Frontman John Samson rocks out to the roaring crowd on Sept. 25. Photo by author.

The wait for this concert was the longest I’ve ever experienced. Doors opened at 8 p.m. The opening act, a group called Rock Plaza Central, finally stepped out at close to 9:30. By that time, the crowd, myself included, had grown quite antsy and irritated. A man right next to me screamed for Rock Plaza to play one song and get off for The Weakerthans. But Rock Plaza had other plans. With an energetic, thunderous set filled with the lead singer’s loud wailing, they primed the audience to headbang instead of complain, setting the stage for their fellow Canadian headliners.

The Weakerthans followed with a truly enjoyable performance. More than making up for the late start, the band’s ample set lasted for over an hour and a half, consisting of a whopping 21 songs. Opening with the minimalist, downbeat “Night Windows,” I thought that The Weakerthans were going to opt for a more tranquil and meditative show. Instead, they segued into a sped up, frenetic version of “Tournament of Hearts,” which set the mood for the rest of the concert. They filled it with mostly faster-paced, spunkier pieces in The Weakerthans’ discography. It was an amusing dichotomy. Despite the heavy lyrical content of the music, people were jubilantly bouncing and shouting the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The frontman, John Samson, kept up his huge, infectious grin and humorous quirks, even while performing some of the band’s more solemn pieces, which included “I Hate Winnipeg” and “Left and Leaving.” To be honest, I wish I had heard more of those quieter songs. While they are lyrically distinct, The Weakerthan’s punk-flavored compositions are musically not very special. The instruments easily drowned out the vocals, so it became hard to tell some of the pieces apart. And given that the lyrics aren’t exactly easy to memorize, due to their complexity and lack of repetition, I found myself struggling at times to sing along.

But ultimately, that is a minor complaint. I had a good night watching The Weakerthans, and seemingly, so did everyone else. For once, I didn’t bump into angry, confrontational drunks at a concert. Instead, people were mellowing in the festive, pleasant atmosphere, high-fiving with one hand while holding a cold beer in the other. My favorite moment of the night actually had little to do with the music itself. At one point in the middle of a song, John Samson summoned a guitar-player from the audience to the stage. Samson promptly handed his instrument over to this person, and then leapt down to join the audience. After getting past his initial shock, the guy played out the instrumental portion of the song with the rest of the band, clearly having the time of his life. All the while, Samson was raucously cheering on the man from below. When Samson finally came back on stage, the two shared a hearty embrace. That event made me enjoy the concert even more, making the trip a worthwhile one indeed.