[j-monster]

1. Toronto Fort York Show, 2006-06-24: What else can we say about this show, so many great songs and rants, just absolutely stellar.

2. Toronto ACC, 2004-11-26: Attending the show where the That Night In Toronto DVD was released as part of Hipeponymous? Priceless.

3. Rochester Auditorium Theater, 2007-11-02: Amazing smallish old style venue with great acoustics, great performance by the band, and JPE was pretty darn good too!

4. Wantagh, NY Mulcahy's, 1998-08-15: Awesome road trip in a very small venue, got to se them up close and personal, met lots of great people, my own Escape is at Hand moment (in which, thankfully, no one died!)

5. Toronto ACC, 1999-02-22: First night at ACC, great setlist, got to see this show with a friend with whom, sadly, I have lost touch with.

[cbeach401]

1. London, 2004-11-27- hands down the geatest concert experience of my life. I still get goosebumps whenever I hear the recording of Hundredth Meridian and think back to the frenzy that crowd was whipped into then.

2. London, 2007-02-05- another inspired show at the JLC. The NOIS/Nautical/NOIS performance simply floored me.

3. Cleveland, 2007-04-14- as was mentioned before, a fun show with Emperor Penguin and Edmund Fitzgerald rocking the encore. My first club show, too.

4. Rochester, 2007-11-02- it feels weird to add a show from this week in, but I loved this performance. A great send-off for the World Container tour for me.

5. Hamilton, 2000-12-21- this show actually doesn't stick out in my mind as a particularly great one, but it was my first time seeing the Hip live so it'll always have a special place for me.

[The Heron Outside]

What we really should be after here is Sloggett's Top 5 list...

Mine roll a little like this-

5-10.15.02 The Hummingbird...Maybe the best sounding Hip gig I've ever heard...
4-10.26.06 The Phoenix...Righteous setlist with one of the loudest crowds I've ever heard...I swore the ground shook a little during Three Pistols...
3-09.19.94 The Odeon...My first club show, Fighter Fighter made getting in a car with three Hip fans I've ner met for three days more than worth it...
2-12.23.00 ACC...The show that just wouldn't end. Found some sweet seats with the band's family the day before the gig, and actually I enjoyed having a cop of beer tossed at me from many rows behind during "That night in Toronto..." line...
1-07.11.06 The Paradiso. One of those "Guess you had t'be there".

[chris]

So.... my list is the same as The Heron Outside's...

#5: 2002-10-15 - The Hummingbird Centre The first Hip show I attended solely with new friends made through The Hip.
#4: 2006-10-26 - The Phoenix (although any one of the 4 nights could occupy this spot!)
#3: 2004-09-19 - The Odeon My first club show, a road trip with good friends, new and old - and Fighter, Fighter.
#2: 2000-12-23 - The Air Canada Centre I ended up front row centre and feeling the cheer after Courage is still gives me chills.
#1: 2006-07-11 - The Paradiso One of those "Guess you had t'be there kinda nights." It was the climax of the EuroHip '06 trip.

Honourable Mention 1993 Richardson Stadium, Kingston. From the moment The Hip took the stage, I was hooked.

[The Heron Outside]

An honour, Chris...

[The Horrible Esthete]

October 22, 1994: The Odeon, Cleveland
Just look at the freaking setlist:

Impossibilium
100th Meridian
Grace
Fully
Unplucked Gems
Greasy Jungle
Yawning or Snarling
We’ll Go Too
Daredevil
Nautical
Fifty Mission Cap
Titanic Terrarium
NOIS
Fire in the Hole
Locked in the Trunk…
Thugs
Little Bones

September 25, 1998: Newport Music Hall, Columbus
After already playing Giftshop, Pigeon Camera, Nautical Disaster, Vapour Trails, and The Luxury, they closed out the show with Locked, Chagrin Falls, NOIS, Membership, IOD and Escape. Wow.

April 14, 2007: House of Blues, Cleveland
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the band sound better than they did this night. Exquisite sound, great vibe, and getting a setlist with Daredevil, Chagrin Falls, Gems, and Penguin in the States these days is a rare, rare, thing. And hearing them bust out Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald literally made me cry, since I grew up on Gordon Lightfoot. It was a sort of "full circle" moment.

December 31, 2006: House of Blues, Chicago
Jenna Bird, The Hip, and I in Chi-town to ring in the new year. Nuff said.

Music @ Work tour shows - July 2000:
Some of the most beautiful rock concerts I’ve ever been privileged to see, and I can't single one out. Kate Fenner added a richness and texture that words can’t truly describe. Heard some sensational tunes that I may never hear the band play again: Sharks, Train Overnight, Completists, Stay, Wild Mountain Honey, etc. Flamenco was absolutely arresting. There were some great DFN gems in there too. A great stretch of performances.

Honorable mentions:
- May 7, 1999: The Agora Theatre, Cleveland
- May 12, 1999: Stranahan Theatre, Toledo
- August 30, 2002: Odeon, Cleveland
- February 12, 1999: The Palace, Auburn Hills
- All the TATH shows. The mood and feel of these gigs was incredible.
- The first show at the Newport in Columbus, sometime between 1992-1994 (i can't even remember it's been so freaking long). The whole show was comprised of Up to Here , Road Apples, and Fully Completely material....imagine all the cuts which we now call "rarities".....

[maggie123]

This is harder then i thought because of the times i have seen them i only saw them once that i didnt get blown away and that was in Stratford but these are the ones that stand out....
Top five--
1 New Years millenium show at ACC .This was the first time i saw them and became somewhat obsessed afterwards finding some of the songs i heard since i had only ever heard what was on the radio--when i heard Scared i was hooked
2.Hummingbird--2003??-closest too the stage i had been up too this point and had great seats.
3 Molson Edgefest--first time hearing Boots or Hearts and it seemed like the whole place was singing and moving together --awesome.This was probably the one thing that stands out as the most memorial times from all the shows i have been too..all those people tuned in too the same thing at the same time........
4 Barrie Molson center--both shows
5 Wasaga Bluesefest--now this was the closest i have been since the Hummingbird show-i went with a couple freinds and couldnt beleive when we got their at around 5:00 that their were hardly any people near the front.we were able too wedge ourselves a few feet away by the time the show started

[Billy]

Seems like we've done this a few times already, but what the hell.

Putting them in order is a pretty difficult thing to do so I'll just list 5 shows that stick out in my mind.

Aspen CO, 1998...Hip outside at the base of a mountain, winning over American fans almost as soon as the base line from Grace kicked in to start the show...too perfect.

ARA 1995 Craven, SK...my first outdoor Hip show and the energy of the band and crowd are still vivid in my mind.

Halloween 1991 at SaskPlace...my first Hip show and the place was nuts with all the drunk people and the Hip were extremely animated.

Last November at Mac Hall when they played Fiddlers for the very first time. Holy christ, I haven't had shivers down my spine like that in a very, very long time...if ever.

Nov 19, 2004, Saddledome...not sure exactly what it was about this show but it may very well be my favorite of the whole lot.

[fny1996]

#5 - February 10 1999: Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo: My first show.
#4 - July 27 2002: Somerville Theatre, Boston: My wife's first show. Ever since, we've been planning our vacations around the Hip's schedule.
#3 - June 16 2006: Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh: An amazing version of Grace.
#2 - September 24 2004: Howlin’ Wolf, New Orleans: I love this city, great vibe in a small club.
#1 - April 14, 2007: House of Blues, Cleveland: Our fist of 5 shows and by far the best. Wreck of the Edmund gave me chills.

[direwolf74]

1. Sasquatch Festival '06:
The boys went on after the crazy hail storm and kicked everybody's ass. They only got to play 8 songs, but they sure made the most of it. World Container was still months away from being released and it was my first time hearing Lonely End of the Rink, Fly, and The Drop Off. It was absolutely mind-blowing.

2. ARA '93, Race City Speedway, Calgary:
Midnight Oil played an incredible set just before the Hip, and I didn't think any band could possibly top their performance. I was wrong.

3. High Sierra Fall Classic, Novato, CA '98:
My first U.S. Hip show. The venue was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, the crowd was small and well behaved, and the band was on fire. The entire show had such a great vibe.

4. Somerville Theatre, Boston, '02:
Two words- PIGEON CAMERA!

5. ACC, New Years Eve, Toronto '99:
Gord's balloon genocide was worth the price of admission alone. Amazing show.

[Zenith]

Music @ Work tour shows - July 2000:
Some of the most beautiful rock concerts I’ve ever been privileged to see, and I can't single one out. Kate Fenner added a richness and texture that words can’t truly describe. Heard some sensational tunes that I may never hear the band play again: Sharks, Train Overnight, Completists, Stay, Wild Mountain Honey, etc. Flamenco was absolutely arresting. There were some great DFN gems in there too. A great stretch of performances.

I would have absolutely loved to have made it to one of the M@W marathon shows! The one's I've heard are so, so great - especially with Kate Fenner on backing vocals. Also, I love the M@W album, and I'll probably never get to hear most of those songs live again which is sad.

[sporty]

1. 7-20-95 cayuga speedway- 2nd show ever
2. 12-21-00- hamilton - opiated and other classics
3. 8-11-98 boston - small club 700 ft. ceiling
4. 7-26-97 vermont - gord's tap dance during the break in little bones
5. 3-9-07 buffalo - 38 yr's old

great shows

[aaronck]

1993-07-31 ARA Calgary...my first Hip show, it was absolutely amazing.
2004-06-23 the Whiskey...Man that was some show, got pretty blitzed and had an amazing time. I still can't believe they played there
2002-09-23 The Jube Calgary..Front row center, never knew I could bring a camera
2006-10-28 Mac Hall Calgary Fiddlers Green, say no more
2006 Spring The gorge Short set Due to hail and insane weather. Right in the middle of an amazing weekend of fun and music-Lets hope the Sasquatch is as good in 08!

[Three Pistols]

This is tough. But I thought I would share the setlist from my first show.

1996-09-24 Be Here Now (Asheville, NC) The venue is now known as 'The Orange Peel'. I got to meet all of the members of the band after the show, and they were gracious enough to sign a shirt for me. I was hooked before, but really hooked afterwards. Too bad the crowd was very small, and I doubt there is a recording...but what a great set.


grace, too
springtime in vienna
giftshop
nautical disaster
ahead by a century
butts wigglin
courage
scared
at the hundredth meridian
greasy jungle
titanic terrarium
coconut cream
new orleans is sinking
put it off
fire in the hole

first encore
apartment song
daredevil

I was the idiot in front of the stage yelling for tunes from 'Road Apples', and Gord basically says hey man, we are playing some new stuff tonight, so enjoy...I did.

[EPenguin10]

1 - Zoo Amphitheatre in Toledo [August 22nd 1998] (Thompson Girl, Something On, Vapour Trails, Don't Wake Daddy, Emperor Penguin, Escape, Flamenco)

Very cool venue, the band was on, I have excellent memories of this night. EPenguin was played, nuff said...

2 - Cobo Hall in Detroit [November 23rd 1996] (Twist My Arm, The Luxury, 700 Ft. Ceiling, Daredevil, Flamenco, Escape, Daddy, Scared, Werewithal, Thugs, Everytime you go, Locked)

What a way to see the Hip the first time then to have it turned into an official live release! Many of my all time faves played this night (some of which I may never see again), the light show for 700 ft was incredible...went with my cousin who also got hooked after and has been to many shows since...

3 - Somerset Theatre in Boston [June 30 2000] (Puttin' Down, Something On, Escape, Tiger the Lion, Pigeon Camera, 700 ft, Stay, Flamenco, WMH, Sharks, Thompson Girl, The Completists)

2nd row in a great venue. I was really enjoying the M@W songs live: Tiger, Completists, Sharks, WMH, Stay). Best version I've heard of Flamenco (with Kate Fenner). Pigeon Camera (again, nuff said...). Need to get the DVD of this.

4 - ARA '97 at Molson Park in Barrie [Aug 2nd 1997] (Save The Planet, Greasy Jungle, So Hard Done By, 700 Ft. Ceiling, Flamenco, Vapour Trails, Don't Wake Daddy, Membership)

Fun time. One my favourite songs played along with Los Lobos (SHDB). Need to get a boot of this.

5 - Bolton Valley Amphitheatre [Aug 5th, 2000] (Opiated, Tiger, The Completists, Train Overnight)

I love Vt. I also love Opiated.


Can't wait to see a show that pushes one of these down...