Review: Rock Plaza Central @ Fine Line (9/28/09)

*MP3: Rock Plaza Central - “(Don’t You Believe The Words Of) Handsome Men”

Canadian indie favorites The Weakerthans and Rock Plaza Central graced Minneapolis with their presence this past Saturday, September 26 at Triple Rock Social Club.

The Rock often promises good times and good tunes, but this show really seemed to pack an eclectic punch given the extreme diversity of the two bands, both of which brought an amazing vibe to this completely sold out gig.

Still riding out the wave from their May album release ...at the moment of our most needing and with two consecutive glowing Pitchfork reviews under their belt (seriously, how often does this ever happen?), Torontonians Rock Plaza Central played a strong mix of new and old tunes, touching heavily on their 2006 release Are We Not Horses?.

RPC bought out several new songs from their latest album release which echoed hope, heartbreak, and their fascinating sound that intertwines horns, strings and haunting, harmonizing vocals.

Lead vocalist/guitarist/banjoist Chris Eaton has stated on record more than once that their latest album was influenced heavily by Light in August, William Faulkner’s complicated and sad tale of the various degrees of human struggle. By the sound of these stirring and intricate songs, Eaton would have done Faulkner proud.

The Weakerthans closed out the evening to a sea of die-hard fans; their following is huge in the Twin Cities, which is no surprise once you see how they put on a live show. Although the band hasn’t had a new album release since 2007 they were certainly not short on material; various song request shouts from the audience proving so.

The Winnipeg natives have been together for over 12 years, and played plenty of fan favorites from their vast repertoire, including “The Reasons” and “Reconstruction Site.” TW are known for their poignant lyrics, and were their words were shouted back by a vast majority of listeners. This was the second to last night of The Weakerthans/Rock Plaza Central tour, which ended in Madison last Monday.

(Tara Rogan)