an evening with the tragiclly hip
While I'm sure many people expect me to compare this show to a Pearl Jam concert, I'm not going to do that. To do so would diminish both bands, as they are not the same and should not be treated as such. Live with it.
Well, I found my way there, got a ticket at the booth and settled in. I was in section 102, just behind stage right. A good seat, actually, considering I just bought it that day at the box office. I actually didn't use that seat 'cause I wanted a seat along the aisle, so I sat two seats over until people started coming in. But then somebody took my seat, so I just stayed there. Out in the foyer, I picked up a cool Hip laniard with "backstage pass" and official Hip glow stick. Weird. I also bought a ballcap, although what I really wanted was one of the Hip hockey jerseys. Too expensive, though.
The Hip came on at about at about 8:15 or so, I think. The stage was suddenly became dark, with a blue haze just sort of hovering there. A familiar rhythm started seeping out of the speakers as the band took to their instruments. 'Tiger The Lion' came first.
After that, the rest is kind of blurry. I didn't bother taking down the setlist or anything, I just kind of let myself be there. Surreal was definitely the word of the day. I've listened to these guys so much with so many people, singing along half in the bag at parties and such, and here they were now, about 50 feet away. Gord D was doing his trademark constant-tagging/ad libbing/mumbling poetry throughout the songs, which I always get a kick out of. He never shuts up during a song and we end up with ridiculous stories and little poems like the infamous Killer Whale Tank. He was also quite animated in his own, weird sort of way. You know, messing around with the mic stand, doing that weird sort of dance he does.
'Courage' was next, which drew mass applause. The albums that always get the biggest receptions from people when dealing with this band are invariably Fully Completely, Up To Here and Road Apples, probably because they're the biggest party faves and true classics.
'Looking For A Place to Happen' was next, also off of FC. A very solid performance, much more upbeat than the studio version.
'Putting Down' was up next, the first song of the night from Music@Work. It's one of the better songs from M@W, and ever since I heard them play it at MuchMusic's I&I this year, I wanted to see them play it. Yea.
'Titantic Terrarium' was next, and I must admit that I'm no fan of this song. But then again, I haven't listened to Day For Night nearly as much as the rest of the albums, and since my copy is still back in Toronto, I guess I'm up Shit's Creek without an oar on that one.
A slow build-up to 'Gift Shop' came next, which the band again got massive applause for. The show at this point was still pretty tepid overall, at least from the audience's perspective. Everyone except those in the front floor were still sitting down. They were enthusiastic, but just sitting there. I was too, for that matter, but I was having a blast, and if I can do that sitting down, all the better for my sore leg. (A dog kind of bit me earlier -- stupid, long story.)
At this point it dawned on me how impressive their light show is. Extremely moody, heavy in blues and softer, darker colours. Very nice.
'Fireworks'. The night's first song from Phantom Power was a rapid affair, much faster than the studio. This is one of my faves from PP, so I was glad to hear it last night.
'The Completists' was next, and hotdammit, it's probably my favorite on M@W. (Along with 'MMAW'.) I don't think people have gotten into M@W really yet, 'cause their reception to the new songs was a bit sad, but in a way to be expected.
'Springtime In Vienna' was up next, and it totally destroyed the fantastic version on Live Between Us. That surprised me.
Gord D finally took a pause here and went to pick up his accoustic. 'Ahead By A Century' was next. In my opinion, 'ABAC', 'Gift Shop' and 'Springtime In Vienna' were the only truly great songs on Trouble At The Henhouse.
'Greasy Jungle' was next on the setlist, and I didn't think it was possible to speed that song up anymore. I mean, some of the lyrics are indecipherable even on the comparitively slow studio version, but this one had Gord just whipping them out like nothing.
Gord D got the accoustic out again for the next song, a favorite to one and all, 'Bobcaygeon'. Personally, yes, I like this song, but everybody else truly loves this song. Whatever.
Next up is the fucking best Hip song there is. No Canadian band would be complete without a song about a nautical disaster. The next song was called 'Nautical Disaster'. At this point, the crowd was going haywire. Finally, after 12 songs, the crowd was primed. People were dancing in the rows on this one, totally going bugnut.
To keep the momentum going, 'My Music At Work' was next. The song is completely fucking infectious. Every time I hear it, I like it more. It's the one song on Music@Work that everybody seems to like, even people who aren't big Hip fans. Groovy.
At this point, with the momentum at full steam, the band pauses for a twenty minute break between sets. I could not believe it. 20 minutes. Any momentum they had going was completely lost as the idiots around me took this time to get more beer and get more drunk. I should mention that I was surrounded by idiots, who kept getting up after every other song to get something or piss or whatever. It was truly annoying. I won't even mention the two chicks in front of me who wouldn't shut the fuck up during the entire show. Doesn't it figure that if you're going to a concert, you'd be paying attention to the band and the music rather than chatting about the weather or your dog or whatever? No, instead you constantly chatter during songs you don't like, only to shut up during the songs that everybody else likes but you don't. Pisses me off.
Some time during this 20 minute break, the seats beside me emptied and the people never came back. Two other people, a younger guy and gal, both took their seats. They were something like 17 (guy) and 19 (gal) and I gots to talking to the them after a while. They were brother and sister apparently -- the guy was a loser because he took his sister to a concert. He left after a while and it was just me and her, and, as I would soon find out, she was completely nuts. She asked for my phone number early on, which I gave her (I don't know anybody in Calgary, so a friend would be nice), only to find out halfway through the second half of the show that not only was she a crazy, hippie, psycho chick (in a sweet kind of way mind you) but she was also a drug dealer. So now my phone number, or at least the phone number of my landlords', is on the cell phone of a drug dealer. Great. Just fucking great. I mean, she was nice and all, maybe a bit weird, but nice. And then I find out she's a drug dealer.
Anyways, the Hip finally retake the stage, and start off with 'Wheat Kings', a classic from FC. Everybody sings along, and the psycho drug dealer hippie chick sticks a joint into one of those plasic yellow M&M containers and heaves it onto stage. She couldn't stop talking about that for the rest of the night, saying how cool it would be to see Gordie D or Paul smoking that fat boy.
Another M@W song was next, 'Train Overnight'. The audience reception was pathetic, and whatever momentum they had before the break was totally gone. They'd have to work it hard to get it back.
An old-skewl Up To Here tune was next, 'Boots & Hearts'. The crowd loved this one. Hippie chick started dancing in the aisle.
'Emperor Penguin' was to follow, and while it's a decent song, it seemed out of place here. I would have thought that they'd try to kick it up a notch, but EP is not a notch up in the kicking sense from B&H.
Another UTH song was next, 'Blow At High Dough', one of the Hip's most recognizable, trademark tunes. Freak out time for the crowd. Finally, practically everybody was standing, and wouldn't sit down for the rest of the night.
Immediately afterwards, freak out time was over, 'cause it was time for another M@W song, the band's new single, 'Lake Fever'. I don't think that the masses have caught on to this song quite yet.
'Daredevil' and 'Don't Wake Daddy' were next, followed by the kickingest song from Phantom Power -- 'Poets'. This song live is amazing. I had heard a ton of bootlegs and watched a few live videos of it, and was really looking forward to seeing it myself. Double yea.
'Flamenco' was next, followed by the highlight of the night (for me) -- 'At The Hundredth Meridian', which is the Hip's equivalent of 'Porch'. The band jams it out at the end, and this version is faster and more aggressive than any other version I'd heard before. Extremely fast, jumpy and totally nuts. The crowd was going ape shit now.
The next two songs were rather slow -- 'Chagrin Falls' and 'Stay', from PP and M@W respectively. 'Stay' was especially nice.
The last few songs had the crowd just losing it -- 'New Orleans Is Sinking' (another Hip trademark), 'Fire In The Hole', 'Freak Turbulance' (high energy track from M@W), 'Long Time Running' and, finally, an extended 'Little Bones'. The crowd was exhausted by now, and the show was done. 32 songs in all, 3 hours, a veritable marathon. The shows from this tour have been longer than in most previous tours because there are no opening acts, which is sweet -- more Hip is a Good Thing.
At this point, I make my escape from weird hippie chick and from her ranting about how she's going to change the face of music and "bring it all back", her karma ramblings and general weirdness and make my way to the C-train. I can barely even remember how I got home, 'cause I was sort of in a daze. It was strange.
And that was my Hip concert. Again, it's a different experience from a Pearl Jam concert, but equally amazing. Comparisions would be futile, so I won't even bother. Just rest assured that it was a very surreal kind of experience, and anyone even vaguely interested in rock music should definitely take in a show.
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