What a great show- In a gymnasium, no less!

Grace Too
Something On
Courage
**Gord then gave a lecture about crowd-surfing and asked several times for it to stop.  It eventually died out.  He said that it was out of date, that it "went out with the Rubik's Cube and Tickle-Me Elmo..."**
Membership
Gift Shop
Thompson Girl
Nautical Disaster (Tremendous!)
Poets
Greasy Jungle
Ahead By A Century
Springtime In Vienna
Bobcaygeon
100th Meridian (about 10 minutes long, I think!)
Fireworks
NOIS

Encore 1-Vapour Trails
        Little Bones (I would have died if they hadn't played this song)

Encore 2-Chagrin Falls
         Fire In The Hole

If anyone wants to post this info on a site, feel free.

Damnations TX was very, very good.  They were a lot higher-energy than I had pictured- more straight-ahead driving bluegrass than twangy country.
Songs I missed:50 Mission Cap, Emperor Penguin, Wheat Kings
Songs I wouldn't have missed: Greasy Jungle, Thompson Girl
I think we lost a song due to Gord's lecture.  Bad mosh-pit! Bad! Oh well, no one got hurt and it was still an awesome show- my first, but definitely not my last.
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Review by Mark Feldman

Rory,
Sorry man, didn't get to tape the show, but it's my pleasure to do a review, just give me a couple of days, i'm a little busy.  I got the setlist from Mark Vreeken so I won't keep you hanging....

Grace
Something
courage
Membership
Gift
Thompson
Nautical
Poets
Greasy
ABAC
Spring
Bob C
Meridian
Fireworks
New O

E1: Vapour
Bones

E2:  Chagrin
Fire in the hole

Considering I went to 8 shows on the winter tour, no major surprises.
HIghlites:
-Opening w/Grace, first since the first leg (if I'm not mistaken)
-Bobby and Gord S teased the crowd on 2 different occasions. Sinclair clearly played the first few bars of Gems, then stopped! A few songs later Bobby clearly played the intro to highway girl, then
stopped!
We couldn't believe it, obviously things they could only get away with in the states!

We'll be in touch.
"Lately at Hip headquarters, we've been working on how to make shows more desirable for women."  -Gord, May 5th, Calvin College
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Review by Melissa Kell via Henhouse mailing list

ok. i feel obliged to share my experiences in grand rapids last night with everyone... especially after sean left us all in suspense (by the way, i did e-mail him - i'm curious to hear his opinion of the show...)  and just so you know, this is a long ass e-mail.

anyway - i was pretty excited for the show. it was my fifth this tour and the last time i saw them in grand rapids (september) was definitely the best of the five - so i was looking forward to another spectacular show.

first, i must say (in hopes of not offending those matriculating at calvin college) that the venue was not
ideal. not sure what goes on at calvin college - but it appeared to be a very small, very conservative, very white, and very religious school (though, being a notre dame alumna (almost!) i really shouldn't talk...).  the show was in the *fieldhouse* which was quite reminiscent of my high school's gymnasium, complete with that funny smell and those uncomfortable bleachers.  my roommate and i arrived early to have a little picnic before the show - until i was accosted by *security guards* and forced to dump out my beer because it's a dry campus  (tragic, i know).  we eventually entered the venue and found it out it was non-smoking (double whammy) and caught the opening act. they were a little too country for my tastes (i have a pretty strong aversion to banjos).

the crowd was pretty young...but it was an all ages show. and there were TONS of people who felt the need to replace various articles of clothing with canadian flags. seriously - flags as capes, shirts, skirts, etc. - it was crazy. and it was Really Really Really Hot in there  we attempted to find a spot on the floor near the stage - but after nearly being crushed to death in grand rapids last time, we
decided to stay toward the back of the crowd in front of the stage. that lasted for about five minutes because people in front of us were constantly holding up those god damned (sorry) flags - and the stage wasn't very high, which hindered my gordie-viewing. so we moved off to the side and stood on the bleachers, which ended up being a great place to be.

(man am i ever long winded tonight!! it's pretty evident that finals are over and i actually miss writing...)  if there is a reason that sean was bummed about the show - i'd guess it would be because of the crowd.  a lot more crowdsurfing than i've seen at the other shows - which led to gordie proclaiming that "crowdsurfing went out with the rubix cube" - and some other rants during the first couple songs.  he also mentioned something about hip headquarters and an attempt to reinvent the *hip woman* at their shows (that's me! that's me!) and how it sucks to be a woman at a show like this and getting crushed by those assholes who insist on crowdsurfing and the like.  he was seriously
pissed - which didn't stop these obnoxious 17 year old kids from hoisting up anyone and everyone who appeared willing. in addition, the security was seriously *weak* - their method of dealing with the perpetrators was to shine a flashlight on them (ah, yes, VERRRRRY effective!).  so that
totally sucked - definitely brought down gordie's mood. and i'm sure the people in front were sufficiently irritated.

i'm not sure that sean could be *that* disappointed in the hip's actual performance... gordie was doing plenty of ranting and that sexy grabbing-his-pants thing.  the band sounded good (though a high school gym's acoustics aren't always great).  i won't even attempt to recreate the set list (for *some reason* my short term memory fails me...) but they played much of the normal stuff - a few treats for me were greasy jungle, thompson girl, insomniacs (i LOVE this!!) during 100th, and an awesome fire in the hole to close out the show.  my only criticism was that chagrin falls sounded really crappy - not sure what the deal was...couldn't hear the vocals and both the guitars were waaaaaay too loud.  BUT, overall, i thought it was a really good show!

so, in conclusion, i was pretty pleased - and can't be totally sure why sean was so disappointed.  yeah - the crowd was a little out of control - but that can all be taken in stride...  if this is the reason that our friend sean deserts the hip, i will personally kick the ass of every wearing-a-flag-as-a-cape guy (how come it's only the guys??) at the next show i'm at.  if anyone else was there - please share your thoughts as well!

melissa
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Review by Sean via Henhouse mailing list

greetings....this is gonna be a long one...so grab a beverage...and perhaps a
pillow...and Enjoy!!!!

ok...so i guess the prodigal son has come home..thanks to the kindness of
Highlander...Melissa...Sharon...Andrew...and many others...ah, screw it...the
whole list (prob'ly)...i'm back...tho a little worse for the wear...but i
digress....

ok...the set list...(not sure if this is in proper order)

Grace, too (opener)
something's on
courage
membership
( i just realized that the set-list was posted on the site (duh) and what's
more...i printed it off & it's sitting here next to me..but i will continue
on for convenience)
gift shop
thompson girl
nautical disaster
poets
greasy jungle
ABAC
springtime in vienna
bobcaygeon
100th meridian
new orleans

1st
vapour trails
little bones

2nd
chagrin falls
fire in the hole

______________________________-

ok...so gord walks out (why isn't he taller?? i thought he'd be taller...oh
well, like it matters) all i can say is...IT'S ON!!!!!!

rips into grace...rants......"crisis in philedelphia!!!!!!!!! crises in
philadelphia!!!!!!!!!!
continues on...later in the song...."but the pilot is committed...he won't
turn away...the chopper is coming....the chopper is coming" (all the while
beating madly upon his chest to simulate the blades of the chopper { i was in
awe})...then towards the end...he is acting out...shooting a
basketball....catching a football...cheerleading...didn't know whether to
laugh or cry...then opens his eyes..."something's on...something's
on...SOMETHING'S ON!!!!!!!!!!!"

"let's just take care of each other"

i think before courage...(THINK)..he intro'd it as "this is called 'star wars
action figure'"

membership "this is a song about a river"

"thompson girl"

bobcaygeon "this is a song about a love that knows no boundaries"

during 100th...bit of california dreaming...then into some "song" about a
bear(?)...while my stomachs full..i'm gonna get some things done(?)...then
into a bit of ..."if i could sleep then perchance to dream...insomniacs of
the world unite..."(insomniacs, right? {DUH})...then...silence...in ONE
breath...ifidieofvanitypromisemepromisemetheyburymesomeplaceidon'twannabeyou'l
ldigmeupandtransportmeunceremoniouslyawayfromtheswollencity-breezegarbagebagtr
eeswhispersofdiseaseandactsofenormityandlowermeslowlysadlyandproperly...(pause
)...{with one eye-brow raised})...get ry cooder to sing my eulogy!!!!

new orleans...no rant

vapour trails "this is a song about taking your nationalism over-seas"

little bones-nice to hear since this is the first song i heard by
them..outside of the snl performance

chagrin falls-sounded much dif'rent then the recorded version...much more
ambient(?)

fire in the hole-sung with a lot of anger(?)...gord seemed to literally
"spit" the words out...

plenty of references to the "situation" in the crowd...."can't you see what
you are doing...plenty of shoving...plenty of pushing...look at that girl
right there..."

gord was speaking about it at one point...."i know there's a lot of glee out
there tonite...but not to take away from the gleefulness..you're...you're
hurting yourselves out there...(at this point someone is picked up, and then
falls right in front of gord)...oh, that's nice"

i remember one rant ended with gord saying something along the lines of
"...what are ya made of...cotton candy??"

when they left after the "initial" set...gord
said..."thanks...g'nite...thanks for not crowd-surfing...(points at
suspect)...especially you...appreciate it"

btw, it should be pointed out that the "venue" had NO clue what they were
doing...case in point:  you could LEAVE and then come back in....problem???
people leaving...getting sloshed...and THEN coming back in the stir up
trouble...nice!!!!! that's what it is all about...

in closing...to whomever seemed to be making it seem "lame" that i would
never want to go to another hip show...let me say this...i deserve criticism
for my wanting to diassociate myself from the hip, based on the events that
took place...but look at what took place...not exactly the type of thing that
would lead you to book a flight for the the next town they are playing...at
least not me....in time, i'm sure i will end up at another hip show...but,
i'll prob'ly be at the back of the venue...and that's a shame, because if i
want to get roughed up, i can just go into any bar and push someone up
against a wall....i shouldn't have to pay $20 or more to get knocked around,
especially when i paid money to see a great band...not get my teeth knocked
out, oh well....

oh yeah, and whoever called me a TROLL (?)...it's comments like that, that
lead me to believe you would prob'ly be doing some of the pushing and
elbowing at the shows...how was that comment s'posed to be taken??? so, i'm
on the ledge...and you push me??? i'm not sure how that is necessary...i
harbour no ill feelings toward anyone on this list, but it's comments like
that that tend to make me second guess people...i'm sorry if my reaction was
over the top...but, if you had gone thru what i had...you may have had that
very reaction yourself...whatever...it's not important...nothing is
important...for a second-motion on that (everyone) go see "hurlyburly"...oh
wow!!! what is the deal with that film...i'm not sure if i will be able to
come to a conclusion, even if i spend all night and next week thinking it
over...

for those concerned...i'm back...and will continue to enjoy the hip...and
will discontinue from posting a message this long...ever again...(sorry)

take care,
sean

"the audience is sinking man, and i don't wanna swim!!"

-gord downie, grand rapids 5 / 5 / 99