2004-11-23 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Center

Been to a show and would like to give a review?

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wpghipfan
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Post by wpghipfan »

From this morning's Winnipeg Sun:

Hip, hip Hooray
Rockers provide MTS Centre with one great inaugural gig
By ROB WILLIAMS
Winnipeg Sun

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THE TRAGICALLY HIP
MTS Centre, Winnipeg
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
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WINNIPEG -- To paraphrase an old saying: the Tragically Hip aren't just getting older, they're getting better.

The Kingston, Ont., quintet have been spreading its definition of Can-rock for 19 years and if last night's concert at the MTS Centre was no fluke, this is a band at the peak of its powers.

The Hip have nothing left to prove to anyone -- not to themselves, their adoring fans or critics -- yet they show no signs of not giving anything less than all they've got.

They are so into what they're doing and deliver it with such conviction it's hard not to get caught up in it. And the 11,000 who attended last night's concert did. Fully and completely.

The whole night felt like an event. There was something special in the air, and it wasn't just the first marijuana smell in the new arena to drift up to the press box.

It was the first big rock show at the MTS Centre; the first big stage set -- two video screens flanking the stage, a wrap-around screen behind the band and three semi-circular lighting rigs; the crowd were pumped about seeing their heroes; and a delegation from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) was at the show to check out the facility for next year's Junos and announced the band's induction to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

It was all of that. And it was The Hip, man.

The band opened with Vaccination Scar, featuring Rob Baker on pedal steel guitar, which gave the tune a touch of twang while vocalist Gord Downie strummed on the acoustic. The new song from their latest album, In Between Evolution, got the requisite huge roar for a first number, but it was Grace, Too that got the party started.

The second number of the night turned into a huge sing-a-long and was the first of Downie's well-known rants during the instrumental break.

The show was paced almost perfectly, with older singles like Poets, Ahead By a Century, Courage and a revamped At the Hundredth Meridian mixed in with newer fare like Summer is Killing Us and Gus the Polar Bear From Central Park, which are as strong as anything in the band's catalogue.

Downie looks like he is possessed by some lab-created offspring of Richard Simmons and Michael Stipe -- made with bones of rubber, given the way he twists and contorts his body at the front of the stage.

The guy is a blast to watch, but each band member contributes a little something, from the melodic guitar work of Baker to guitarist Paul Langlois' backup vocals to the steady, if not overly flashy, rhythm section of bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay.

At press time the band had just launched into Music at Work. more than an hour into their planned two-hour set.

Ex-Thrush Hermit leader Joel Plaskett and his band The Emergency opened with a solid 45-minute set of retro garage-pop that fell somewhere between The Kinks and U2. But something was lost in the vastness of the arena. This is a band best seen in the intimate sweaty confines of a bar. You just can't take some bands out of the club.
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trevor
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Post by trevor »

Offspring of Richard Simmons & Michael Stipe? Never heard that comparison before!
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Post by Ponch »

Did anyone tape the show? Winnipeg is usually pretty good for tapers, and I am hoping to see this show on the web. Would love to get this one.
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Post by Xceros »

such an AMAZING show. this was my FIRST hip show, and i've gotta say. i was more than impressed. the whole thing was chalk-full of hits that got the entire audience going. the hundredth meridian was awesome... you can hear the room go insane after gord's little vocal solo. such an amazing night, got myself a jersey too :wink: . i'd love to get a copy of MTS's video feed from the show. i'm hoping to see a soundboard bootleg soon :mrgreen:
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Hugh23
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Post by Hugh23 »

I love the setlist. It may be one of the best from the US or Canadian tour. Lance your pictures are very good. They are some of the best I've seen posted here. As ManSized mentioned, I like that all the angles are different and you used the concert lighting instead of a flash. Like everyone else, I hope a boot of this show surfaces.

Seeing all the pictures and video clips of the stage set up and the band performing has got me geeked up for the two shows I will be seeing soon.

:jump :jump
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mrlayance
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Re: Lance's pix

Post by mrlayance »

buffalorob wrote:Lance,
Do tell about the settings on your camera for the photos.
Thanks Guys

But I do have to thank buffalorob, I used basically the same settings he did.

Manual Mode
No Flash
ISO400
EX -1.0
If you can avoid it don't use digital zoom.

http://www.hipbase.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4920
I need 2 Kingston Tickets, please help.
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trevor
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Post by trevor »

Manual Mode
No Flash
ISO400
EX -1.0
If you can avoid it don't use digital zoom.
I must admit that those settings seem to work with most digital cameras. If you are close enough and lucky enough to get a show with lots of stage lighting, you can get some pretty amazing pics!

Great work Lance!
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scottitude
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Post by scottitude »

Marx Marvelous wrote:...How does one obtain a copy of the show?... I'd pay top dollar!
No need to ever pay anything for a Hip show, audio or DVD. Give it a couple of weeks and keep your eyes on Download and Trading Central. If the show was recorded, it will be posted. Check that forum now for other recent and past shows that are currently available.

...and welcome to the Hipbase!

~Scott
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1999-05-05 Grand Rapids | 1999-07-31 Clarkston | 1999-12-31 Toronto | 2000-01-01 Toronto |
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o78
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they never cease to amaze me!

Post by o78 »

I couldn't agree more with everyone. Throughout the past 12 years I have been a Hip fan, this was the best live show I have ever been to! Don't get me wrong, all the other shows I've been to were amazing at the time, but they just keep getting better and better. I am still in shock over the sound quality in our new arena... very, very impressed! I wish I could go back and see them all over again. The amount of energy that comes out of Gordie only seems to get more intense with every show. It is about time they are inducted into the Hall of Fame next year. Does anyone know if they will be performing at the Juno's?
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Post by Rye »

Great show as everyone said. We had 4th row seats right in front of Rob. I'm not sure if this was the best Hip show of the six I've seen but the atmosphere was definately the best. I still think the Wpg Phantom Power tour show was the best I've seen (with an even better 100th Meridian than last Tuesday). Looking back it was one of the better setlists of the tour, great to hear Escape again.
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Graham
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Post by Graham »

mrlayance wrote:Photos from the show.

http://lancerobinson.com/photo/thumbnails.php?album=28
DUDE!! I'm in one of those pics!! CRAZY!!! That's awesome. In-credulous pics by the way.
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