Kincher Wrote:My first Hip show was at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver for Another Roadside Attraction in 1997 and it was amazing. I don't remember much in terms of what was played (and no set list seems to exist that I have been able to find) but I remember the sense of awe I had about the experience as a whole.
Here are some reviews from that day to help jog your memory:
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Review #1
The Roadside Reader
What's Up in Vancouver
Updated Friday July 18, 1997 at 2:38
Vancouver 2:38 a.m. Winnipeg 4:38 a.m. Toronto 5:38 a.m.
published only on the web in july and august 1997
Weather Watch: Big blue sky - sunny for the whole concert!
Final Edition
Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver - Thurs 11:00 pm
Cheers went up from the huge crowd as the local DJ announced there was 30,000 of us at Thunderbird Stadium at 8:30. The day in the sun (a rare event this year in Vancouver) was coming to an end. The setting sun brought Sheryl Crow to the stage and the crowd erupted as she burst into her opening number.
This was quickly followed by "If It Makes You Happy," She and the band, were in fine form after just arriving back from Europe a mere two days ago. Other songs Sheryl played this evening were "Leaving Las Vegas," All I Want To Do" and "Everyday Is A Winding Road."
The crowd milled for the 20 minutes it took to change over and then The Tragically Hip took the stage, opening with a new song and then moving straight into "Grace Too." Some kind soul tossed a cigar up to singer Gord Downie who promptly picked it up and remarked how popular this genre of smoking has become.
Apparently a vendor in the Roadside Village was selling a wacks of Cubans cigars all afternoon. Fans were not only blessed with a great Hip performance, a great light show highlighting the set design but also a nearly full moon rising at the far end of the stadium. Some of the other songs The Hip played tonight were "Springtime In Vienna," "Blow At High Dough," "Ahead By A Century," and they closed with the first night of ARA 97 with "Little Bones."
Tomorrow is a travel day and Saturday is ARA Camrose, Alberta.
Evening Edition
Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver - Thurs 8:00 pm
My name is Chris Ashley and I am a student at Vancouver Film School's Multimedia Campus. How did I get here you ask ? let me tell you. It all started a couple months ago when I e-mailed The Hip with an idea. I asked if they would be interested, as well as other members off ARA, in a live video stream at The Web Café at Vancouver Film School. They responded to me telling me they were interested and that they would get back to me. Well, days went by then weeks and almost two months to the day after I sent my first e-mail to them. They told me that they were sorry and would not be able to do it ? Something that I sort of came to realize along the way. They passed my name along to the Roadside Webmaster, an all around great guy, and here I am.
I've been walking around with my video camera and the footage you see (coming soon) is compliments of myself. Hope you enjoy. I hope to get away from this laptop very soon. Ashley MacIsaac just hit the stage, Sheryl Crow is next and then The Hip!!!
If ARA comes within 500 km's of your town, make sure you go. It is something that you will not regret and will talk about for years to come.
So far Roadside in Vancouver has been great. The crowds have been coming in all day and at this point (8:00 pm), they are still arriving at a steady rate. Ashley MacIsaac is right in the middle of his swingin' set. Thunderbird is jammed with folks having a great time. The wide variety of performances today from Van Allen Belt, Ron Sexsmith, The Mutton Birds, Change of Heart, Los Lobos and Wilco has been highly appreciated by the crowd. Yet to come are Sheryl Crow and The Tragically Hip.
Here's the pictures so far.
Van Allen Belt
Ron Sexsmith Radio Interview
Los Lobos
Jeff Trott guitar player with Sheryl Crow
collecting his email
The Crowd at 7 tonight
Afternoon Edition
Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver - Thurs 1:35 pm
It is now 24 hours to show time! The staging crew has been working since Monday getting everything just so, and although it is 90% ready the last 10% is gonna take a while. By 4:00 pm the stage has to be ready for soundchecks. Consequently the place is a buzz with activity.
The set design is quite cool - the painted screens covering the speaker towers resemble castle walls. On these walls rest symbols of summer - large and colourful butterflies. The words at the very top of the stage pointedly say "Let The Enemy Not Exist." It another great stage design by John B Webster who has worked with The Hip on ARA 95, and the Day For Night and Trouble At The Henhouse Tours. John also designs sets for K D Lang and Odds. To view John's original sketches go here.
Adding to the delightful, goodtime feel is the location, Thunderbird Stadium is surrounded by trees and located on the quiet grounds of The University of British Columbia.
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Review #2
Pretty Damned Good Music, Eh?
Another Roadside Attraction
with the Tragically Hip, Sheryl Crow, Ashley MacIsaac, Wilco, Los Lobos, Change of Heart, Mutton Birds and Ron Sexsmith
UBC Thunderbird Stadium
Vancouver, B.C.
Thursday, July 17, 1997
Review by Alphonse Leong
With all the afternoon UBC-bound buses packed like cans of young and restless sardines, you knew something was afoot at Thunderbird Stadium. It was yet Another Roadside Attraction, with a curious mix of pop and specialty bands.
Ashley MacIsaac Sitting in the far bleachers to take refuge from the intense heat, I couldn't distinguish the stage crew from Ron Sexmith and his band. Somehow, the immobile acoustic guitar singer/songwriter thing didn't quite take hold in the bright sunshine and only drew polite applause.
A bit more enthusiasm greeted New Zealand's Mutton Birds, who had a very 60's Brit sound. "Put some more clothes on," the guitarist told the crowd at one point. "We just came from England and they're not as comfortable with their bodies as you are. It's distracting us!"
Ashley MacIsaac With the appearance of Change of Heart, you could easily tell the musicians apart from the crew: this band really moved! The first really powerful guitar sound of the day could be heard and the boys' unbridled exuberance had the sweaty crowd on its feet.
Moving right to the front for Los Lobos, I got my first really good look at the gothic stage decor with its churchy-lettered "Let the enemy not exist" scrawled across the top facing. Two drummers seemed extravagant, but when one of them got up and started to play guitar, I could see that Los Lobos have worked out a good dynamic. From blistering blues to accordion-based Mexican polkas, this veteran band had a cool showmanship that even the grunge-weaned teenagers against the stage couldn't resist.
Sheryl Crow "We're going to do some country-style songs, we might get back to the rock stuff later on, we might not!" Wilco's frontman stated plainly. He wasn't kidding around. Nashville licks and Southern strummin' dominated their rather laidback set, though the vocals fit in nicely with the lazy late afternoon breeze.
Violins are like harmonicas: they sound exquisite for a little while and then they just become repetitive noise. Ashley MacIsaac is definitely congenial and a virtuoso on his instrument, but his fifteen-minute violin solo seemed to go on forever. Nice cover of "Stayin' Alive," though...
da Hip and da Lights Being trapped in a group of swaying sticky bodies juiced on smuggled-in booze almost ruined Sheryl Crow's performance for me, but her self-effacing charm came through (even getting a shoe to the head didn't seem to hurt). In a lavender T-shirt and flashing a wide L.A. smile, she ran through the expected singles and was particularly effective on "Leaving Las Vegas."
The Hip, in the end, was the only act to really benefit from the lightshow, and they certainly looked like the big headlining band as they walked onstage with a classic red rock star glow. "Pretty damn good music, eh?" singer Gord Downie asked after a strident rendition of "700-Foot Ceiling." In response to the approving roar from the by-now 30,000-plus crowd, he said calmly, "I agree with you totally." Statements like that and his penchant for obtuse mutterings before (during and after!) songs make you either love his unchecked goofy style or think he's a pretentious nut. I never did make up my mind, but the songs were sure an adrenaline-soaked rush in the eerie darkness blanketing the football field.
End
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Review #3
sorry.. i had the setlist, but someone (hint hint
has it.. so I'll post that ASAP. Ok... the day was sunny like crazy... the sky perfectly clear.. all in all, a perfect day to have this crazy shindig.
Van allen Belt- pretty cool.. kinda noisy.. only heard em from the outside Ron Sexsmith - pretty nifty (my lack of comments is due to my lack of interest.. sorry
Wilco- very cool
Mutton Birds - definitely gonna pick up one of their discs.. just happy pop sorta stuff
Los Lobos - definitely a "must pay attention to". They rocked good, and the crowd was havin a shagadelic time
Ashley - first song rocked.. crowd was lovin it.. but then I must say that he sorta lacked after that. It was still cool, but I expected more
Change of Heart - completely missed them, sorry
Sheryl Crow - she was kickin good.. sounded great etc... only complaint was that she wasn't on for long enough
Ok, Now to The Hip- Without a doubt the finest form ive ever seen em in. The band were incredibly tight.. and Mr.Downie was in fine rambling form... tons of typical antics etc... something about a lake rimmed with salt, and filled with tequila... sang some of summerside of life (from ara95) during ABAC. They opened with a new song (manhunt?).. played a few other new tunes. Bobcaygeon was just plain incredible... totally blew my mind. They played some of the oldies.. blow at high dough, 3 pistols, and Little Bones. Interestingly enough, NOIS and 100th were not on the setlist. Although it seemed appropriate not to play NOIS.. it
just seemed like they've reached this new level of maturity, and between the solid setlist, the energy, and tightness of the music.. I honestly thought it was a wise choice to leave it out. Only complaint really was that the show seemed way too short (only 1 encore: little bones).
I was at first disappointed with the lack of Beer Gardens, but after actually enjoying the show from up close without getting kicked in the face, I was Ok with it. The crowd was good and mellow.. although I didn't think enough ppl were "shakin their booty".
All in all, it was an incredible day of sun and sounds.. id pay 40 bucks all over again, and again, and again
PS: no im not a writer, hence how crummy this review is.
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~Jeremy