2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

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FourPistols
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by FourPistols »

I woke up nervous and anxious. I was very much on edge about what we were going to be seeing that night. The momentousness of the occasion. Thankfully, once we departed from Buffalo for Toronto I started to get into the groove.

Walk into the Air Canada Centre and it’s just packed. Great to see. Full of diehard fans. Walk up to our seats in the 300 section and realize how high up we are. Both my wife and I are a little thrown by it but we get used to it.

The show begins with Blow at High Dough and it’s off the races. The band sounds great. People are rocking out. It’s perfect. They follow with New Orleans and it’s just crazy. They give me a thrill by playing Opiated, one of my all-time faves. They play songs from the new album. Machine sounds great and I’m happy to hear What Blue, my favorite from Man Machine Poem.

The instrumental jam that led into The Last of the Unplucked Gems was cool. Another one of my faves. Same goes for Long Time Running, which almost brought my wife to tears. Next, they hit us with Three Pistols and I’m ecstatic. Three Pistols…wow. So, so great. I highfive the guy who is rocking out in front of me. All is right in the world.

They work in tracks from Now For Plan A – I enjoyed We Want To Be It the best – along with some from Trouble at the Henhouse. Again, I’m just thrilled to hear Flamenco. They’re just playing the perfect setlist for me. So great. Ahead By A Century nearly brings me to tears. But the positivity of the proceedings helps me keep it together. This show was very little sad, and very much all-out rock and roll and living life to the zenith.

We get some heavyweights from Phantom Power and, yes, it seemed like Gord missed the “That night in Toronto” lyric we were all waiting for. Or maybe he left that for us to sing. No matter! On to the encores with Daredevil, which is just such a cool and underrated song (this band has so many of those). Big finish with Grace, Too and we’re all just blown away. It’s the perfect concert. The perfect night.

I expected to be in tears at the end but there are no tears coming. Gord is out there alone being the consummate showman that he is, thanking the crowd sincerely, soaking up all the energy that is just roaring through the arena. It’s an amazing moment, and I think to myself, “There’s no way he’s sick. There’s just no way.”

How can anyone sing like that, move like that, entertain like that in a compromised state? Holy cow. What an inspiration. This guy is doing things that are absolutely incredible up there. Really makes you think about how you live life on a day to day basis, and if you’re really not saving a thing for later.

In leaving the stage with his head held high, Gord and the boys may be pulling off the ultimate illusion. And I am so thankful to have seen this for myself, and for all that they’ve given me over the past 18 or so years. Because it’s a lot.
Moosehead
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by Moosehead »

NWOntario wrote:
The Heron Outside wrote:
thechubb44 wrote:What is the house music right before the show starts? I know that's vague. But I dig this song and have no idea what it is
Yea, anyone? Shazam obviously couldn't pick it up...
Yeah! "Punkrocker" by Teddybears, with Iggy Pop.

Rob posted some of the others on the playlist too: https://twitter.com/tthbaker/status/765559153297281024
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by Smokey »

Sonis there any audio recordings of the show available?
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by Lucky13 »

Walked into a conversation at work this morning around 8:05am after a long night in Hamilton and not getting to bed until close to 1 am.

"How was The Hip show sunday"

"it was ok, didn't play any of their hits and the crowd was not into it"

I nearly snapped but just walked away.....he doesn't understand The Hip.

p.s. it was also his first Hip show
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by Smokey »

Lucky13 wrote:Walked into a conversation at work this morning around 8:05am after a long night in Hamilton and not getting to bed until close to 1 am.

"How was The Hip show sunday"

"it was ok, didn't play any of their hits and the crowd was not into it"

I nearly snapped but just walked away.....he doesn't understand The Hip.

p.s. it was also his first Hip show


lol. He shouldn't even have had a ticket it sounds like lol
paulster2626
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by paulster2626 »

Smokey wrote:
Lucky13 wrote:Walked into a conversation at work this morning around 8:05am after a long night in Hamilton and not getting to bed until close to 1 am.

"How was The Hip show sunday"

"it was ok, didn't play any of their hits and the crowd was not into it"

I nearly snapped but just walked away.....he doesn't understand The Hip.

p.s. it was also his first Hip show


lol. He shouldn't even have had a ticket it sounds like lol
Lots of these types of first-timer people around me last night in Hamilton. BUT - I like to think that this is the start of their new obsession with the band. From now on, they're true fans. First time I saw them I probably wanted NOIS and the like as well. We can all get better over time.
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HandsInTheRiver41
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by HandsInTheRiver41 »

Now that the dust has somewhat settled, I was wondering which of the 3 Toronto shows people thought was the best, of those who attended all three? I only made it to the last two, but I think Friday night was the winner only by a hair's margin. This is relatively trivial in grand scheme of things, of course, but I'm still interested in others' opinions.
TTH: Vancouver 2004 | Victoria 2007 (x2) | Victoria 2009 (x2) | Solana Beach 2009 | Los Angeles 2009 | Victoria 2012 |
Portland, OR 2012 | Toronto #2 & #3 2016 || GD: Victoria 2010 | Montréal 2014
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sean.bonner
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by sean.bonner »

HandsInTheRiver41 wrote:Now that the dust has somewhat settled, I was wondering which of the 3 Toronto shows people thought was the best, of those who attended all three? I only made it to the last two, but I think Friday night was the winner only by a hair's margin. This is relatively trivial in grand scheme of things, of course, but I'm still interested in others' opinions.
I wasn't there. From a pure set list perspective, Use It Up wins for me every time.
2004-12-03 - Saint John/2005-09-03 - Moncton/2006-06-30 - Charlottetown/2006-11-09/10 - Montreal/2007-09-11 - Fredericton/2007-09-13 - Halifax/2007-09-14 - Sydney/2007-09-15 - Charlottetown/2008-06-30 - Charlottetown/2009-05-01/02 - Montreal/2011-06-28 - Moncton/2011-06-30 - Charlottetown/2012-06-30 - Niagara-on-the-Lake/2013-02-01 - Moncton/2013-02-02 - Halifax/2015-01-10 - Toronto/2015-02-20 - Montreal/2015-07-17 - Ottawa/2016-08-18 - Ottawa/2016-08-20 - Kingston
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emperor penguin
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by emperor penguin »

sean.bonner wrote:
HandsInTheRiver41 wrote:Now that the dust has somewhat settled, I was wondering which of the 3 Toronto shows people thought was the best, of those who attended all three? I only made it to the last two, but I think Friday night was the winner only by a hair's margin. This is relatively trivial in grand scheme of things, of course, but I'm still interested in others' opinions.
I wasn't there. From a pure set list perspective, Use It Up wins for me every time.
I only attended one of the three, and I'm so glad it was the Friday show. That IVL set was absolutely incredible. Dire Wolf is one of my favourite songs of all time, as is Greasy Jungle which was also played.
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by Tthip »

The crowd made Friday's Toronto show my favorite of the three.
Even though I stood still for about 10 songs Periscoping.
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Re: 2016-08-14 - Toronto, Ontario

Post by HandsInTheRiver41 »

emperor penguin wrote:I only attended one of the three, and I'm so glad it was the Friday show. That IVL set was absolutely incredible. Dire Wolf is one of my favourite songs of all time, as is Greasy Jungle which was also played.
Yea, I think the IVL set was what put it over the edge for me too. Hearing the drums of Dire Wolf slowly creep up after the lightning storm intermission was a magical moment.
TTH: Vancouver 2004 | Victoria 2007 (x2) | Victoria 2009 (x2) | Solana Beach 2009 | Los Angeles 2009 | Victoria 2012 |
Portland, OR 2012 | Toronto #2 & #3 2016 || GD: Victoria 2010 | Montréal 2014
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