[The Horrible Esthete]

Here, the Hip get ZERO airplay. College radio stations sometimes will play the first single off an album a few times, but it is extremely rare. I wouldn't even label the Hip as a "cult band", because usually a band acknowledged as such is one that most have heard of, but are unfamiliar with. Most everyone I know and meet here in Midwest U.S.A have never even heard of the Hip upon mention.

Now remember. I live in southern Ohio - this is not particularly true for urban centers near the the Great Lakes. They are much better known in cities like Cleveland, Erie, Toledo, etc., and have a somewhat substantial following in Detroit and even moreso Buffalo, from what I understand.

To my knowledge, The Hip came here (Cincinnati) only once ('96 or 97... it was the Henhouse tour) and played for a crowd that totaled about 200 people. They moved through the setlist quickly, and the show ended rather abruptly. I knew, after they hurried offstage that night, that my chances of seeing them back in Cincy was about nill, and they have yet to return.

I was floored when they landed that SNL gig....thought they might gain popularity as a result, but doesn't appear that way. If I EVER see or hear reference to the Hip here in the Midwest (without purposely seeking it out), I am always flabbergasted. No, they are hardly even a blip on this nation's radar screen.....