The Hip though, were magnificent. They played a combination of new stuff, and a lot of older stuff. I much prefer their older material. To me their past couple releases have had a lot of songs that sound very similar. Their newest releases have felt very flat to me.
The sound was pretty good, but I felt that the mix was a little off. I someimes found it difficult to hear Gord Downie over the rest of the band, especially when he went off on a rant (which he did a few times). I was happy to see that Mr. Downie hasn’t changed much on stage. He is still as strange as ever! His antics up there were priceless. I remember one time I saw them in concert he was riding his mic stand like it was a horse. He rode it so hard that he bent the thing and a rodaie had to bring him a new one for the next song!
In that respect he really hasn’t changed. At times he looked like he was in the middle of some bizzarre seizure. Ahh, good Canadian boys!
After the concert we headed back to Suede’s moms place, and then this morning (after getting too few hours of sleep), we hopped back on the ferry and came home. Whirlwind trip to Vancouver, but as usual, it was fun!
The set list (from thehip.com)
Vaccination Scar
Grace, Too
Poets
It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken
Summer’s Killing Us
Courage
Bobcaygeon
Nautical Disaster
It Can’t Be Nashville Every Night
Boots Or Hearts
Inevitability Of Death
Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park
At The Hundredth Meridian
As Makeshift As We Are
Springtime In Vienna
Goodnight Josephine
My Music @ Work
New Orleans Is Sinking
1st Encore:
You’re Everywhere
Ahead By A Century
Blow At High Dough
2nd Encore:
Fully, Completely
Heaven Is A Better Place Today