A veteran group playing
new material in concert is
always a dodgy proposition.
Never mind the entire
album.
But you’d think notoriously
devoted Tragically Hip fans
would have gotten on board
as their beloved
band played the
first of four soldout
shows last
night at the Phoenix
in suppport of
their barely weekold
new disc, World
Container.
Instead, the Canrock
veterans, who
hail from Kingston
had to work hard to
win over the 1,000
or so gathered in
the intimate setting
almost every time
they brought out a
new tune.
So for every barnburning
old favourite
like 50 Mission
Cap, Escape Is At Hand For
The Travellin’ Man, Nautical
Disaster, Ahead By A Century,
Wheat Kings, and Blow
At High Dough — which all
prompted enthusiastic singalongs
— there was uncharacteristic
stillness during
many of the new songs.
Notable exceptions proved
to be the concert-opening The
Lonely End Of The Rink, the
new album’s poppy first single,
In View, Luv (Sic), Fly, Yer
Not The Ocean, and Family
Band, all driven by Rob Baker’s
distinctive guitar playing
and Gord Downie’s wailing
vocals.
And some quieter, more
reflective tunes
like Bobcaygeon,
the title
track from World
Container and
the new tune
Pretend, all
deserved and got
a more reserved
response.
As usual,
Downie proved
to be a twitching,
feverish frontman
in head-totoe
black, save
for a red handkerchief
which
he waved behind
him like a rooster’s
tail or beside
him like a matador’s
cape.
By the end of the group’s
hour-and-50-minute set,
Downie was a sweaty, happy
madman who praised “music
lovers” for turning up.
Before the band, rounded
out by drummer Johnny Fay,
rhythm guitarist Paul Langlois
and bassist Gord Sinclair,
even took the stage fans
were chanting, “Hip! Hip!
Hip!” And upstairs on the
catwalk it was a who’s who
of sports personalities with
Dave Hodge (TSN), Martine
Gaillard (Rogers Sportsnet)
and Kathryn Humphreys
(City TV) all showing their
appreciation.
The Tragically Hip's Rob Baker and Paul Langlois joined us for a live chat to talk about their new disc, World Container. Read the full transcript here.
The Hip play at the Phoenix
tonight, Wednesday and
Thursday nights before heading
west to play four nights
each in Calgary and Vancouver,
and then head back for
two more nights in Montreal.
The band is expected to
launch a cross-Canada arena
tour early next year and hopefully
by that time, fans will be
well-acquainted with World
Container, a slight departure
in sound with both slicker
and poppier tunes produced
by Bob Rock.
