Something On
My Music At Work
Gift Shop
Putting Down
Springtime In Vienna
Toronto #4
Fireworks
The Completist
Nautical Disaster
Don't Wake Daddy
Freak Turbulence
Bobcaygeon
Fully Completely
Lake Fever
At The Hundredth Meridian
First Encores: Tiger The Lion
Ahead By A Century
Little Bones
Second Encores: Flamenco
Poets
That's all from memory, but I'm sure it's right. Before the show started,
everybody stood up and sang "Oh Canada", followed by a 2 minutes "HIP,
HIP, HIP, HIP, etc." cheer. Two members of the opening band (Kate and Chris
Brown, I think) played for the whole show (Kate on vocals, and tambourine,
and Chris on keyboards). The highlight for me was Hundredth Meridian, because
they did a great, little jam in the middle of the song. Anyway, if this
is how the summer tour is going to be, then it's going to be a great tour.
See you all in Central Park!
From Jesse
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I am sitting at work in Orchard Park NY at 6 30 and I learn that
the office is gonna close a little earlY! So , just for shits and giggles,
I call Massey Hall to see if they have any tickets left!! Mind you, I called
two days ago and there was one Obstructed View seat left!! So I call and
the lady says "Yeah"...we have four tickets sitting here!! They just popped
up" She tells me that two are in Row 5 on the floor and the other
two are Row 1 in the BalconY!! NOT TOO SHABBY!! I quickly scoop up one
pair and have my GF call and snap the others! I bolt from work , pick my
GF up, stop at two friends houses and tell them to get in the car, 'We're
going to see the HIp and there are no time for questions"" Yada Yada
yada...we get to the border at 7 and just our luck...we have to pull over!!
At this point, we have two hours til the Hip go on and I don't have time
to fuck around with Goddamn Border Control!!
SO....half hour later they let us go and its
and hour and half to go and about 98 miles!! So I hop in the Buick, turn
up my Hip @ Fort Henry Kingston Cd (Thank you hip.org) and take a shot
of Chivatz Regal!! Well, all true but the whole shot thing!! So we haul
ass down the QEW at 95 MPH/143kph the whole way though with minor stretches
were we have to slow to 76mph! (isn't the QEW great?) So we get into
downtown with 13 min to spare!! We get to Younge, find some parking meter
where this dumb ass who can't decide which language he can speak tells
us its $15 CA to park!! I give him $11 US and tell him to deal with it!!
We book down the street, right to the big red doors that say Ticket Window!!
I run in pick up the tickets take a quick look at the watch .....8 58!!
Holy Shit...We Made It!! I go down to my fifth row seat only to find out
I am sitting next to the Keyboard Player for Barenaked Ladies (Kevin Hearn...I
say Hi...can't wait til the new album...hope your cancer is better and
can't wait for the Hip!! He pretty much agrees because I don't let
him get a word's in edge wise cuz I am so stoked!! Two seconds
later, the lights dim, I say later Kev and go right up to the stage!! There
I am , Right Up on the Stage!!
First song......Something On (after gord rambles for like 4 minutes
before any music is played) " ITs So You...ITs So YOu....Its So YOu.....SOmething
ON!!!
God bless the HIp and God Bless tHE ROAD TRIP!
Stay HIp
Gary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phew.... Well, what can I say. A stellar show...
I got there around 8:40. Figured the Hip would be on around 9:00.
Well, right around 9, there were a couple of guys up in the gallery (2nd
balcony) started singing O Canada. Fairly routine fair for Hip concerts.
But I didn't expect the entire place to stand up and sing the loudest,
most lively version of our national anthem that I've ever heard.
Followed by a HUGE standing ovation. Loved it (because we were in Canada,
I'd be less impressed if that happens in Boston).
5 minutes later, the band hit the stage. Before a song was sung,
before a note was played, Gord started reciting something - something about
being Canadian... my guess is, the poem he referred to during the MusiquePlus
I&I, Gord's "I am Canadian".
"This is a song about 2 fighter planes..." and as I expected to hear
the opening strains of Tiger The Lion, the band launched
into Something On. Followed by (in no particular order) MM@W,
GiftShop & Springtime in Vienna. (Giftshop got a little
"anaesthesiologist" (sp?) intro).
Then, for the rest of the evening, the band pretty much alternated
with new song, old song, new song, old song... Never played
2 songs from the new album in a row....
We got (in no particular order) Don't Wake Daddy, Lake Fever, Puttin'
Down, Completists, Toronto #4, Freak Turbulence,
Nautical, Little Bones, Fully Completely, BobC, ABAC, Fireworks.
At the 100th Meridian closed the first part of the show. Good
version. Gord pretty much let the crowd finish off after "If I die
of vanity, promise me... " for the rest of that bit.
Tiger the Lion started the first encore (of which there were 2). Didn't
strike me as much different from the album version.
Flamenco was in the second encore... almost a duet, with Gord letting
Kate have the "go to new york" & "stamp your feet for everyone' excerpts.
Very nice. Rousing ovation. Then launched into Poets to close
the show for good.
Poets & Don't Wake Daddy were standouts for me. And I'm not
normally a DWD fan. But the band was definitely ON for these, and
seemed to be having a blast all night. It's been said before, and
I've noted it many times, but man, does Johnny ever beat the crap out of
those drums!!
No 'Bastard' though. 5 songs from TATH, only one from DFN, and
none from UTH. I can understand that the band's tired of playing
New Orleans every night, but how can they not be sick to death of ABAC?
-Ian
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Hip rock solid in T.O.
By PAUL CANTIN
Senior Reporter, JAM! Showbiz
THE TRAGICALLY HIP
Massey Hall, Toronto
Friday, June 23, 2000
TORONTO -- When it comes right down to it, the concert
experience isn't about ticket prices or box office receipts or set lists
or
SoundScan sales numbers or souvenir T-shirts or any of the other
garbage we sometimes convince ourselves matters.
What the concert experience is about is moments; those instantaneous
constellations of circumstance that can't be captured on records or
movies or (heaven forbid) music videos, but are treasured in memory
long after the houselights come up.
A whole bunch of those moments occurred here Friday night, but
perhaps the most astonishing came before The Tragically Hip had
even mounted the hallowed stage of Massey Hall.
In the anxious moments before the concert's scheduled start, the entire
capacity crowd, suddenly and without prompting, rose to its feet and
belted out "O Canada," as if the same idea ocurred to about 3,000
people at the exact same moment. It was breathtaking, and when the
quintet (with additional support from keyboardist Chris Brown and
singer Kate Fenner) took the stage seconds later, they appeared to be
taken aback by the spontaneous, but somehow entirely appropriate,
show of patriotism.
Although the group's new disc, Music@Work has already muscled its
way into the top of the Canadian retail charts, this show is one of only
four the group has scheduled in Canada (they played Montreal's
Theatre St. Denis and music video channel MusiquePlus earlier in the
week and were scheduled to perform at MuchMusic in Toronto
Saturday).
Given the scarce Canadian concerts and the august venue (Massey was
the scene of both Gordon Lightfoot's "Sunday Concert," Rush's "All
The World's
A Stage" and thousands of spectacles before and since), both the band
and their fans seemed prepared to make the most of it and make an
event of it.
Even though "Music@Work" is fresh on store shelves, the effect of
transplanting the music from the studio hothouse and allowing the
material to grow wild in live performance had already enhanced many
of the songs.
"Putting Down" was given greasier Keith Richards-calibre muscle by
guitarist Paul Langlois. The beatbox-like rhythm and guitar filigree of
the
haunting "Toronto #4" was enhanced by Johnny Fay's mallet work on
the drums and Fenner's gracious harmonizing with singer Gordon
Downie. The lullaby-like "The Completists'" was ever-so-slightly
reconsidered with a modestly funky groove and "Lake Fever" was
fortified by a funky Hohner clavinet part from Brown that unleashed
new magic in what was already an outstanding piece of work. Even
"Tiger The Lion," on record turgid and inponderable, was ominous and
spooky in concert, which was probably the intended effect all along.
And it says something about the calibre of their repetoire that, in a
20-song set, they can neglect to play "New Orleans Is Sinking," "50
Mission Cap" and "Blow At High Dough," and you'd scarcely even
notice. It also says something about the band's interpretive powers that
they can continue to play favorites like "Hundredth Meridian" and
"Nautical Disaster" and still find something vital with each performance.
During "Springtime In Vienna," as momentum accumulated toward its
scream-along chorus ("We live to survive our paradoxes"), the
exchange of enthusiasm between band and audiencewas not at all like
the tawdry vaudeville that passes for live music these days. It was more
like some strange kind of ritual between the spectator and spectacle,
the sort of collective exaltation that, before our secular age, was
probably easily accessed at church.
That's not to lay any silly sacred claims on the work of The Tragically
Hip, but more a comment on how few contemporary opportunities
there are for this kind of communal outpouring of ... well, emotion is
the
only word that seems appropriate. Each time I've seen The Hip in
concert (and I believe this was show #10 for me), what impressed most
was the overwhelming feeling of affection ping-ponging back and forth
between the bleachers and the stage.
Of course, we can get caught up in the fretting about the group's chart
status or progress finding an audience state-side or their internal
cohesion, but there's a simple antidote to all of that, and it's witnessing
what The Tragically Hip and their fans are capable of when they get
together.
If that sounds hokey, well, if you'd been a part of the moment, you'd
know what I'm talking about.
Set List
Something On
My Music At Work
Gift Shop
Putting Down
Springtime In Vienna
Toronto #4
Fireworks
The Completists
Nautical Disaster
Don't Wake Daddy
Freak Turbulence
Bobcaygeon
Fully Completely
Lake Fever
At The Hundredth Meridian
Encores:
Tiger The Lion
Ahead By A Century
Little Bones
Flamenco
Poets
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just got back from the Massey Hall show, and I've gotta say that
this was by far the best Hip show (of the 3) that I've seen. It was such
a small venue, and actually being able to hear Gordie's ramblings for once
was nice. It was a great setlist, with a couple minor surprises thrown
in, and the new songs were INCREDIBLE.
And now, some of the highlights for me:
- the entire crowd standing and breaking into "O Canada" out of the blue before the Hip came on stage, and Gord asking if we'd like to sing it again when they came on
- CHRIS BROWN: His organs really added to the show, especially the cello effects on Tiger, and the funky beats at the beginning of Lake Fever
- KATE FENNER: It was almost impossible to hear her during the show, her solo line in The Completists was hard to make out and her tambourine was inaudible throughout the show, but she made up for it during Flamenco. First of all, I never expected them to even play it, but Kate also sang a few lines solo during it where her beautiful voice was actually heard. The song was a whole lot better with her than it would have been without.
- Freak Turbulence: This song ROCKED. Of the new songs, this was definitely one of the best. It sounded a lot better than at the NYD show.
- Gord singing the original lines at the end of Lake Fever ("I'm gonna rain decent, collapse your tent, jack up your rent")
- the extended tossing of the beads at the beginning of Springtime. Gord dropped them a few times, then kicked them back up to his hand hackeysack-style
- Little Bones: This was the one song that I wanted them to play, since I'd never heard it live before. WOW! Almost as good as Meridian. :)
- Meridian: Once again, another outstanding performance of this great tune. Gordie let the audience sing the second half of the "If I die of vanity..." verse.
- Tiger the Lion: I never used to like this song, but it has grown
on me recently in a big way. It started out with Gord at the edge
of the stage, and with green lights on him as he sand the opening lines
accompanied by Chris Brown's cello effects, then the lights fell on the
rest of the band as they joined Chris. The last strum of the guitars
and pounding of the drums which led
into the cello outro hit me like a ton of bricks. Such a great
live song indeed.
- not really a highlight, but New Orleans was left off the setlist again. I'm not complaining, as I've heard it enough already, and it was nice to have Poets close the show instead of it
Overall, this was one helluva concert. As I already said, the
new songs were fantastic, and I can't wait to see the boys the next time
they pass through here.
======
Eddie, waiting anxiously for an audio/video recording of the show
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I saw the Hip last night for the 10th time in the last year and
a bit. I have to say - I wasnt too impressed.
The Good:
- "O Canada" sung by the crowd before was cool (and having Gord acknowledge
it was even cooler)
- New songs were played well
- My seats were good
- Beer before the show was good
- The venue was good
- Thats it!
The Bad: (go to the bathroom now if you cant wait a minute or two)
- Since when is the band 7 members? I didnt go to see Kate and Chris - I went to see the Hip. I didnt go to hear Kate sing during Flamenco and certainly didnt go to hear a new style of music with a keyboard in it.
- 19 songs played (I think around there) - only 4 songs from albums before Henhouse! 100th Meridian is a given that they will play. Little Bones to some extent and Nautical isnt anything out of the ordinary! Thank god for Fully Completely!
- Closing with Poets????????? Certainly not a strong closing song. But
I guess they wanted to gear towards the PPTF's (Phantom Power Tour Fans
-you know - the fans who know every song off Phantom Power and the new
album because they downloaded off Napster lightyears before the album came
out, thinking they were cool and then Ahead By A Century and
Courage. And they probably know New Orleans by now because they followed
the Hip around for 18 shows that were miles and miles away from their hometown
and heard it enough by the end)
- I had one of these fans right in front of me! He sang to all the popular songs. Shut up for Little Bones and Fully Completely!
- I wasnt impressed with 100th Meridian - NO RAMBLINGS!!!! He just stood there!
Dont get me wrong. Im a huge Hip fan. I wouldnt have gone otherwise. But I think it was only a good show if you have only seen them once, maybe twice or even not at all.
Josh
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
let me start off by saying that i have had incredible luck this week.
i'm willing to share a little known secret with ya all - i got my
tickets for the massey hall show last night at 7:10 pm - not through
scalpers, but through the box office. yes, that is right, i called
massey hall and asked if any tickets had been released - and sure enough
i snagged 2 seats 7 rows back on the floor. unbelievable!!! never,
ever believe them when they say a show is sold out - i've always managed
to snag incredible seats at the very last minute, and although it is quite
nerve-wracking and frustrating, it always seems to work, so keep that in
mind my friends next time they tell you the best band in the world is sold
out!
and now, on to the show - and what an incredible show it was. when
i walked into massey, the vibe in their was electric!
personal favs of the night: Nautical Disaster, Don't Wake Daddy, Bobcaygeon
(that night in Toronto!!!), Tiger the Lion (which I really never liked
until last night, especially with the groovy lighting effects), the beautiful
Flamenco with the lovely Kate, oh man i could go on and on ...
disappointment - i'm not one to nitpick because i'm always enthralled
by a hip show, but Toronto #4 which is my favourite song of M@W sounded
horrible - Kate could hardly be heard. other than that, i was in hip heaven!
and it doesn't end there - tonight I'm going to the I&I, so look
for my full report tomorrow. did anyone else on the list win wristbands
for MM 2night? i'm also going to try to take some pics.
god, i'm so high, i don't know how i'll ever be able to come down from
this!
-Stephanie D.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tragically Hip greeted with full-swing singalong
By Vit Wagner
Toronto Star Pop Music Critic
It was less a night for listening to the Tragically Hip than it was an
occasion for
Toronto to holler its devotion for Canada's favourite musical sons.
Just back from an exploratory trip to Europe, the Hip were greeted by a
sold-out
Massey Hall last night to the kind of reception once accorded conquering
Roman
soldiers returning from Gaul.
A state of frenzied pandemonium had set in even before singer Gord Downie
and
company set foot on the stage, beginning with an spontaneous, house-rattling
rendition of ``O Canada,'' followed by chants of ``Gordie! Gordie! Gordie!''
and ``Go
Leafs Go!''
Canadian flags were hoisted by fans in the upper reaches and one young
woman in
the front row of the first balcony stripped down to a bra that had a red
maple leaf
planted on the middle of each cup.
From the moment the band ripped into ``Something On'' from 1998's Phantom
Power,
the singalong was in full swing. There were times when back-up vocalist
Kate Fenner
must have felt like the most superfluous person in the house.
Fenner and organist Chris Brown, who opened the show with a set of their
own,
joined Downie, guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair
and
drummer Johnny Fay for a raucous, two-hour presentation that included 20
songs,
counting five encore numbers.
A good chunk of the material, including ``Toronto #4,'' ``Lake Fever''
and ``The
Completists,'' was culled from the band's new Music @ Work CD, with a fair
smattering of Phantom Power and cherished anthems from earlier albums liberally
mixed in.
Music @ Work has been in stores for less than two weeks, but that didn't
prevent
many in the house from heartily joining in, even doing their best on the
lyrically
complex ``Tiger The Lion,'' which has a verse that includes the mouthful
``John Cage
had come to feel/ art in our time/ was much less important/ than our daily
life.''
The full measure of the audience's rapture, however, was reserved for ``At
The
Hundredth Meridian,'' ``Nautical Disaster,'' ``Fully Completely'' and the
show-ending
``Poets.''
Downie, his shirt wet through as he stalked around maniacally, sang with
a goodly
amount of gusto himself. But it was no easy chore rising above the din.
Welcome home boys.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ok, here is my review of the massy hall show.
first off, this was my first time seeing the hip live. i was very happy
with the show, it just rocked! i was sitting in upper right gallery, row
C seat 113. i had a huge pole right in front of me, goo thing the stage
was to the right of me. i got there at 8:00, watched chris and kate perform,
i liked the stuff they played. someone blew up a humble and fred
(local radio guys) condom and sent it flying. about 10 minutes before
the hip went on (8:50) everyone, and i mean everyone stood up and belted
out "O'
Canada" as loud as they could. very cool.
by far my favourite song of the night was Tiger the Lion. it's not my favourite song on the album, but they did an excellent job of it here. the stage was all dark, the band comes back out, and then only a blue light on Gord's face and upper body was on. then he started the song. Spring Time in Vienna was another great one. Kate sang 2 verses by herself. the croud loved it.
one guy a row down and 10 seats down got kicked out just before the 1st encore. he was throwing stuff i think. he had some warnings but then he threw his Canadian flag, and he was gone. too bad for him. a guy right next to me across the aisle was setting up a tripod for his video camera. he got the first song recorded then they came to tell him to turn it off. i think he kept it on so he could at least get the sound.
all in all i loved my first hip concert. it was totally great.
i can't wait till they come back.
later
'topher
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Friends,
The hallowed hall ejaculated us out into the muggy Toronto night, all
of us still riding the wave of a superb Tragically Hip
show. Canada's favorite fruit jiggling, butt wiggling animated
front man, wearing a suit and tie with a pair of well worn hiking
boots, and wearing it well started the show with a rant. Easily
blending old and new in an alternating fashion, the beloved
Kingston boys memorized the crowd. Music from seven albums blurred
into one. From my pot smokey, steamy perch in the
left balcony this observer, dancing like no one was watching.
Right Tina. Could not take his eyes off the stage. Except to
catch a glimpse of a young couple in front of me trying to perform a sexual
act, any sexual act. To the girl in front of them, sitting, arms
crossed, throughout the entire show. What a wasted seat, one I am
sure a fellow Henhouser would have died for. To the girl stage centre
in the Gallery, almost falling off and out of her red maple leaf adorned
white bra. Other reviews will tell you how many songs were played
and in what order. I leave you with this. I wish you were all
there.
David
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
given that there could have been more older songs the show was incredible.
Every m@w song that they played was awsome.
The best songs i think were
tiger the lion
100th meridian
little bones
don't wake daddy
fully completely
not necisarily in that order
the only thing that i didn't like was poets as a closer. they could have used a tune with a bit more energy. Chris Brown and Kate Fenner were good aditions, and it was an all around good show.
can't wait to see the I&I tonight
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well Well Well, Massey Hall in the heart of Toronto it's been
so long since I have graced your doors. The accoustics at Massey
have always been something to long for... I am not going to bore you with
details of how much I enjoyed every song and the setlist, because I am
sure you've already seen it.
Highlights of the night however....
I thought the o canada bit was pretty cool, it's been done before and
will be done again, hopefully someone taped it though, because it was pretty
impromptu....
One short message to the asses who want to boo chris and kate.... Obviously you have no musical taste whatsoever. The full sound which was provided by these two incredible musicians as a back up to an already musically tight band was one of the greatest experiences my ear drums have ever had... It was reminiscent of SOTW and the orchestra... Together they are that damn good.
Kate has a beautiful voice, her vocals sounded through weakly on the majority of the songs, but her surprising addition on Flamenco came through loud and clear and gave me shivers.... She adds a whole new dimension to this song.
My advice to you, as the tour progresses, when Kate sings her melodies to blend with Paul and Gord, take your eyes off of Gord for a moment and focus on her, their melodies are incredible... And punch the guy beside you in the head when he boos her and Gord for not having anything to say during meridian.
It was an excellent show, the new songs shine so well, especially the completists and Tiger the Lion ( which I am slowly wrapping my brain around)
But with the booing and the angry looking fans, I am reminded why I hate to venture to Toronto for hip shows... I just can't have that attitude that they owe me something.... Because surprise folks, they don't. Let's focus less on the politics and more on the music.... after all "that's what I'm here for."
Rory, here's your review like I promised and hopefully the tape hits
you this week.
Take Care everyone and try to love one another
Josh
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Hip Hip hooray!
Rowdy crowd jazzed by Canada's
beloved rockers
By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun
THE TRAGICALLY HIP
Massey Hall, Toronto
Friday, June 23, 2000
TORONTO -- Canada Day doesn't arrive for
another week.
But celebrations began early last night at Massey
Hall as the country's premiere rock band, The
Tragically Hip, made a rare appearance at a small
venue, bringing out full-scale patriotism in a
rowdy and rambunctious crowd.
The audience even sang the national anthem
before The Hip played a single note.
And what about that girl in the bra covered in
maple leafs?
"You are Canadian," said impressed, suit-wearing
frontman Gord Downie, in reference to the
omnipresent "I Am Canadian" beer ads.
Obviously, people were just jazzed about the fact
they got to see their beloved rockers in such an
intimate setting.
It was, in fact, the first time since 1992 that the
Kingston, Ont., band have played the classy hall
-- the best in the city for such special events.
They decided to give a little something back to
their well-known frenetic fans -- on their feet from
start to finish last night -- before embarking on a
U.S. tour with opening acts Chris Brown & Kate
Fenner joining them on stage.
And since The Hip aren't expected to tour
Canada until at least the fall, or more likely winter,
those attending last night's gig got a sneak
preview of what's to come.
The band, who get much of their manic intensity
from the head-and-hip-shaking Downie, offered
up seven new songs from their barely
two-week-old album, Music @ Work.
And surprise, surprise, most people in the
audience seemed to know all the words.
That is when they weren't chanting, "Gord-ie!
Gord-ie!"
Downie, for his part, was an exhilarating presence
during the opener, Something On, and its
follow-up, My Music At Work, the first single
from the new album.
But some momentum was lost after that one-two
punch until the jazzy jumpstarter, Springtime In
Vienna, came along, and Downie threw off his
blazer, leading to a scream-fest that rose again
and again during such songs as Fireworks,
Nautical Disaster, Fully Completely, Little Bones
and Poets.
Bobby Baker should also be singled out for both
his electric and acoustic guitar playing on
Bobcaygeon, At The Hundredth Meridian, Poets
and the new song, Tiger The Lion -- that last one
complete with green strobe lights -- while rhythm
guitarist Paul Langlois harmonized sweetly on
both Lake Fever and Ahead By A Century.
Not all of the new songs worked as well in
concert as they do on the album. For example,
Toronto #4 and The Completists, which both
benefit from female harmonies on record, went
largely without in concert due to volume problems
on Fenner's microphone.
A blond, thin, Grace Kelly kind of beauty, she
was lovely to look at, but you could barely hear
her voice, that is until Flamenco, the
second-to-last song of the night, during which the
crowd loudly cheered her on.
And despite the concert promoter's best efforts to
prevent scalping -- with tickets going on sale at
the venue June 12 at midnight -- one Toronto
radio station was reporting that single tickets were
going for as much as $400 apiece outside Massey
Hall.
If you weren't lucky enough to go to the concert,
The Hip are playing their first-ever Intimate &
Interactive tonight on MuchMusic from 9 to
10:30 p.m.
Apparently, they enjoyed similar promotional
shows last week in the U.S. so much that they
returned home ready for the I&I treatment, which
will see them perform songs and answer
questions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We met at the Hard Rock Cafe around 6pm......what a circus that place
was. Scattered Hip fans inside & on the Patio....as.we
watched the cargo-pant-march stream by us ...there he was .. "that
guy" (the guy that carries the Canadian Flag to every Hip
show).....strut by the patio heading toward his post at Massey Hall
....the interesting part of our Patio-stop ..was...a full tour bus of
KISS fans...surrounding us....prepared for yet another Farewell Tour.....
leopard outfits & painted faces made the $6 beer that much
more enjoyable..
.....Tic-Toc. 8:25pm......we're on the move down Yonge St. - left down
Shuter st. and we enter Massey Hall with 25 minutes to
spare......with a quick seat-check (10th row) and glance around we
head directly to the Basement!!! Why....?? ..The BAR ?
4 rye/gingers & a Blue? It was getting louder everywhere around
us....within minutes of glancing at some of the Black & White
pictures of past performers Sean & I inhaled da booze & headed
for Row J
....The Stage back drop was tye-dye-looking mamoth picture of the front
cover of the CD.... the best I've seen from TTH. We glanced
around & upward of the Bowl-like Hall and sure enough... "that
guy" was on the 3rd balcony waving his/our Flag.... this unbenounced
to everyone was the beginning of the show. What started was a full-blown
O'Canada ......we all stood up....hats came off
and balloon-like condoms floated above us....all the while the camera-man
was filming his best footage in years.........
...."we stand on guard for thee..."
TTH take stage "You are Canadian" Gord pronounces and then rambles
in to Something On! Gord actually messed this up and said
"f&*k it" as Paul looked at him funny.. It was beautiful .....but
for such a wonderful venue I felt the sound also was a tad muddy at
1st....(speakers onstage...instead hanging) Chris was tucked
away and performed well........while Kate seemed at times out of
place.... her mic was not loud enough for an effective Toronto#4 ...
Fireworks was very tight with things starting to come together
now....... The Completists worked well ....though again Kate's vocals
not quite loud enough ...(this will be a crowd fav as the tour
goes on)......Sean leans over to me and says if they play "Don't Wake
Daddy" I'm running up on to the stage! Well-well..... Sled
Dogs came on and was perfect....Sean stayed in his seat...... The next
stand out song for me was Lake Fever... Paul was
classic..sneaking in his lines & Kates mic seemed to be a bit better.........while
we all sang "hurry" like we'd known the song for
yrs..... A usually-heavy 100th Mrdn. ended the shortest
set I've seen over my 40+ show career.
......what happened next was one of the best Live-Rock songs demonstrated
by the Hip.....this is "Tiger the Lion" ....Electric-blue
strobe lights.. ...magical keyboards...Paul...lending some serious
vocals and Bobby just out right Leaning into his Guitar
presentation.. all ontop of Gordon's powerfull voice!!! Timing was
perfect...from all....
The Hornet then stung us all during Ahead by a Century... more
Baker Acoustic & Paul vocals.... with the sing-along of course .....
this was followed up by a strong vocal sharing Flamenco.. Gord
would do a verse....... then Kate at full volume did a verse... it worked
well & the crowd responded with authority.....
It ended off with yet another Funked up version of Poets... I love
watching Bobby pick those chords and it seemed like everyone was
grooving at 100%......now... I wanted more... but the show over! ..
A few songs shorter than expected.... my feeling that Gord D doesn't
really need a back-up .(when Paul L can do it)... Kate would be
perfect on TO#4,...Pines,....maybe 1-2 more but not all 20+ songs...
One set with her would be fine... The extra layer of sounds from
the keyboards I liked and thought they positioned him nicely within
the band.
I'll say this .... with 20+ shows this summer they will master what
they need to in order to give us another Fall/Winter Tour 2nd to
none and ....I'll be there...
Now what? What else .....head downtown for a free show.. wouldn't you!
Looking forward to Another Midnight
Jeffro
=================================================================================
Massey Hall
Toronto
June 23, 2000
I've been to a rock concert,
a rock concert.
Can't remember the last time I've been to a
rock concert.
54.40 and the headstones the night before,
but I can't remember the last time I've been to a
Rock Concert.
You lured me,
with a pint at Growlers.
You lured me,
with my Music@Work.
You lured me with psychedelic trees and flowers.
You lured me too much.
The stars must have been aligned,
when the lights went down.
National Anthems surfaced to the skin,
and you talked to us.
We had some catching up to do,
and you talked to us.
There's been something on.
Live between us.
The fair maiden was there,
and the sweetest sounds surrounded.
Massey was honourable and stoic,
and the band, as always, the rock plug for all of us.
'they lay their heads on their futon beds'
took me back to a turbulent time
and a tear fell hard on goose bumps.
Toronto number 4 washed over me,
and I thought of lying awake, far from home,
dreaming of childhood memories.
The instructions could not have been much more plain,
as the bald man ringmastered in Lake Fever.
"this summer, make love under the stars"
and I drift off with Lucy,
to the sky with diamonds.
Tiger became the lion,
and the laser beam found his head.
In the heart of our darkness,
'simply to wake to your life'
'simply to wake to your life'
and you whisper............hurry.
The crowd wants more and the amplifiers hum,
we're halfway............... come and meet us.
The opening bars to Flamenco are inhaled,
and the sunlight hits the olive oil,
and you whisper............hurry.
The fair maiden takes over,
'maybe I'll go to New York'
the henhousers cheer.
'I'll drag you there'
the newbies cheer.
'you said no one drags me anywhere'
her angelic voice, perfectly sweet.
We erupt in spontaneous ovation.
You've pushed us over the top.
Gord smiles ear to ear,
like a new father,
beaming with pride.
Just one more song, cause
there's a breathy body of work
But someone once said,
always leave them wanting more.
After all, you want to break the hearts of everyone.
Congratulations on Music@Work
Thank you for stirring and waking the giant
Massey Hall
I sat there,
alone
alone
alone
alone
until we're talking in whispers again.
Ron Guthrie