Punk Education via Trouser Mouth viewing and Documentary

In an effort to broaden my horizons and to continue to have an educated opinion on culture and music, I went along with a good friend of mine from Kickboxing to a cookie-cutter version of a punk show. I shouldn't say cookie-cutter, because Trouser Mouth is really far from having duplications, or being a duplicate.

The Cinematheque is a quaint and warm little theater in the Winnipeg Exchange district, and was offering a unique experience of having a live band open for a documentary about the Vancouver punk scene: Bloodied but Unbowed. This was the perfect introduction to punk, from a metalheads point of view. Punk is something that I've never been able to jump into, or appreciate on an artistic level, but experiencing something like a dual , that was educational, and insightful, really helped me understand the allure. Punks and Metalheads may often cross over, in their bid to shed themselves of the conventional music festivities. Often employing strange stage theatrics and outfits that might gain a tongue-in-cheek laugh reaction. In Trouser Mouth's case: Black nylon pantyhose as masks on stage.

This three-piece was unrelenting in their constant stream of short, but catching songs about dog's shitting on the radio, drinking and generally being well... punk. The small crowd that was obviously already well acquainted with Trouser Mouth made friendly and acceptably funny, but unfriendly comments to the performers on- and occasionally off the stage. My friend Shannon is delighted by Trouser Mouth and raves about them all the time. I realize I must see them in their true environment of a fully-fledged punk show. In return, I| get to throw Shannon into a metal show of my choosing.

Trouser Mouth: