01/22/07: Thunder Bay: Fort Williams Gardens

[hotmetal401]

This is the rough draft of my review of the show to go in next week's issue of the Lakehead Argus. It may change a little, but probably not that much.

Cheers,

Pat

Out at the Gardens, Same Tragically Hip Thing
No lonely end of this rink during Monday’s show

Patrick Bales/ Argus

Last Monday, a diverse sell out crowd, from Lakehead’s most drunken frat boys to your best friend’s Mom packed the Fort Williams Gardens to see another stellar performance from The Tragically Hip. The Hip have kept busy in the two years since they last came to town, releasing Yer Favourites, a greatest hits package in 2005, and their latest studio effort, World Container, in October.. Monday’s concert saw a solid mix of tunes featured on both sets, with some other older favourites thrown in.
After twenty plus years on the road, you may think that Hip shows would become stagnant, reverting to the same tricks and the same set every night. And sure, odds are you’re going to hear ‘New Orleans is Sinking’ most nights, and lead singer Gordon Downie is going to act like a god damn lunatic on stage, doing everything from pretending to be a primate or fighting with the microphone stand (trust me, the mic stand deserved it). But each Hip concert is a unique experience. Like snow flakes and finger prints, no two will ever be alike.
Above all else, The Hip are like a fine wine; they’re getting better with age. Kathleen Edwards, whose 45 minute opening set was far too brief a showcase for one of Canada’s most talented songwriters, made sure we realized how lucky we were to be in the Fort Williams Gardens on Monday night. Her belief was that we were seeing the band in their musical prime – from the opening rift of ‘The Lonely End of the Rink’, a power dance rocker fueled by a Gord Sinclair bass line and some calypso styled guitar work from Rob Baker, it was hard to disagree.
From there, a barrage of the “greatest hits” – 13 of the 22 songs played are found on Yer Favourites – kept the vocal, yet subdued crowd going . ‘Twist My Arm’ got people moving, three songs in, while ‘Ahead By A Century,’ ‘Long Time Running,’ and a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Going Going Gone’ brought the lighters out. World Container’s lead single ‘In View,’ a song that changes dramatically in the live setting, was greeted by a modest response. Removing the synth heavy aspects of the tune allowed for the entire band to take back the song and reinterpret it each night.
Standouts from The Hip included ‘Locked in the Trunk of a Car’ and ‘On The Verge’ both for their own unique reasons. ‘Locked’ featured the band at its tightest, putting together a version for the ages. Downie added his own touch, by acting out someone banging on the inside of the trunk, while screaming “let me out,” by banging his microphone on the stage floor. It was the subtle visualization, coupled with a blistering effort from the rest of the band that made this song all it could be. ‘On The Verge’ featured a weaker performance from Downie, who pretty well blew the second and third verses, but was saved by the band’s rhythm section. Paul Langlios was steadfast, showing how he earned his “Rock” nickname of yesteryear, while Johnny Fay nearly destroyed his drum kit in the process. Fay’s drumming may not be appreciated in all circles, but in the live performance his simple technique allows the rest of the band the freedom to go about their work. He’s truly driving the set, and moments like the ending of ‘On The Verge’ show just how hard Fay works every night.
Opening Monday for The Hip was the aforementioned Kathleen Edwards. The Ottawa singer-songwriter is the natural heir to Sarah Harmer whose magnificent lyrics tell tales of heartbreak (the beautiful ‘Hockey Skates’), getting high (‘Summerlong’), and absolute bastardly men (‘In State’). Her alt-country styling has won her countless praise in the United States, and is certainly due her accalades in Canada as well. With a well rounded band, featuring Jim Bryson and Collin Cripps, she’s bound to win over more than a few Hip fans throughout her stay on the tour. If Lakehead’s own Doug Gorrie was the only person in Thunder Bay to own one of her cds, he certainly isn’t alone anymore.