Sundown in the Paris of the Prairies

Date: 14 July 2011
Venue: Northlands

Guests: Carmen, Kevin and Derek
Tickets: Kevin

Broken Social Scene

This group from Toronto based band played a solid opening set, although I'm not certain they were an appropriate choice for the crowd in attendance. The crowd seemed slightly older, with more heavy rock tenancies than the typical Sonic crowd, and although the set was well executed, it didn't command the regard they deserved. The group consists of musicians from a few different indie band, do not like to refer to themselves as a super-group, as that suggests: stability of the group, international fame or super powers of the members. None of which are applicable. The indie music scene in Canada shares a lot of projects, this being one of them, with many collaborations sprouting up between a small community of artists.  Depending on the artist, the year and the songs, the bang is constantly evolving and changing. I really enjoyed their set and were glad they were the opening band, and by the end of the set, it felt like the crowd eventually came around.

The Tragically Hip

 The atmosphere was perfect. The set started when the sun was still up (you have to love the long evenings of Edmonton summers) and continued past sundown. the crowd was so excited and was just humming with anticipation by the time the Hip took the stage. The general atmosphere was a bit rowdy (aforementioned) so there was moshing, people sitting on other peoples shoulders and quite a bit of crowd surfing. To the point where Gord called them out about how utterly lame it was to crowd surf, yet the surfing continued. I don't think the crowd surfers were listening... must be all the water in their ears.

 

Set List

Blow At High Dough

Grace, Too
Love Is A First
Streets Ahead
Gift Shop
Ahead By A Century
In View
Poets
At The Hundredth Meridian

Wheat Kings
Drip Drip
Fully Completely
Courage
Bobcaygeon
New Orleans Is Sinking
 Little Bones

 The Kids Don't Get It
 My Music At Work

 

The Hip have a way of charming a crowd, even a rowdy one. By the time Poets was played, the ruckus subsided (perhaps people had been outside the beer garden long enough to quell the effects of inebriation, or the smoke mellowed them out enough that we could enjoy the show) and the atmosphere was one of people just enjoying beautiful music on a gorgeous night. My favorite song of the night was Wheat Kings, a personally favorite and an anthem to Scott and my life in Alberta so far (although the song might be about Saskatoon, I think that when the lights are just right, and you squint just a little, an oil derrick resembles the Tour d'eiffel quite nicely).

Under the ticket cost, you may see that I listed Kevin instead of currency. This part was really awesome. The Hip awarded free tickets to members of the Armed forces and their dates. I think this is a fantastic idea and applaud them for this. My friend Carmen was going with her boyfriend Derek, and was able to convince their room mate Kevin to bring me along as a date, and his girlfriend was in Calgary. For this, I am every so grateful, and forever indebted... or until I buy Kevin some JD.. whatever comes first.

Originating in Kingston, Ontario in 1983, the band is truly a mathematical phenomenon: with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The front man, Gord Downie, is quite a character on stage. He quite often goes off on rants or gets quite experimental, but I feel as part of the band, he is grounded a little, making the music more accessible and cutting those rants with a awesome bass line to back it up makes it seem more like beat poetry than sporadic ramblings of a mad man. The solo act of Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles is a (fully) completely different beast than the Tragically Hip, and I think that speaks to the wonderful chemistry that the Hip brings to the stage.

My favorite memories associated with the Hip are from my High School Basketball team. Our Coach, Mark Neufeld (no relation), was a huge Hip fan, and we warmed up to  Blow At High Dough, New Orleans is Sinking as well the Cure and some other songs that are eluding my memory now. I can't help to think of those wonderful days of friendship, teamwork, and soul construction when I hear of the Hip. There was this gorgeous house in the middle of the woods in Shawnigan Lake by the Koksilah River, with a full sized outdoor court surrounded by huge Douglas fir trees on the base of a mountain. He would rouse us for training camp with some Hip blasted at full volume, then we would run up the mountain, make brekkie and play ball all day surrounded by the beauty of nature.  Strongly recommend it for building skills, team work and character. 

Tenacious Basketball Camp