[senrab]

Sarah was fantastic. I'm on record saying I can't stand c&c's cover of bobcaygeon, but it didn't seem too awful last night, given the context

I agree with you. He just sounded "meh". I liked Sarah more and her interpretation of Introduce Yerself was so moving, I wish she would have done the entire song.

[gsmacleod]

Sarah's version of Introduce Yerself was pretty much jaw dropping. Like others, I really wish she had done the whole song.

Shane

[sean.bonner]

Have it PVR'd. Will watch the entire show after work today I think.

[andrew sharpe]

Watching her sing it reminded me of the uniqueness of Gord's phrasing ("We... were both... sit-TING... in the... back-SEAT"), something I don't often think about when I hear Gord, but tend to notice more when others cover his songs.

I'll never understand Gord's misuse of syllabic feet. The unnatural stresses are distracting. It all started on Coke Machine Glow. I guess he was trying to brave new worlds but I don't see the point. Of course when it becomes artistic norm I'll claim it was genius

[fingernailsonhull]

Sarah's version of Introduce Yerself was pretty much jaw dropping. Like others, I really wish she had done the whole song.

Shane

It was moving and beautiful. I wasn't really listening to Dallas Green, I was watching the video montage.

[cochise]

I can trace my own obsession with Gord to his performances in Heksenketel (ARA '93) -- you know, the shaggy-hair, the beard, the deranged mad-genius-who-just-escaped-from-an-institution look while ranting on stage. Epitome of cool. Seems like yesterday I was a teenager in my parent's basement watching that VHS tape on a loop, entranced by those rants. Collectively, they did an excellent job with this tribute.

That describes my adolescence perfectly, except I go back a little further to the Live at the Misty Moon concert, which I taped off Muchmusic and watched obsessively until Heksenketel came out, and then I became obsessed with that one. No doubt many fans will remember Gord for the Jaws t-shirt, the shiny suits, and the hat. But for me, the shaggy hair and crazy Grizzly Adams beard look from ARA '93 is just as iconic.

Gord always seemed to "re-invent" himself for almost every tour. During the clips you could basically say, that was this tour, that was that tour, from his head banger UPH look, his Girzzly Adams FC look, his t-shirt wearing "Sheldon Cooper"esque look on the DFN tour, the suit wearing M@W tour, he always found a way to be a bit different than the last.

MMP Tour being what it was, the Jaws shirt and hat will forever go down as what will be considered "iconic" Gord. I am not saddened by it as in all honesty, I think it may have captured Gord's real personality the best out of all his looks, but there was just so many more that should never be forgotten about.

I think what got to me the most though was, watching those clips just brought me back to those days. IMO, back in the mid/late 90's, NO band could touch them, they were the most powerful act you could possibly see live. The entire concert almost seemed electrified, you could feel the energy coming through them and right through the crowd. Its hard to describe in words what they were like, you had to be there to experience it. Even nowadays I don't think there is a band who's live show could compare to what it was like. Its heartbreaking to be reminded that we'll never get to see that again......

[direwolf74]

I think what got to me the most though was, watching those clips just brought me back to those days. IMO, back in the mid/late 90's, NO band could touch them, they were the most powerful act you could possibly see live. The entire concert almost seemed electrified, you could feel the energy coming through them and right through the crowd. Its hard to describe in words what they were like, you had to be there to experience it. Even nowadays I don't think there is a band who's live show could compare to what it was like. Its heartbreaking to be reminded that we'll never get to see that again......

There was no shortage of great live bands during that time, but I agree, the Hip were in another league entirely. I attended hundreds of gigs by countless artists back then, and the only bands who even came close to matching the Hip's live prowess were Midnight Oil and maybe Pearl Jam. Honorable mentions would include U2, the Headstones, the Watchmen, Spirit of the West, Sam Roberts, Joel Plaskett and a few others. But of course none of those acts had that spellbinding ingredient that Downie provided. During his prime, the guy was incomparable as a rock n' roll frontman. Easily the most unique and exciting performer of his era.

[andrew sharpe]

MMP Tour being what it was, the Jaws shirt and hat will forever go down as what will be considered "iconic" Gord. I am not saddened by it as in all honesty, I think it may have captured Gord's real personality the best out of all his looks, but there was just so many more that should never be forgotten about.

Given it was his swan song, I think the over the top outfit was perfect. But otherwise I never cared for GD doing anything that put distance between him and the band. For me, the glory in the Hip is the unity...in the band...with the fans.

I think what got to me the most though was, watching those clips just brought me back to those days. IMO, back in the mid/late 90's, NO band could touch them, they were the most powerful act you could possibly see live. The entire concert almost seemed electrified, you could feel the energy coming through them and right through the crowd. Its hard to describe in words what they were like, you had to be there to experience it. Even nowadays I don't think there is a band who's live show could compare to what it was like. Its heartbreaking to be reminded that we'll never get to see that again......

Sure is. I consider it a real blessing to have seen them then. I just watched the U2 Live in Paris concert and they are one of the few bands that come close to the magic that the Hip conjured up live.

[sean.bonner]

My favourite part was the audience shots featuring Dave :lol:

[edgoffin]

I ugly cried through it the first time, then watched it the next day. Sarah was great, I'm amazed that she was able to hold it together knowing her history with Gord and the band. Dallas, OK version but sort of missed the nuances of the song or its unique meter.

The video is what really killed me -- just realizing I'll never see that energy on stage again. I've seen countless shows by hundreds of bands, many great shows and some outright fantastic, but nothing ever matches what The Hip could do really on any night, but even more so in those prime years when every show was a full on adventure. Sadly, one of the closest was Spirit of the West, and we're losing John Mann in a whole other terrible way.

It was a nice tribute, and a nice moment for the brothers on stage.

[hurls15]

I can trace my own obsession with Gord to his performances in Heksenketel (ARA '93) -- you know, the shaggy-hair, the beard, the deranged mad-genius-who-just-escaped-from-an-institution look while ranting on stage. Epitome of cool. Seems like yesterday I was a teenager in my parent's basement watching that VHS tape on a loop, entranced by those rants. Collectively, they did an excellent job with this tribute.

That describes my adolescence perfectly, except I go back a little further to the Live at the Misty Moon concert, which I taped off Muchmusic and watched obsessively until Heksenketel came out, and then I became obsessed with that one. No doubt many fans will remember Gord for the Jaws t-shirt, the shiny suits, and the hat. But for me, the shaggy hair and crazy Grizzly Adams beard look from ARA '93 is just as iconic.

It's interesting to hear what image of Gord comes into people's heads first when they close their eyes and use their mind's eye. For me, it's the shaggy haired Gord wearing his 'Save the Humans' shirt while stalking the stage. His (and the band's) performances of that era were incredible and unforgettable.

[kieffer]

For me it's Gord from the Woodstock gig.

[edgoffin]

It's interesting to hear what image of Gord comes into people's heads first when they close their eyes and use their mind's eye.

Sweaty mess Gord, getting smoked by a shoe during a Road Apples tour stop in Ottawa.

[Killer Whale Tank]

Ha! It's an interesting question, what your personal 'iconic Gord' image is. For me, it's the balding guy with buzzed hair around DFN, looking alternately grim and gleefully demented. I recall during the DFN tour, the Montreal Gazette ran a photo of him screaming with massive crinkling around his eyes such that he looked like a maniac. That's my ultimate Downie image. (In terms of live shows, it's the experience of seeing him come out on stage in the ARA tour circa '94, wearing a straw hat that blew off his head in the wind as soon as 'Blow at High Dough' started up).

No question, though, that the MMP tour outfit are now THE definitive image of Gord, the one that will go down in the history of rock iconography, like Bob Dylan's mid-1960s sunglasses look or Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' costume. Hell, you only need to show people the hat and they know what it signifies.

[Joe]

I think my fave is Gord's Final Form in the Canadian tuxedo. Love his denim jacket with the First Avenue hat or brimmed hat!