Last night was my 20th Hip show, and it certainly was one to remember. When I arrived and spotted the small drum kit that was reminiscent of the kit Johnny used for the acoustic set for the WATS tour, I knew something was up, and it was going to be good.
Sure enough, the band came on, and Gord was dressed up as I've never seen him before, with his shiny pink suit, topped with his hat with a huge feather in it. It was bizarre, but hey, if you can do it, why not?
They broke into Boots or Hearts, followed by a cool acoustic rendition of NOIS, with Robbie playing a dobro, which added a pretty cool sound to the song. I've heard that song too many times to count now, and while I'd never wish to hear it again, it was a refreshing rendition. Robbie then strapped on his electric and they broke into Opiated. At this point my mind was pretty well blown and I figured it was going to be an awesome night! I really enjoyed how they focused on albums (I wonder if the FC tour helped with this concept) and played a couple of hits, as well as some deeper cuts; it made for an awesome balance, and sense of excitement as I didn't know what to expect next. It seemed as though everything in their catalogue was fair game.
The MMP poem section was probably the weakest overall; Machine was good, but I felt Possessed fell a little flat. I was looking forward to hearing that one live, thinking it would be pretty powerful, but I think the use of the smaller setup undermined the potential of that song. Also, Gord struggled with the lyrics more in this section than any other. Obviously, they are new songs and it was the first live show - never mind the cancer diagnosis and treatment - and I'm not being critical of this, just making the observation. There were a few times throughout the night where he stumbled, and even just sang "na na na" to the melody, but he did get stronger as things went on, so hopefully as the tour progress he won't have as many miscues. That being said, considering the circumstances, I'm just gratefully he is out touring - it seemed very evident to me that the band is doing this tour for us fans, as much as for themselves. Even though Gord didn't interact with the audience as he has in the past (he seemed more focused on just singing, which is fine), there was certainly a connection, and I think, imho, the fact that they are pulling out all of these rarities is a nod to the fact that this is probably it.
After they finished with the MMP section, they took a quick break, setting the stage up for the "full" band set; they ripped through the PP set, with Something On being a highlight for me. I saw them for the second time on the PP tour in January 1999, and haven't heard that song since, so that was a cool surprise. The WC set was good too, with Family Band being my favourite. One thing that was really cool was how the videos would highlight the album cover of that particular set; during Something On, when he says the line "Black out to Phantom Power", the album cover came up on the screen, and there were similar moments for WC and RA. I really like the understated use of the lights and video screen; it made for a more intimate feeling, even though it was in an arena.
The RA set was really great - having them break out Gems, which I've only heard once, and The Luxury, which I've never heard, were standout moments (The Luxury in particular). However, the highlight of the whole night was during the FC set, with, of all songs, Wheat Kings. While I've heard that song numerous times, and it's not one of my favourites (although it's not bad, by any means), there was an incredible video that went along with the song. The video was a mixture of news clips from when he was in prison, and when he got released, as well as a tour of an old prison. It was incredibly poignant and moving, and I've never experienced anything like that before in a concert.
After the FC set, the band all came to the front of the stage and were hugging Gord, and then they all left, so that Gord could get the applause he deserves. I thought that was going to be the end of the night, but they came back and did Giftshop and ABAC, with Robbie playing a new intro.
All in all, I couldn't have asked for more. I went in expecting a straight ahead "Yer Favourites" show, and got something totally different. I loved how they opened with the acoustic set - that came out of left field and offered a refreshing spin on some old tunes. They completely skipped my favourite album (DFN), and this is still one of my favourite shows that I've seen. I'm so excited for the fans across the country, and I'm really looking forward to my next two shows in Ottawa and Kingston. I'm really wishing I could manage to following them across the country! I guess being at the Kingston show should suffice, and I'm sure that will be a barn-burner. I have to say that I'm very thankful that Gord has worked so hard so that us fans can enjoy him and the music of the Hip for (what I'm assuming is) one last tour. He didn't need to do that, and I'm grateful for it. What and awesome band!
