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Wino Wednesday: Performing “Manifesto” in the Crowd in Belgium, 2010

Compared at least to the discography he’s amassed in bands like The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, Saint Vitus, etc., Scott “Wino” Weinrich‘s acoustic catalog is pretty small. There’s two collaboration releases with Conny Ochs, his own Adrift full-length, the Songs of Townes Van Zandt tribute, and the split 7″ with Scott Kelly. Actually, I guess that’s more than some acts put out in their entire career, but this is Wino we’re talking about, so it’s fair to say that he’s still probably just getting started in the form.

Nonetheless, one of his most powerful unplugged cuts to date is the politically-driven “Manifesto.” In classic protest-song fashion, it’s a lyrical recitation of belief, living up to its title with an innate sense of defiance and lines like, “I believe religion is a tool of war.” At the same time, there’s also something affirming in it, an aspect of hope that’s not lost in the seething tension Wino creates on guitar or in his vocals.

Watching this clip of Wino performing the song in Belgium on an early acoustic tour in Oct. 2010, that hope is all the more prevalent as he hops down from the stage to sing it to the crowd on the crowd’s own level. No mic, no P.A., just as raw and natural a performance as can be — one person and one guitar. The camera here is perfectly positioned to capture his expressions and the passion at the core of his delivery, and of all the Wino Wednesday clips I’ve posted in the last 65-plus weeks, this one might be the most intimate.

Check it out and have a happy Wino Wednesday:

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