2006-10-29 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall

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

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trevor
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Post by trevor »

bigA wrote:Thugs
Adrian, you are the best man! ROCK ON! :thumb:
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emperor penguin
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Post by emperor penguin »

bigA wrote:Thugs
wow, what a song and what a performance, why cant they play that at every show? Thanks bigA :thumb:
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tth_fan
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Post by tth_fan »

What amazing energy. Gord broke his microphone, and his microphone stand...he thought about throwing it into the stands, but I'm sure security told him no.
End of the show, my girlfriend got Johnny's drum sticks...fairly awesome. We waited outside afterwards where they were signed by the band. I found this concert would have been better than Saturday's, if not for Fiddler's Green
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TLB
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Post by TLB »

Thugs was wicked. At the very end of Little Bones, Gord jumped off the stage and started high-fivin' all the fans in the front row saying "Hi, I'm Gord Downie, pleasure to meet you, thanks for coming, rock and roll lovers".

By this time, he made his way down to me, pointed right into my camcorder and said with a big smile "hey Bob, this one's for you".

Mark, Adrian & I laughed out loud upon reviewing that clip back at the hotel.
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Post by surferguy »

Here is teh review I wrote for my friends who turned down tickets to the show...dummies... I hope you don't mind that I borrowed a couple things form this forum...


Last night at the MacEwen Ballroom in Calgary (Oct 29, 2006), The Tragically Hip signed sealed and delivered, hands down, the best performance I have seen by the band and that is based on five prior outings. For a band that normally plays arenas and stadiums to step to the plate and do four consecutive club gigs in a city that doesn’t understand what “consecutive club gigs” are, I say thank you. Thank for delivering a show that brings a dynamite new album to the forefront and states, “This is our latest album, what do you think?” Personally I thought it was beyond what I figured this band is capable of. The intensity found on World Container came across like gunfire on a silent night, so loud, so crisp, and so tight. The notes rolling in Gord Downie’s (the band’s enigmatic front man) throat during the hook of “The Kid’s Don’t Get It” made the jump from recorded album to live show perfectly. I was very impressed with the growth in vocal strength that Downie exhibits on the new album, and we heard all of it under the bright lights.



Downie himself got into the show more than usual. He was on. You could tell that it was something out of the ordinary. The giant smiles on the stages hands and drummer Johnny Fayes faces says it all. These boys were having fun last night. Downie took his stage character all over the elevated platform while reciting impromptu poetry, interactive with the crowd and the people who grew up at the zoo. “I knew…a guy who grew…up at the zoo” Downie quipped after a fan shout-out about a polar bear at the Toronto zoo. The charismatic ramblings got deeper and more introspective as Downie kept taking “hits” from his red handkerchief, was it ether? Only Gordie knows, I guess.



Stunning renditions of 100th Meridian, Three Pistols and Scared filled the gaps between songs from the new album. Fights with a microphone stand (Gordie - 2 Mic Stand – 0) and the night’s hidden gems (Flamenco and Thugs) help balance out a torn down bare bones ride through a twenty year catalogue of iconic Canadian rock. Although the night did not have the extra special surprise found during Saturday’s night show. The Tragically Hip played for the first time since it was recorded (15 years) Fiddler’s Green, as song written for the late nephew of Gord Downie. For fans of the Hip that was huge, for many an elusive white whale was found. This was a show for music lovers and I guess all bets are off now. Who knows what is in store for tonight.



Dion J. Brake

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sean.bonner
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Post by sean.bonner »

surferguy wrote:Dion J. Brake
Nice review, mate :thumb:
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Post by dreyfuss »

Part of me hates you folks in Calgary right now, 1st FG and now Thugs, I had given up hope of seeing FG a long time ago but a large part of me always though there was a chance to see Thugs, especially while we were in Europe this summer and we asked Gord S. to sneek it in the setlist, he said by the end of the tour they'd play it but it never happened.

I knew I should've quit work to go to this entire tour!

I don't really hate you guys out west, I'm sure I'll get some nice treats next week in Montreal.
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Post by thug_in_perpetuity »

Wow, a great, albeit mellower show than am I used to. A lot of slower-moving ballads were part of the Non-WC choices (Good Life, Gus, Long time Running, Flamenco, Scared).

Three Pistols was amazing, haven't heard it live in 10 years! Thugs and Hundredth Meridian were great as well, with 100th having the classic Gordie 5+ minute tangent in the middle of the song ... this time it included a little baton twirling demo, very cool!)

As for the WC songs...

I really liked Ocean, though Rink (which was also amazing, is a way better opener, IMO).

In View was solid but not the same without the keyboards.

The Drop-off and luv(sic) shared the honours for my fave live WC song.

Pretend is a great song - but I think for live performances they should save it for outdoor shows after dark, I'm not really sure why I think that tho, just do

Fly and Kids - solid

Family Band- Shares 2nd place for Live WC with Rink

Last Night and WC - Great tunes, but to me the sequencing was off... had they not made up 2/3 of the encore, I might have liked them better. Either one would have made a great 2nd song during the encore wedged between Rink and Little Bones.

Overall a great show. I am going again Wednesday. Hopefully Midnight gets played then and not tonight (I'll be at the Flames Game)
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Post by daylight »

I wish I was in line right now. Stupid work being in Edmonton.
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Post by Corby »

It was a 7 hour trip through the rockies to see the Hip through one heck of a snowy gloom. I started to count the number of vehicles in the ditch along the way but got lost around two dozen. We got into Calgary, checked into our hotel and got a quick bite at Red Lobster. Then, off to the university. We stopped a jealous security guard on campus to find out where we could find MacEwan Hall.

We all stood tight crowding the stage for an hour and a half waiting for what was possibly the best performance I have ever seen. When Ocean started I knew this was going to be a special show for me. Through to In View, which was better live than I had expected it to be; the vibe was palpable. I think everyone in the room must have had a smile on their face. I know I did, but its hard not to with Paul grinning at you. Flamenco and Thugs were obvious highlights for the evening, delivering some kick-ass energy. I had worried about Pretend being a pace-stopper, but with such powerful vocals its hard for it not to suck you in. Downie kicked into the next gear for Meridian, swinging his mic ferociously and ultimately breaking the cable clear off. He retreated into throught for a moment but was soon back at it with a new mic. Family Band received a great response from the crowd, an instant favorite of mine, but I was worried it would be overlooked. Kids was everything I wanted it to be. World Container was the absolute climax of the show. The manner in which it was performed was so surreal, I was brought out of the concert, mesmerized by Gord's voice and motion and transported inside the song.

There was so much chemistry within the band at this show, more than I've ever seen in any recording or in person. It started with a couple glances earlier on, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Then Paul and Rob started giving each other cues, I think. When Gord D. stepped back and started singing a verse to Rob, he began to laugh. You could tell they were having one hell of a time.

The crowd interaction was also superb. Gord commented several times to screams from the crowd, even providing us with a great Billy Talent impression. He later jumped off stage and started shaking hands during a song.

Gord had some great moments, from his pacing polar bear (after a heartfelt dedication of Gus to Kunik) to wiping his face on Gord Sinclair's sleeve.

It was great to meet a few new hipbasers, meet up with some old ones, and perhaps create a few more in the process. This was one show I will remember forever.

I hope that the following shows can be this good, even without Fiddler's Green.

Here a few pictures I was able to take without my SLR:

Image Image
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trevor
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Post by trevor »

Great review Corby! I really enjoyed your thoughts!
And some nicely composed pics too I might add!
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beanmedic
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Post by beanmedic »

setlist

another midnight
fly
in view
poets
rink
ocean
get back again
flamenco
the kids
last night
escape
700
drop off
thugs
nautical
world container
pretend
meridian

grace
lets stay engaged
fire
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beanmedic
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Post by beanmedic »

this show took place in the bizarro world.

by the way there are two threads for this show and this is not the right one.
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hip
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Post by hip »

They cannot open with that song!
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Post by under_pressure »

Holy shit. Get Back Again! Another Midnight! Thugs! What an amazing show this would have been!!! Damn, the Hip never fail to surprise :)
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