the only one of his I don’t have is Galvanized Yankee, which is currently out-of-print, but it’s being re-mastered and re-released this fall by Smooch Records, so I’ll have to order it then.
Bonus: here's my favourite of the photos; Munly stopped and stood still mid-song for Hugh to take a picture.