Hey Hip fans everywhere.  Just want to say that it's great to see this
discussion group come to life over the last few weeks, with the new
album and tour getting us all worked up.  I just got home last night
from Aspen, CO and caught the Hips performance at the Concert For
Harmony.  I'm a bit of a liteweight in terms of number of shows I've
been to (Aspen makes Five), but, that notwithstanding, this show was
definitely the best Hip show I've ever seen.  The venue has a backdrop
of the beautiful Rocky Mountains, and since the Hip performed from
6-7:30, the gorgeous landscape, cloudless blue sky and UNBELIEVABLY
tight performance made for an incredible show.  My girlfriend and I
drove in from Salt lake City, listening to the cd's all the way there.
I told her I'd pay her 100 bucks if they didn't play NOIS.  Well, for
everyone out there sick of it, they skipped it, and i really didn't care
one way or the other.  I'm certainly not tired per se of it or any of
their songs, but I would rather see a song or maybe two that i haven't
seen them perform.  Anyway, here's a set list, partially in order:

          Grace, Too
          Poets
          Save The Planet
         >Fully Completely
         >Nautical Disaster
         >Gift Shop
         >Springtime In Vienna
         >Ahead By A Century
         >Something On
         >Thompson Girl
         >Membership
         >Fireworks
         >Vapour Trails
          At The 100th Meridian
          *ENCORE*
          Bobcaygeon
          Fire In The Hole

> means probably out of order

Pretty basic when it comes to pre-PP material, but it still rocked. I've
been reading alot about this "Can't beat the heat" jam during Meridian,
and they went into that too.  Another cool thing was that I could
actually hear Gord D's guitar DURING the songs he played on. The overall
sound was perfect.  Gord intro'ed Gift Shop as "A song about a place
almost as beautiful as here", and as an intro to Nautical, he informed
the crowd that the valley they were standing in used to be a great body
of water where a massive shipwreck occurred long ago, and the band had
restored the masts of the ships and used them as scaffolding on either
side of the stage.  Actually hearing Gord's rants before and during
songs was a new experience for me.  All in all, an unbeleivable show.
The crowd was about 1500, but only a few hundred at MOST was there for
the Hip-very intimate.  Anyway, looking forward to dates in Salt Lake
and Vegas.  Anyone else make it to Aspen?  I'd love to get a recording.
Peace...

Brian Mc
Salt Lake City, UT