Monday 10 January 2011

Being Tragically Hip in 2011

I've noticed that whenever the guys pull up in their trucks I can hear the muffled sounds of the Tragically Hip playing until their engine shuts off.  The abruptly ending chords of 50 Mission Cap or Little Bones is a common sound for me.  The only exception is that we all seem to play Johnny Cash on Sundays; Bruce Fish calls this our Christian duty.

Music has always been a bond for us lads.  We love to jam.  Many nights we have worked on songs in garages, basements and of course French's famous shed.  

I guess I'm an old timer; just a tragically hip (or formerly hip) old timer, but bands used to galvanize us.  When a big band came to an arena we'd all go.  Even a bewildered Bruce Fish would tag along.  As a youth we all went to Aerosmith, the Cult, KISS, Skid Row, Neil Young and our heroes the Tragically Hip.  It was a given.  If a great band was in town, or a nearby town, we'd scrounge money and go.  Sweaty would collect empties in every town park just to see the Hip.    Also we'd all wear our black concert shirts to school on Monday.  Very cool, but things change...

As high school teachers, French and I, have the chance to gauge the youth of today.  We asked a "cool" student about what band was the most popular?  What band had the unified support and devotion of the kids.

Her answer:

"I dunno...Kid Cudi?"

6 comments:

all ways 11 o'clock said...

Kid Cudi?
with a name like that one tend to stay away.
i only jest really,
but but but
what did happen to analog and a good jam, a twelve hour drive in a cold van to play three thirty minute sets?
Has the love gone?


~robert

Matt McKechnie said...

they said I'm fabulously rich.

Fisheye Lens said...

Those "Another Roadside Attraction" tours were something else. I got to see 2 of them, including a jam with Blues Traveler back when they were good (i.e. when John Popper was still fat)

Human Paradox said...

Cash, Cult, Hip, Young...man, I'm getting a soul boner. There's no comparison. OO, well done.

Square Corner said...

Like when the ear buds fall out d'er heads. Nah, they don't know how good live music can be.

Willow said...

I like your ruminations of the good old days. Life is poetry, thanks.