[HandsInTheRiver41]

In anticipation of the upcoming tour, I thought it would be a good time to reflect upon our favourite personal Hip experiences, at a live concert or otherwise. This may be a lot harder for the oldtimers who have seen them 50+ times!

My favourite is probably at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, 2012, when Steve Berlin played tenor sax on So Hard Done By and NOIS. The booming, driving saxophone line brought both songs to whole other levels.

My favourite Mr. Downie moment, however, will always be at Rifflandia Festival in Vic BC in 2010. The power cut-out in the middle of Vancouver Divorce, and instead of just hanging back and waiting for it to come back, Gord managed to muster up enough volume to lead each half of the audience to chant his background music while he continued to sing/rant impromptu lyrics about man's dependency on electricity until the power came back on 5 minutes later and he jumped right back into the song with the rest of the band as if nothing had happened. Nothing could take energy away from Gord's performance, not even the complete lack of electricity on an outdoor stage. The impression he left will not be forgotten by anyone who was at that concert.

[SRK]

Meeting Robby when my dad hit Robby's dad in the head with a golf ball in...1993 or 1994? Going to a charity golf tournament around that time and having a Leafs t-shirt that I was getting signed by all the alumni there (Frank M, Paul Henderson, Ted Kennedy, Bobby Baun etc.) and giving it to Paul and he turned it around and wrote "the hip are behind ya!"

Music wise, after having chased "locked in the trunk of a car" for years, at the Metropolis in Montreal in 2006, hearing Gord say "this might the only song ever dedicated to Dostoyevsky, but this is for dostoyevsky, this is called Locked...in the trunk....of a car" and I jumped about 10 ft in the air. ("He's a prospect for the Canadiens...playing in Peoria, looking to coach when his playing days are through."

[cochise]

Cleveland 2007. The Hip were playing the HOB on Saturday night, so headed down on Friday for a weekend. We (me and my girlfriend at the time) went to the RnR Hall of Fame on Saturday. We were in front of the The Stones exhibit and I was giving her probably too much of a history lesson on the Stones. There was a costume on display Jagger had worn during the Voodoo Lounge tour, while talking to her, I took a step back and bumped into somebody, I turn around for my typical Canadian "sorry" and here it was Rob Baker. Such a great guy to talk to and perfect timing as I had a chance to ask him about opening for the Stones during that tour. A very cool accidental meeting.

Next would be Ottawa NAC in 2009. I surprised my daughter with front row tickets on her 13th birthday. Being raised on The Hip, she was a huge fan. I had taken her to see them for the K-Rock opening, but front row was nothing she had ever experienced. After playing Family Band, Gord directly over to her and leaned down to giver her his guitar pick. During the encore he hopped down off the stage and came over and leaned his head on her shoulder during Blow At High Dough, before climbing into the crowd. I have a great picture of them together. He really made a 13 year old kids night. She going on 20 now and still talks about what a great night that was. Gord made a huge impact on her, class act all the way.

[tlightle]

Probably last fall in Vegas. My wife and 2 friends saw them at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. It was a great show surrounded by fans from Vancouver, Phoenix, New York and Southern Ontario. Outstanding atmosphere.It was our first show seeing them out side of Canada in a small venue. We were fortunate enough to have invites to the after show party in the Foundation Room atop the hotel. We met Rob and enjoyed a couple drinks with him. What a genuinely great guy.

My first choice though would have to be absolutely falling in love with my aforementioned wife, slow dancing on the floor of the Molson Amphitheatre to Bobcaygeon in August 2002. It was surreal, as though no one else was there.

[thebends]

First time I saw them, 180+ show ago. 1995 at the Wild Wild West in Tucson during a business trip. 95% of the crowd had no idea what they were in for (including me), simply out for a night in town.Flying beer bottles, broken glass, servers in cowboy outfits with bullet belts of whisky shots, a conversation with Billy at the side bar before the show and so much more. Magical night.

[Ry222]

January '07 - I was standing outside the arena late afternoon hoping to get some autographs before the show when the catering truck pulled up. The guy had lots of food to unload so I asked if he needed help - he did. He lead me into the arena, through the halls and into the Hip's dressing where all the band members were sitting at tables talking amongst each other. I said nothing to anybody - just stared in awe as I placed my sandwich platter on a table and left. Later, as I was outside again the caterer returned with more food and as a thank you for helping him out, brough me into the arena where I watched the Hip, front row, soundcheck ABAC, Putting Down, Something On and Sudbury Saturday Night in front of an empty arena. Coolest day of my life!

[direwolf74]

October, 1998. Phantom Power tour. My buddy and I traveled to San Francisco to see our first ever cross-border Hip show. They were headlining a small outdoor festival called the High Sierra Fall Classic, a few miles north of the Golden Gate at a place called Stafford Lake Park. We weren't sure what to expect, but once we arrived we knew we were in for a rare treat. The concert site was VERY small with a basic no-frills stage set up at the far end of the park. By the time the Hip went on, there were maybe 600-700 people there, tops. It was incredibly surreal. We had of course been used to the massive festival shows back home with people moshing and crowd surfing, etc.. But this California crowd was very mellow and laid back. We were able to maneuver our way to the front of the stage with zero hassle. The band played a relatively short set that evening, but they were firing on all cylinders and the show was a barn burner, ending with an epic 10-minute version of Meridian. Our minds were blown. From what point on, U.S. Hip trips became a regular thing for me. I'm so thankful that I was lucky enough to see the most powerful rock band on earth in such an intimate and beautiful setting. They were truly at the peak of their powers back then. It was glorious. And check out that ticket price! My, how times have changed.

Setlist:

Fully Completely
Save The Planet
Grace, Too
Courage
Membership
Ahead by a Century
Something On
Bobcaygeon
Nautical Disaster
The Luxury
Fireworks
Gift Shop
Poets
New Orleans is Sinking

Encore:
Springtime in Vienna
At the Hundredth Meridian

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[Tthip]

7-1-2000 NYC
We were fifteen feet left of the stage right up front and about three songs in my buddies girlfriend gets three out of the eleven of us wrist bands for backstage access. WOW.
I am actually back stage with the Hip!!!!!
What a cool perspective.
I see some people up on the stage just out of the audiences view and decide to go up.
Just as my foot hits the stage POW Tiger The Lion starts. Damn it was great being right up there and feeling the energy.
I taped the show but I was walking around so much backstage that the sound may be bad.
Anyway - the show ends and we are still backstage.
We wait around for a little while as all the members are right there drinking Heinekin?sp?
I have met everyone a couple of times before - but this time is the first I got to meet Johnny - and he is such a nice person (for lack of a better term) I got everyone to sign the tour posters they were selling and the setlist.
(The setlist thanx to Chris Brown - but thats a different story)
Gord Downie asked my name and then crossed out New York on the setlist and put Dana's Town. Then when he signed the poster and since it had a picture of the tree from the new album he put "Dana's tree - just add water"
All of the sudden my cell phone rings and it is my girlfriend back at the hotel(now my wife) so what do I do? Of course - I hand Gordie the phone and I tell him it is my Girlfriend Melanie.
He then talks to her and says something like "Hi Melanie. It's Gord. Dana and I are here in New York City and we are fine. We will be having a good time tonite, tonite, tonite. We will be alright, alright, alright." He almost made it sound like a poem.

In the picture below that someone took, that is my buddy right between Kate and Chris and I am right by him.

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[spasticreelin]

Around when Fully completely came out The Hip did a benefit show at The Phoenix in Toronto - tickets were 100 each - a lot back then - but it was a fundraiser for someone in the industry they knew who died of cancer - Pursuit of Happiness opened up - got there without a ticket - but got in and was pressed right against the stage the whole night

Unforgettable show

[Killer Whale Tank]

One was briefly chatting with Gord about The Dark Canuck after he gave a reading of 'poetry' at the National Library in Ottawa. Polite and diffident, he suddenly got more animated when I suggested the song concerned the war or terror, and lit up, saying he loved the image of the crowd honking its horns at the villain's demise, miming the honking as he said this.

The other was having front row centre seats to the WATS tour, and having Gord trip and fall down right in front of my wife, who helped him to get up (he thanked her). She commented to me later that he had a nice ass, which she ought to know, having planted her hand on it as she helped him up. :oops:

I have a tendency to close my eyes when I'm really into the music. She also reported after the show that Downie grinning at me when I did that...I like to think, in retrospect, that I was one of those 'faces so full of meaning as to almost make it glow' that he shoots for when performing. :thumb:

[stevewiebemusic]

ARA '95 in Winnipeg. I was in Grade 11. Already a massive, obsessed fan and it was my first ever rock show. Someone passed around a massive joint just as Ziggy Marley was finishing up his set :thumb: Soon I was getting impatient and antsy for the Hip, man!

The stage is empty, the roadies are done... Then this dude comes on stage. Blue jeans, jean jacket, cowboy hat, and I heard the voice. "Hello." Then I knew. They opened with New Orleans, I believe. Got to hear Gift Shop before TATH came out. What a show!

That's one of many moments with this band I'll never forget.

[boot]

I have many, but have to share two...

One was participating in the video shoot for the Music at Work video shoot many years ago. It was pretty cool just to have the experience but in between takes a few of us were just shooting the shit while all of a sudden, Gord just walks across the stage walks down a few steps and comes over to us, sticks out his hand and says "Hi, I'm Gord". Pretty cool.

Second was a couple of shows back in 2000. Back to back two nights. First was Friday night July 21 at a small little club called Piere's in Ft Wayne, Indiana. A Google search now says the capacity is about 2000 people, but it felt like 200 that night. At many shows back at that time, Gord was performing in full suits, but he came out that night all in denim and ready to rock. I might have enjoyed a few too many beers that night, but I remember a great show.

The next day, we were off to Rockfest in Chicago, where the Hip were basically one of the opening acts, with later acts including BNL, Kid Rock, Metallica & STP. The crowd was huge, 100k?... Went fom one of the smallest crowds I've ever seen to one of the largest. The Rockfest crowd was not into the Hip, but it was still an experience to see the band in that venue with that mass of people.

[canuckeh]

World Container tour warm-up show at the Horseshoe Tavern

Never have, and never will again, see a band that big in a venue that small. Incredible night.

[NegPhil]

So many shows so many memories. In Violet Light tour. Second night at The House Of Blues on the Sunset Strip. My best friend and I were working as electricians on The Andy Dick Show. One of our buddies was a tech at the HOB so he got us access to the VIP section at the show. The boys preformed a blistering first set then took a short break. We rushed to the first floor bar and stood in line next to a couple of very loud, very drunk fellows. Being a friendly chap my buddy struck up a conversation with them. The drunks were going on about how they both grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio and they really wanted the band to play that song. So I says to the guys "wow, I always thought that song was a bit off a diss on the city. kind of a metaphor for hell. Ya know, what's next, Chagrin Falls, home of clear channel, corporate shit factory." The drunks fell silent and my friend and I walked away. So my buddy and I head up to the second floor VIP section and have a look around. The place is a veritable who's who of Canadian actors, hockey players and what not. We pounded our beers and snuck out a side door to a exterior stair well/ deck and smoked a fat joint. Feeling good and primed for the second set we head back inside to the VIP section and pick up two more beers before heading back down to the floor. As we are walking away we pass Gord Sinclare. We stop and said hi to him. I shake his hand and say "Hey dude, great first set. How you doing? So Gord stops, looks at me with a puzzled look on his face and says " Thank you I'm doing well (long pause) but I just got screamed at by two guys from Chagrin Falls."

P.S. The boys played a killer version of Chagrin Falls in the second set.

[direwolf74]

Forgot to mention the 2006 Sasquatch Festival. Hands down the best live performance I've ever seen from the guys, combined with one of the craziest hail storms of all time. An incredible and unique experience. I'll never forget it.

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