Saw the Hip at the Minnesota Zoo tonight.  It's a beautiful venue with not a bad seat in the house.  While the Zoo setting is nice just like Toledo's Zoo, the seating is at a steeper pitch so everybody gets a good view-even if behind tall people.

Saturday morning had rain.  Then an all-day stiff breeze from the south brought up moisture making an overcast sky and hazy visibility. In the evening, there were some darker areas on the horizon that might be rain showers-but who knows.

Chris and Kate warmed.  I was late and didn't see as much as I would have liked.  The crowd seemed to be giving good applause.  I liked what I heard and bought their two CD's.  I will make a point to catch their entire set on Saturday night.

Here is the set-list:

Tiger the Lion
Fully Completely
Springtime in Vienna
Putting Down
Gift Shop
Greasy Jungle
Something On
Lake Fever
Fireworks

During Putting Down, Gord was playing guitar and there is musical break in the song (several times) where you could actually hear him playing.

During the lead-out of Gift Shop, Gord's rant covered Boy Scout knots and then scout badges:  "I got a badge for pet care.  I got a badge for loving you".

I am so thrilled they played Greasy Jungle.  I think that and Lake Fever were the highlights for me.  Leading into Greasy Jungle, Gord talked about giving a shampoo (implied: to his/a lady).  There was a nice jam in the lead-out of Greasy Jungle.

During Something On, it started to spit rain, and then a light drizzle.  Near the end of Something On, Gord brought out his mike stand to the front of the stage to kinda "be out in the weather with
the people".  Then he held his acoustic guitar over his head kinda like an umbrella-maybe for the last minute of the song.

After Fireworks, Gord put on a venue spokesman who said that they were gonna have the band take a break while management watched the progress of a storm just to the south.  If it would pass, the band would come out in a few minutes.  The crowd went up to the back of the seating area where there was at least some protection from the light rain.

During the wait, there was some lightning in the area and the continued drizzle.  After about 15 minutes, Gord came out and said, "Hi, I'm Gord Downie the Meteorologist.  The storm that was south of here hasn't gone away.  In fact there is now a Tornado Watch associated with the storm."  Then he talked how everybody should head on home and that they were sorry.  He told how the venue management would allow any ticket holder in for the Saturday night show in Standing Room fashion.  (That's too bad, because I still have 9 tickets I'm trying to get rid of)  The crowd seemed pretty rational and seemed to understand.  Everybody milled out to the cars pretty orderly.  On the drive home, the rain really came down.

At the T-shirt stand, the Red and white hockey jerseys were $80.00! Yikes.  There were lots of other T-shirts.  It seems that the main shirt for the tour is on black this time-with the colorful album cover on the front.

My comment on the sound:  Just like last year, I think the bass is very distorted and swamps much of the other sound.  I like Gord S's playing, but there is something wrong with the speakers or amps.  The over-all volume was just about right.

I had fun.  I took two folks that had never been to a Hip concert and aren't "in" to the Hip.  They were good eggs and got a taste of what makes me so passionate about their music.  I danced the whole time-from the first note.  Some people look at me like I'm weird or something.  Gee, I was just having a great time.

Bruce
In Mendota Hts.
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