I've been into the Tragically Hip since the first time I saw them live. Getting to see them live, for the first time, was a beautiful accident.
Sweaty and I played on the basketball team together, and we had a tournament in Kingston. This was perfect, because French had moved down there in the summer to live with his girlfriend; a 23 year old nursing student (he was 19).
We played our games versus KCVI and Regi - I don't remember the scores, but I do remember the coach talking about a curfew, sleep and good eating habits. Sweaty and I, regardless, snuck out to see French.
French had lined up a great night. The Queens nursing students were having a pub-night and this local band called the Tragically Hip were playing. French knew the bouncer and got us in and we started to bend taps. Sweaty was double fisted all night, as usual.
I was really psyched about the wall to wall nurses...then the band's set really got rocking. This dude with really long hair started to lay down some hard driving chords. His hair totally covered his face and dripped down over his guitar. He never looked up and I never saw his face. The other band members joined in to create an oceanlike wall of sound. Their sound just filled every space.
The lead singer was very intense - he would sing the lyrics of Highway Girl or Cemetery Side Road, then bust into a stream of consciousness story/poem in the middle of a song. The band would just have to follow along, and be ready when he finished up his story. In the middle of one song he told a 10 minute tale about being the guy in charge of cleaning killer whale tanks. Awesome story.
Part way through the show someone threw a hockey helmet on stage; only in Canada. Gordie, the lead singer, put it on and started to sing Werewolf Baby - then another nurse threw a suit coat on stage, he put that on too, and he sang about how much he liked, loved, and needed this jacket.
We drank a few more beers, chatted up some nurses; then Sweaty and I hitched back to the hotel at 3 am. French had disappeared a couple hours before.
The next morning we played Bayridge Secondary - I kept smelling booze out on the court. We really lost that game bad.
3 comments:
Very good. Lately I've been thing what is likely to be young...endless energy, always on the go. This post captures those brief youthful adventures that stay with you forever, the ones you often relish the most.
OO,
Summer nights in K-town, watching the Hip through a beer soaked haze surrounded by college girls. Not sure if I can conjour a better memory. Glad French and Sweaty were there too.
HP
There used to an elder at our church (St Pauls Presby) named Ed Bloedow - his last name was pronounced 'Blay-dow'. Adam used to always call him Ed Blow At High Doe.
Always makes me think of the Hip and that song.
matt
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