05/15/07: Madison: Barrymore Theatre

[mrlayance]

Post your review

[john cage]

Setlist:

1 Ocean
2 Fully
3 Puttin
4 Wolf
5 Luv
6 Bobc
7 Courage
8 Family
9 WC
10 ABAC
11 Spring
12 Meridian
13 Rules
14 Rink
15 Music
16 Grace
---
17 View
18 Come Together
19 New O

This was bizarre.

I was the only person in "line" for about 35 minutes and a few other people showed up 15 minutes prior to the doors opening. Attendance was somewhere between 250-325 ! It is exam week at UW, so maybe the college kids didn't go for that reason. Their loss. The "crowd" was low in numbers but high in spirit. Lots of room, no pushing and shoving, no "Captain Canada" types - very enjoyable.

The theatre was pretty good, too - seats were still there with a pit in front. Balcony was not used. There was no barricade, so you were right up against the stage. That's the closest I've ever been to any band (not counting post-show). Very cool.

The setlist was decent.

Dire Wolf was extended to about 6-7 minutes. Gord left the stage for quite a while before the first verse and the guys just kept jamming. Don't know why he left, but he didn't look too happy at that time. Things were fine when he came back. Maybe something he ate didn't agree with him.

A lady in the front 'saved' Gord's life during Meridian. I'll put the video up in the youtube thread sometime soon, along with some others.

I have a new appreciation for The Rules. Paul kicks ass (more than usual) on this song.

Come Together was really well done.

I'm glad I went to this show!

[sullivand]

What a blast! My wife and I arrived in the middle of Wintersleep's set, enjoyed it, then just moseyed up to front/center of the stage for the Hip. No security pit either, so we set the beers at Gordie's feet and enjoyed. Pretty much what you'd expect if you hired the Hip for a private show. Decent setlist, too.

We were next to the woman who "saved" Gordie's life. He told her: "Where I come from, that's worth a sweaty handkerchief." And when he was bent down handing it to her: "Wash it in cold water."

Really enjoyed Putting Down, Dire Wolf and The Rules. A bit let down with View and NOIS in the encore, but Come Together made up for it -- and on a night like this there's no complaints. To top it off, we made off with Paul and Gordie's setlists (thanks, Billy Ray!) and Wintersleep's. All are up on hipography for the curious:

http://www.hipography.com/main.php?g2_itemId=7644
(can anyone enlighten me on what "SUN" and "TOB" mean?)

Side note on Wintersleep: I'd been listening to their stuff for a couple of weeks, and I've been digging "Orca." So when they introduced it, I clapped and said "Yeah!" It was so quiet in the place that the lead singer replied: "Thanks -- I'm going to pretend you've actually heard it before." Good stuff.

[robert goulet]

http://www.hipography.com/main.php?g2_itemId=7644
(can anyone enlighten me on what "SUN" and "TOB" mean?)

SUN and TOB refer to the 2 Les Paul Guitars that Paul uses during the show. SUN refers to the "Sunburst" finish and TOB refers to the "Tobacco" finish on the body of the guitar.

I imagine they are set up in different tunings as several of the Hip's songs require tunings other than your standard EADGBE.

[tigerthelion]

Setlist:

1 Ocean
2 Fully
3 Puttin
4 Wolf
5 Luv
6 Bobc
7 Courage
8 Family
9 WC
10 ABAC
11 Spring
12 Meridian
13 Rules
14 Rink
15 Music
16 Grace
---
17 View
18 Come Together
19 New O

This was bizarre.

I was the only person in "line" for about 35 minutes and a few other people showed up 15 minutes prior to the doors opening. Attendance was somewhere between 250-325 ! It is exam week at UW, so maybe the college kids didn't go for that reason. Their loss. The "crowd" was low in numbers but high in spirit. Lots of room, no pushing and shoving, no "Captain Canada" types - very enjoyable.

The theatre was pretty good, too - seats were still there with a pit in front. Balcony was not used. There was no barricade, so you were right up against the stage. That's the closest I've ever been to any band (not counting post-show). Very cool.

The setlist was decent.

Dire Wolf was extended to about 6-7 minutes. Gord left the stage for quite a while before the first verse and the guys just kept jamming. Don't know why he left, but he didn't look too happy at that time. Things were fine when he came back. Maybe something he ate didn't agree with him.

A lady in the front 'saved' Gord's life during Meridian. I'll put the video up in the youtube thread sometime soon, along with some others.

I have a new appreciation for The Rules. Paul kicks ass (more than usual) on this song.

Come Together was really well done.

I'm glad I went to this show!

Now, THAT IS A SETLIST!!!!!!!!!!! 'The Rules'!! AWESOME! Wish I was there to hear it.

[FighterAndLover]

Lots of room, no pushing and shoving, no "Captain Canada" types - very enjoyable.

I envy you, then. I'm glad you didn't get urinated on.

If you got Dire Wolf and Rules I'd say the setlist was more than "decent" though.

[hipmartyr]

That six or seven minute intro to Dire Wolf...seems to me that was a product of some internal fighting. Gord and Johnny looked pissed at each other. Here's my take. On two of the first three songs of the night, Johnny started the drum intro before Gord was ready. For one song (Ocean?) Gord asked Johnny to wait and start over. For the third song of the night (Puttin Down) Gord said something to Johnny (slow down already?). At the end of the third song, Gord threw his guitar pick in the direction of Johnny and left the stage. After a minute Billy Ray went to check on Gord and came back without him. After an uncomfortably long intro and the four guys not looking at each other, Gord returned. Also, I know Johnny doesn't interact much during a show, but after each set he literally zipped off the stage before the rest of the guys had even taken off their guitars. Hope the two made up.

[nohochin]

Wow, very interesting take hipmartyr. I have never heard of the band having issues with each other, especially on stage.

Maybe a product of being on tour for pretty much a year straight?

Great setlist though, and it sounds like the show ended up going ok, so that's good.

Nick

[jgardz]

please confirm that we got this show taped???

[sullivand]

http://www.hipography.com/main.php?g2_itemId=7644
(can anyone enlighten me on what "SUN" and "TOB" mean?)

SUN and TOB refer to the 2 Les Paul Guitars that Paul uses during the show. SUN refers to the "Sunburst" finish and TOB refers to the "Tobacco" finish on the body of the guitar.
I imagine they are set up in different tunings as several of the Hip's songs require tunings other than your standard EADGBE.

Good to know -- thanks much, Mr. Goulet.

[mcwslc]

That six or seven minute intro to Dire Wolf...seems to me that was a product of some internal fighting. Gord and Johnny looked pissed at each other. Here's my take. On two of the first three songs of the night, Johnny started the drum intro before Gord was ready. For one song (Ocean?) Gord asked Johnny to wait and start over. For the third song of the night (Puttin Down) Gord said something to Johnny (slow down already?). At the end of the third song, Gord threw his guitar pick in the direction of Johnny and left the stage. After a minute Billy Ray went to check on Gord and came back without him. After an uncomfortably long intro and the four guys not looking at each other, Gord returned. Also, I know Johnny doesn't interact much during a show, but after each set he literally zipped off the stage before the rest of the guys had even taken off their guitars. Hope the two made up.

I hope this was just a bad night and nothing more than that. During the second half of the PP Tour back in April 99 there was obvious tension between Gord and Johnny. My buddy and I noticed it repeatedly at the 4 shows we saw. Each time Gord would begin a rant towards the end of a song Johnny would finish off the tune leaving Gord rambling away A cappella. The two of them were constantly glaring at each other and trading dirty looks. It reminded me of a sibling rivalry, two brothers wrestling in the backyard trying to get the best of each other.

I would love to be a fly on the wall of their tour bus and see the interaction each guy had with the other offstage. I haven’t been backstage in years, but the last time I was I got the feeling Gord and Johnny were probably the two guys who couldn’t be more opposite. Johnny was always arrogant, surrounded by girls, and seemed to carry a chip on his shoulder whereas Gord came off as reclusive, quiet, and wanted no part of the fame he attracted.

Tension and aggression is not necessarily a bad thing I guess, especially if it results in a 6 – 7 minute version of Dire Wolf.

[thedarkcanuck]

i wouldn`t read much into the conflict(if there even is one) other than that everyone is bound to have days where they don`t see eye to eye when they spend that much time together

[sullivand]

please confirm that we got this show taped???

What he said. Anyone?

[knightrider]

Great stuff on SUN & TOB, the hanky quote & mini-drama speculation. Thanks!

[chris]

Again, with thanks to the taper, "Come Together" has been posted to www.hipfans.com