At the natural foods store, I noticed, high on the wall an 8×10 photograph. It hung there like a family portrait. The name beneath it read Pegger’s Banquet. I laughed, not loudly, just enough for the cashier to notice. The kind of laugh that escapes before you’ve decided whether you’re amused or confused. She looked mildly pleased with herself, as if she’d been waiting for someone to notice this artifact. “You know them?” she asked, as though my answer might determine whether I was a friend or a narc. “I don’t,” I said. “Who are they?” Her eyes brightened. “They’re a Rolling Stones cover band. All from Winnipeg bands.” Of course they are. And I thought what a name. Equal parts homage and parody, pride and apology. Something Winnipeg does perfectly, without meaning to.
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