09/26/09: National Arts Centre: Ottawa, ON

[TTH700FT]

What time does the show actually begin?

[Darren14]

20:00

[Gibson]

In Calgary for shows 2 and 3, I had a t-shirt with CORDELIA across my chest. Gord S and Bobby both noticed it (second row, both nights), and gave me that "nice try, but no chance" smirk.

If you guys get it, I'll cry.

Edit: Gord D saw it too, but he didn't have much time for conversation.

[SRK]

From the trusty old BB, in order:

New Orleans is sinking
Depression suite
Twist my arm
Ahead by a century
Puttin' down
Morning moon
Courage
Thugs
In view
At the 100th meridian
Love is a first
--
Thompson Girl (a)
Coffee girl (a)
Fiddler's green (a)
Gift shop
Bobcaygeon
Nautical disaster
Escape is at hand for the travelling man
Poets
Now the struggle has a name
Yer not the ocean
Grace, too
My music at work
--
Frozen in my tracks
Blow at high dough


Gord went out into the crowd during courage, M@W and blow, and actually lost his mic at one point during courage. Introduced fiddler's green as "sailor heaven", which I don't think many people got. Only 'first timers' for me (aside from the we are the same songs) were thugs and thompson girl, but a few songs I haven't seen since the first 'evening with...' tour in 2000, so that was nice.

Good show...hoping for inevitability of death tomorrow night.

[Gangrel]

Yes, he came out during courage right up between my fiancee and I in teh 10th row. I got to help hold him up and touch his sweaty back.

He made it out to about row 15 and something happned with the mic. So, they sent another mic out to him, which everyone passed hand over hand till it finally got to him. Neat moment.

Durin M@W he came up our way again, and the fiancee got to sing into the mic! She gets all the luck!


Even better, the friend I was with has a connection to their manager, so I got to meet her briefly. Very nice gal! I also got our WATS signed, and the EP signed by the band. She said it was crazy with family and friends up from Kingston, so no luck on getting backstage, but it's understandable, especially with Bryson being from Stittsville.

Not as many obscure gems as some other shows, but it didn't matter. The band was tight, and after they figured out the sound the first few songs, the rest of the night was pretty good!

Maybe it's because it's a theatre show, but that's the most interactive I've ever seen gord.

PS: I want to buy shares in the hanky company. He must buy them by the truck load!

[puckstopper]

My 11th Hip show and by far the best in terms of overall enjoyment. Never seen Gord go into the crowd like that before...the security was having trouble keeping up to him!

Got to meet 4/5 of the band after the show with the exception of Mr. Downie and all were total class acts.

[sean.bonner]

No "Last Recluse". Fairly odd for this tour I do believe.

[Escape@Hand]

That was probably the best show I've ever seen! I even liked most of the new stuff live; it came of much better live than on the album. The acoustic set was great, it was really good to hear Thompson Girl live again. Escape, Twist and Thugs were the highlights for me. Courage was fantastic, with one of the best rants I've ever heard from Gord. Can't wait for the next two shows!

[mfisher]

This was a great show because Gordie and the boys put on a fantastic performance! The acoustics were amazing and every song sounded so good. It's hard to pick just one song that stole the show. The best was when Gord climbed into the crowd (3 different times) and the big security guy had to try to follow him.

The only thing that was a disappoinment was that the crowd was really weak!!! Gord played his heart out and people in the mezzanine wouldn't stand up, and someone even had the nerve to ask me to sit down. I've never seen such a sad Hip crowd. I guess their seats were really comfortable. I've never heard Gord rip into a crowd like he did last night: "...quiet as a tomb in here..."

Anyway, I feel privleged to have seen the guys at their best last night, and to all those "fans" that sat on their hands, stay away next time and let the real fans make better use of the seats (although I'm sure none of those people will be on this site to read this).

[Gangrel]

Yeah, while waiting around afterwards, we saw the poor Security guard, who must outweigh Mr. Downie 2 to 1, and commended him on his agility. He sort of laughed and said "yeah, this is becoming a regular thing...."

He sounded kind of annoyed, but I guess I would too if I had to chase down a fleeing, nimble singer!

Did anyone see who strummed the guitar at the end of BobC? I know earlier in the show Gord tried to get a kid to sing, who I think was too shy.... leading to a chat between Gord and the kid ending with "try to understand your father....."

I think it was the kid on the guitar later, but couldn't see.

My favorite quote of the night, though I can't even remember it....

"Men, remember, women aren't a prize. They are a treasure(?)"
"Women, remember, men are just a prize, not a treasure...."

[giller]

41st show and seen them on every tour since 90. I’d put this in my top 3 of all time! It just seemed as though they upped the ante for some reason - someone mentioned there was family there and you could see some kids off to the side of the stage - maybe that is why.

I was in third row orchestra pit, a little to the left.

Great set – Thugs and Fiddler’s Green being my highpoint and I love Depression Suite.

Particularly enjoyed Gord going into the crowd. First time he did it, during Courage, he wiped out a number of times, plus he lost the mic – could have been a disaster but turned out to be a highlight.

“Jesus Christ, those are really nice seats except they’re pretty slippery and plush – does the Governor General have to sit in every one?”

Leaving for intermission Gord says, “Drink your drinks, smoke your smokes, form a minority government, just come back.”

The stage is low and I think Gord was having trouble seeing where it ended because after the first set a roadie taped a white strip across the front (to make it more visible) and then security actually asked the people in the front row to move right to the edge of the stage – so those folks were literally getting soaked with Gord’s sweat.

If you’re in orchestra seats and a little off to the side take earplugs – it’s very loud down there.

You’re not allowed to take drinks to your seats and the line-ups were long before the show started.

Crowd was okay but you have to remember it’s the NAC, so it’s not exactly set-up to be a rowdy party. There are ushers and security everywhere, no general admission, can’t bring drinks to your seats, etc. I didn’t see one person smoking a joint, which is rare at a Hip show. And, Ottawa is generally weak when it comes to showing enthusiasm at any event (I’m from Ottawa).

But, despite that, it was an awesome show!

[direwolf74]

Crowd was okay but you have to remember it’s the NAC, so it’s not exactly set-up to be a rowdy party. There are ushers and security everywhere, no general admission, can’t bring drinks to your seats, etc. I didn’t see one person smoking a joint, which is rare at a Hip show. And, Ottawa is generally weak when it comes to showing enthusiasm at any event (I’m from Ottawa).

Yup. I lived in Ottawa for 3 years and I too noticed that the crowds there are usually pretty lame at rock shows. Sounds like it was an amazing show though. Would have loved to have been there.

[direwolf74]

Review from the Ottawa Citizen:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainm ... story.html

According to the review, tickets are still available for these shows. That just seems crazy and wrong. C'mon Ottawa, what the hell??

Tragically Hip sizzle with energy at packed NAC
Gord Downie and co. feed off an energetic crowd
By Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — Instead of a huge arena or festival gig, the Tragically Hip played to a sold-out National Arts Centre on Saturday night, a venue much posher and more intimate than their usual setting.

But was anyone on their best behaviour for the occasion?

Not a chance.

Before the show, the lineup at the bar was as long as the beer tent at Bluesfest and nearly as rowdy. The Hip-Hip-Hip chant started in the lobby as folks flocked to their seats, and as soon as the music began, the entire audience jumped to their feet, fists pumping and heads bobbing.

Feeding off the boisterous nature of the Saturday night crowd, the band began with a sizzling version of their biggest hit, New Orleans is Sinking.

Then came the multi-faceted Depression Suite, a newer song, but one that connected with the crowd. A rocking Twist My Arm was a treat for the old-school Hipheads, while the acoustic guitar-driven Ahead by a Century inspired a mass singalong.

Singer Gord Downie was in peak form, toying with a white hanky, dancing around the stage and deviating from the script with whatever popped into his head.

"What a dump," he said at one point. "It's quiet as a tomb in here," he added later.

During a soaring version of Courage, it occurred to him to head out into the orchestra seating, climbing his way over the rows until he got to a point in the middle.

There he found a fan to help him out with the song, said something about the Governor General and climbed his way back to the stage.

There was no sign the band scaled anything down to fit into the soft-seat theatre. The lighting design was an extravaganza of effects and colour, and the sound was pristine and powerful.

Each member of the Kingston-born band could be heard clearly: guitarist Rob Baker unfurled spiky lead riffs and Paul Langlois supplied the crunching chords, while bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay made a formidable rhythm section.

Ottawa native Jim Bryson, who's touring as the band's keyboardist, did a terrific job, his work adding an extra flourish to the familiar songs.

In the first of two sets last night, the quintet roamed from the fiery 100th Meridian to the soothing Morning Moon, and spanning a couple of decades' worth of material.

The Hip continue the NAC run Sunday, Sept. 27 and Monday Sept. 28, and the plan is to tackle a different setlist each night.

Tickets are still available.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

[Mooseheadbeer]

Sure it's Ottawa and there was no alcohol allowed at the seats (lobby only with long lineups during the intermission) but I'm wondering if the acoustics are set up to kill out crowd noise. The place is designed for violin concerts after all. People were moving around at least from what I could see.

And for me the sound on the first few songs was actually pretty amazing. With the sound and the lights it's the first time in a while that I haven't been a bit bored during NOIS. I've read the opposite about the early sound here so maybe in other areas of the hall it wasn't sounding so great at the beginning. Definetely better than Bluesfest either way

The WATS songs sounded pretty good, they work well live.

[SRK]

The sound in the balcony was awful for NOIS and depression suite. It got noticeably better in the 2nd set.

I'm in the orchestra section tonight, and then back in the balcony on monday, so I'm curious to hear how the different sections sound.