OK, OK People...

Flame wars after such a TREMENDOUS SHOW!!! Gawd, some people just don't get it...

THE SHOW!!! THE SHOW!!! THE SHOW!!!

What a show indeed. Hot, sweaty and TREMENDOUS.

My day started at 5 a.m., not being able to sleep because I knew I would soon be heading to Minneapolis to see the band. After spending an enjoyable afternoon in the downtown area we headed to the club - noting immidiately there was NO air conditioning. This will be an adventure. (We = Me. My buddy Travus -- the guy who initially played UTH for me. His first show. My nephew Matt. Also his first show.)

After a mediocre opening act, (I've liked the previous Minny Zoo openers much better. This guy is swaggering/posing 70's arena rock. I'd no sooner buy his album than, say, I dunno. I just wouldn't buy it. And to add to the oddity he's on RCA records. When was the last time you heard of a NEW band on RCA? Love & Rockets?) The lights dimmed, the heat went up and... "Use it up... Use it all up..." These are the moments that make all of it worthwhile. I was perched nicely in front of the sound booth. I only mention this because after getting into stride in the opener they clicked into Music@.. then BAM into NOIS. I say BAM not because I watch too much FOOD TV, but because of the pace they kept. Song tagged into next song into next. Yes there was time for guitar changing, towel off, drink water - but after the relaxed Zoo shows of the past tours, mind you I'm NOT complaining - this was as tight  as a Las Vegas review. The intensity of the band by this point was as intense as the heat. The bottom end was mixed to a tee -- completely impacting the senses. At times I felt like I was tied to the front bumper of a Kenworth semi, roarring 95MPH down Interstate-94... highlighted by the sonics of the axemen flagged to the right and left of this express. And then there was Gordon Downey. I've always thought he was a good showman. He stepped it up another notch last night.
Chagrin Falls went to let us know that our old favorites would be getting the "treatment" from the new lighting system. I've always appreciated when bands don't rely on lighting systems to "make their show".. but... DAMN. Alas you CAN have your cake and eat it too. KUDOS to the lighting designer. The operator could lay off the FLASH AUDIENCE button a bit (there were some trite "light the audience cause they're supposed to sing here" moments). Overall no complaints there. Wonderous. If I recall correctly, Whorella praised it initially. The nutty ol' bag was right. (And I mean that in kindest of terms)
Back to G.D. I think his solo stint did him well. It's almost like he took this self-evaluation of here's where I want to grow on a personal level -- hence the solo. Then it's like... "I've accomplished that... can I continue to grow?" His sneers, his grins, his animations, all DEMANDED you pay attention, lest you should miss something. The stage was HIS. With knobs throwing towls and shirts onto the stage he deleivered some subtle hints in his rants (not high enough in the mix, but...) and not so subtly in a direct a between song message to some folks who "have created a small vortex down front here."
Despite the heat... (Has anyone mentioned how hot it was?) the guys were having fun. Rob draped a towel over his head at one point... (Shiek Yerboutti??)... some gal flashed Paul, putting a devilishly coy grin on his face, and Gord S. manuevered his way through his moves -- aside from the fact his bass cord shorted out, and his was perspiring so heavily it ran off his left elbow like a stream. Come to think of it... Rob was the only one to NOT have some for of trouble. Gordon had items thrown at him... Gord had the bad cord.. Paul broke a string... Johnny missed a couple cues. Speaking of Johnny. I've mentioned in other posts how much fun he is to watch play. His intensity was unwavered by the heat... my guess is the missed cue and mishaps were from the fact he musta lost 10 pounds in water weight -- and it all fell on his drum riser... slip-slip... and he was grinning
all frikkin night.
OK> Enough...
My summary. This band's focus has made the transition it started with Music@... a sharper more streamlined attack, and at the same time generating more PUNCH. The band has the capacity to carry on as many years as its members will permit. The ideas are fresh, the hits are there to back them up, and we, gentle reader can only sit back and watch... and be thankful.
After the show had a chance to shake hands / photo op with Rob Baker. To cap off a wonderful night... and giving me a lot to recall durng the four hour drive home.

Blissed;
T.


Hi there:
I, too, just returned from the gig, after stopping for pizza.

Here's the setlist and then my comments follow.
Minneapolis, MNÝ First Ave
Mark Copley, warm-up act

Use it up
Music @ Work
NOIS
Chagrin Falls
Fully Completely
Puttin' Down
Silver Jet
100th Meridian
It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken
Poets
Fireworks
Nautical Disaster
Bobcaygeon
Freak Turbulence
Giftshop
The Dire Wolf
Little Bones

First and only Encore:
The Dark Canuck
Blow at High Dough

I thought the lighting was great and I loved the versions of the songs.Ý The sound had Bobby's guitar mixed too low.Ý NOIS and 100th Meridian were shorter, no-jam versions which is fine after all these years.Ý Little Bones and Blow at High Dough still get the crowd going after all these years too. The band had to hold up in this heat too.Ý I think they did a fine job.Ý I don't know if they are playing two encores at most of their gigs or not, but I think we all understood why only one encore for this one.

The heat:Ý I recall reading back in 2000, about some incredibly hot (temperature) gig at the Wetlands--thereafter called the Sweatlands.Ý We'll have to come up with a new name for First Ave.Ý I talked with a bartender after the fact and he said that power was still out (and had been out for about a day) to a portion of the building.Ý Apparently that is the portion that has the A/C control.Ý Anyways, I, too, was concerned about the heat.Ý I think it bordered on negligence.Ý In my own case, I was drinking water anyways--since I don't drink anymore.Ý But it was THAT hot that I made a point to "keep dancing" in order to not succumb.Ý I'm tellin' you, I was completely soaked in sweat.Ý It was a sauna and a workout all in one.

I had a good, memorable time because of the music.Ý I liked the new songs (in general).Ý But they need to grow on me more.Ý Use it Up, happens to be one of my favorites off the new one so far.

And yes, if live sound copy of this show exists, I hope to acquire same.

Bruce Richardson - W9FZ


Firstly, I need to explain the fact that this venue is perhaps the worst place to have a Hip concert. First Avenue is a complete DIVE. General admission SUCKS. Every surface of that place is painted black, and it appears that on this night the air conditioning WAS NOT FUNCTIONING.
Marc Copely came on and did a good set, Marc thanking the audience for being so gracious as to stay and actually listen to their stuff. When they were done, a projector screen came down and they played the movie Jaws while the roadies did their work behind it. At one point I looked down and noticed that the floor was rather wet, perhaps from spilled beer, sweat or condensation. At 8:20, it felt to be about 95 degrees fahrenheit.
The boys hit the stage at 8:30, & the temperature seemed to jump up to 100 degrees.
Their setlist was very similar to what I had seen at the HOB shows. I was going to write down the songs, but I didn't.
I know they opened with Use It Up, Music at Work, & NOIS. Gord was an awesome sight, being just 6 feet away from me! I could see the whites of his eyes! He was enjoying himself, dancing & posing. I thought he made eye contact with me, even winked at me (hubby said he was probably just blinking sweat out of his eyes, but I can dream!).Ý He seemed to struggle a bit with the fact that the crowd was singing so loud as to drown him out.ÝI found this to be rather disturbing as well. His rants were undecipherable through all the screaming. The crowd was also quite often out of tune with the band.
I really don't understand why this group of Canadians feel they need to attend Hip shows in every state they play in. I really don't think it's fair to have to compete for tickets and floor space in my home town with a bunch ofÝjerks that just want to get falling down drunk and totally obnoxious, throwing shit at the musicians on stage, and screaming their fucking heads off. Gord got a really pissed off look on his face after a shirt and an empty water bottle were thrown at the stage.
He pointed at a bunch of guys in particular and kindly asked them to consider the safety and well-being of the people closer to the stage that were getting squished. "We all need to take care of eachother."
My Hubby & I endured about 8 songs before I had to get out of the crush. Rivers of sweat were running off my head, down my back & legs, and I was starting to shake from dehydration, since it was about 110-115 degrees by now, no joke.
We went in search of water, then wandered around, trying to find my sister & her hubby & for a decent view of the stage. Throughout our wanderings, we noticed that every inch of the floor & stairways were wet, in some places, there were puddles. This was most likely due to the humidity & condensation. When I drank my cold water, then took a breath, I felt like I was trying to breath in a steamroom. My fingertips were pruned!
They played someÝof my favÝtunes: Fully Completely (frenzied), Bobcaygeon, Poets, Putting Down, Silver Jet, Little Bones, Blow at High Dough...Ý When they came out for encore, Gord & Gord passed out about a dozen bottles of water to the crowds in front.Ý
They played for an hour and a half.Ý I don't think anyone could have lasted longer than that in those conditions.
I managed to get a few really good pic'sÝwith my dad's digital camera. I will try to download them and email to you soon.
Ý
Cygash
Drunken Canadian Baconheads
07/20/2002: Being longtime Tragically Hip fans, Eppi and sw00p decide to catch the Hip at their only stop in Minneapolis on the 'In Violet Light' tour.Ý First off - the First Avenue venue straight-out rules; it reminds me of many of the small Punk clubs I used to go to in Europe and, to a lesser degree, in Canada (say, the old Wellingtons AKA The Crypt in Winnipeg, or Foufounes Electrique in Montreal).Ý There is a definite good vibe humming off the walls in there, even when the temperature is hovering
around 120-150F, which is pretty close to what it was on the evening in question.Ý Apparently, the part of the building that is home to the AC unit was without power, so ironicaly it was cooler outside in sub 90 degree July heat than it was on the inside of First Ave.

 We arrived a bit late (Eppi had to work for The Man) managing to squeeze through the doors just as the Hip hit their first song - Use It Up, IIRC. The mainfloor was jammed tight (this gig was sold out days in advance) and so we headed up to the balcony.Ý Right away we knew this was a mistake; I'd say out of the entire crowd, the 30-40 drunken Canadian Baconheads had all decided that this was the place for them to hang out in all their infantile, flag-waving, incontinent, drooling, off-key-singing, out-of-tempo yelling and hound-dog-crooning glory.Ý These gibbering rednecks were so wasted at the beginning of the gig that they were
spilling most of their drinks on theirs and other's shoes, backs, arms, gouging their lit cigarettes into the backs and elbows of bystanders etc. Some gargantuan, tottering female in, of all things, high heels, kept doing a route (rutt?) from the bar to the balcony railing above the stairs, leaning over to help wave a big Canadian flag with a sister-redneck - " Look at me! I'm Canadian!" a wasted effort indeed, since by my estimation about 95% of the crowd was Canadian, most of the obnoxious ones seeming to be, from overheard, slurred conversations, from Winnipeg.Ý Her precarious, corpulent tottering in those high heels
immediately begat the word 'trotter', followed by the image of that scene from Animal Farm where the Pigs, drunk from the farmer's stash of alcohol, go out upright on two hind feet, walking like humans.Ý I kept noticing how slick the floor and railings were, but, despite my best hopes, the two drunken baconheads with the flag-waving routine completely failed to tumble over the balcony to their deaths, suitably enshrouded in their beloved flag.Ý

 Ah well.Ý

 By the time the Hip got a 1/4 way into their set, I realised that a lot of the baconheads on the balcony had already forgotten the name of the band, what city they were in or, more importantly one would think, where they had parked their GMC pickup trucks.

 The saving glory in all of this was the chance to see The Hip closer than

I've ever seen them before, and to do so in a venue like First Avenue was especially sweet.Ý As usual, though, I find that anytime they play within 1000 miles of Winnipeg they don't seem to give their best performances - perhaps getting fired from the Diamond Club in Winnipeg back in the day still sticks in their craw.Ý Gord Downie was not quite his usual goofy, talkative on-stage presence, although I think the mind-buggering heat definitely played a part in that.Ý He did ad lib a little, but with the Baconhead Chorus behind us we couldn't make out what he was saying (those shirtless, shoeless, clueless bastards were still trying to sing - at the absolute top of their lungs - the verse about 2 verses behind the chorus that had already passed). Paul Langlois looked especially sheepish on that small stage, with a throng of rowdy, glass-wielding drunks towering over his head - I think he was afraid someone was either going to drop something on his noggin or actually fall on him.

 One thing I will always remember is the strange feeling of hearing NOIS in that stunning heat, with the streams of sweat rolling down my face and back - it added something to that great old Hip tune.

 All in all, I'd have to say, despite the Canadian 'I wanna be a stereotypical Ugly American Tourist' contingent, despite the mind-numbing heat, despite the drunken boneheads blocking the view with their pathetic flag-waving, this was one of the best Hip gigs I've been to in a while, almost as good as the Zoo Amphitheatre gig - where you could actually see and hear the band without any difficulty.

 :::sw00p:::


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