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View Full Version : DMC trip to The Hip



sdg3205
08-03-2016, 01:17 AM
This past weekend was both incredibly exciting and terribly sad; I travelled from Vancouver, BC to Edmonton AB to see one of the Hip's "Man Machine Poem Farewell Tour" shows.

Any Canadians on this forum will know what I'm talking about. I know GFrank has some tickets to the Toronto show. If you're not familiar with The Tragically Hip, they are "Canada's Band" and Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer earlier this year. The news was about as painful as hearing a loved one in your very own family was afflicted. Like a lot of Canadians, I have been a die hard Hip fan for about 20 years and they're the sound track of my life.

After being unable to get tickets to the Vancouver and Calgary shows, my friend and I finally secured two tickets to the second Edmonton show. It was a phenomenal show. The band divided the concert into sections, with an album dedicated to each section. Gord had to take a few breaks and was clearly not his old self with the stories, dances and energy. The crowd sang along to almost every song. We watched as the band took a final bow, leaving Gord on the stage for about 10 minutes to say goodbye to the roaring crowd, most of whom (including myself) were either teary eyed or trying hard not to be. At one point, it even seemed to hit Gord, as he put a hand over his mouth.

I took the DeLorean. It was the longest trip I have ever taken in the car. Overall, i spent about 20 hours driving about 2,000 km. As i drove, i couldn't stop thinking about the juxtaposition between the excitement of the show and the sadness in knowing it was probably goodbye. Along the way, I past probably twenty or twenty-five much newer cars pulled over to the side of the road suffering various maladies from blown out tires to overheating. I thought to myself 'Hmmmmm. What passes as common knowledge to the uninformed about DeLoreans would actually have me at the side of the road, all broken down in my "crappy DeLorean", yet here i am in my 35 year old "junk" heap passing all you blockheads stuck at the side of the road with your corollas, firebirds and grand caravans." It made me feel a bit better, but not because my DeLorean performed so well. I think it made me feel better because for all intents and purposes I beat the odds, and maybe there was a slim chance Gord could do the same.

Courage for Gord.

45105

Dangermouse
08-03-2016, 09:24 AM
Great story and a great way to see the band.

It seems like this is the year to lose our music idols.

Jonathan
08-06-2016, 09:31 AM
Good stuff, Dave. Hard for any Canadian not to have at least one Hip story from over the years.

I didn't get tickets to any of their shows, but what I would give to be back in Kingston for the final one. That'll be a pretty nostalgic day for anyone there, not just Queen's grads. I might have to dig the GPA out of the closet to wear when that last concert is broadcast on CBC.

I have always been a huge fan of their earlier albums, Up To Here, Road Apples... no doubt because of the years those were made and where I was at the time. I didn't happen to meet any of the band members back then, but some friends did. A couple friends dressed up for Halloween in about 3rd year purposely just to knock on Bobby Baker's door. Sure enough, they were all there just chilling out and invited the two (female of course) friends of mine in for a drink, lol. Baker lived right around the corner from the house I was in that year. I used to see him take his recycling out to the street every so often, but never felt the urge to go up and bother him.

My brother was always the bigger fan between the two of us by a long shot. If I have seen them live 5 times, he's seen them 50 times.

I think his Hip license plates are hanging up on the wall now. They got ripped off his car enough times by people stealing them for souvenirs to retire them :)

45163


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzxoGcBsk-8

Gfrank
08-06-2016, 09:39 PM
Pretty awesome way to see them one last time Dave! Love it.

I myself have tickets to the Hamilton show, my buddy got us 4 for Toronto, not sure yet if I'm going with him and unloading mine to another friend or vice versa. Regardless I'm sure it's going to be bitter sweet and one hell of a show, as always. My final tickets will join my final vynal album on the wall of the cottage

I'd say my favorite hip show I attended was when they played in bobcaygen, thinking around 2011

Big loss for Canada - #courageforgord

Dangermouse
08-22-2016, 09:16 AM
Made the BBC news

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37147588

twice

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37148999

sdg3205
08-23-2016, 01:27 AM
That concert was indescribable.

This is moment that broke my heart, and the hearts of millions of Canadians.


www.cbc.ca/player/play/748010563966/

I was amazed by Gord's composure throughout the tour; how he was able to stand on stage after the band had left and just watch the crowd, waving, smiling and mouthing "thank you" to the stadium. That was the moment where Gord let it all out, and how could he not? But as "Grace, Too" ends he gathers himself for what would be the third encore.

There is no doubt he was struggling more on Saturday then even a few weeks ago when I saw them in Edmonton. He had difficulty remembering the lyrics to songs they'd been playing for thirty years, often needing to glance at a teleprompter, but it didn't matter because he was doing something even the best doctors didn't think he'd be able to do. To say that his strength astounds me would be an understatement.

My wife let me hold my daughter in front for the TV for the first hour, breaking her 'no TV before two' rule, so that one day i could tell her she watched the last Hip show with me. As much as I would have loved to take my daughter to the concert, the logistics were just ridiculous.

45641

What the hip mean to Canada has been discussed by far brighter people than myself, so if you're interested just google the band.

For now, I'll just leave this here. The last song ever played by The Tragically Hip.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE2joQsWXJg