chris Wrote:I don't remember the setlists well enough to determine which show had the worst setlist, so I'll only comment on the Chris & Kate topic.
I don't think that they stole the soul from The Hip. They were like an alternative girlfriend; a little bit different than what you're used to, perhaps a little out of their element when they are with you, you become richer for having seen them, and after they're gone you don't really miss them, but every now and then, some memory pops into your head as to why you liked them in the first place.
Is this the greatest-ever post in the entire history of this message board? I'm going to venture a tentative "yes", but I probably haven't been around long enough to have an accurate enough perspective.
As for the issues at hand...
1. I didn't like Chris and Kate, although I didn't dislike them either. They were just sorta...there, y'know, like Boom in Pearl Jam. I don't love Kate's voice, however, so hearing her trade verses with Gord on certain songs ("Flamenco" at the show I attended on the EWTTH) wasn't ideal.
2. I'm a fierce proponent of the "some setlists are better than others" debate--due in large part to being a Pearl Jam fan who has been utterly spoiled for the past few tours (this September, for instance, I saw the band for the eleventh and twelfth time and heard a staggering thirteen songs I'd never heard live before). On one hand...I mean sure, I love seeing the Hip live, and even if they keep recycling their greatest hits I'll still keep seeing shows. On the other, I get frustrated when they don't take more chances with what they play--or, put differently, knowing the chances of me hearing a song like, I dunno, "Yawning or Snarling" is next to none. I'm sure the band knows that they've got a devoted following who see multiple shows each tour; I don't feel as though it's asking too much for them to mix things up a little bit for our benefits. For that reason I'd rate the 11/26/04 Toronto show as the ultimate manifestation of my inner turmoil where setlists are concerned. On one hand, I thought the song selection sucked, even though I respect that it was made with a DVD release in mind. On the other hand, I had a great time--I've heard "MM@W" live ten times and still get this goofy little grin whenever I hear it. Where am I going with all this? I guess, in a sense, that the average Hip setlist is like a long-term significant other: sometimes they're predictable to the point of being boring, but other times they remind you exactly why you fell in love with them in the first place.
Steve, master of the overwrought follow-up analogy since 1980
