[NWOntario]

I saw Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Massey Hall last night, and about fifteen minutes before he came on, He walked in, accompanied by one of the Hip's managers. Gord walked right past us and went backstage, then came back and sat towards the back of the floor.

He looked good.

And yes, he was wearing double denim and the First Ave hat.

[Moof_Milker]

Cool. Thanks for sharing this. Makes me (us) happy to hear Gord is out and about.

[Tomacco]

Gord was at Field Trip yesterday. Not surprising since he's buds with Kev Drew.

[Denommania]

It was back in February, but, I was at the Japandroids show at Danforth Music Hall, and Gord was there standing five feet from me watching Craig Finn's set.

[kieffer]

It was back in February, but, I was at the Japandroids show at Danforth Music Hall, and Gord was there standing five feet from me watching Craig Finn's set.

Out of curiosity, which of the two shows was this at? The Friday or Saturday?

[NWOntario]

It was back in February, but, I was at the Japandroids show at Danforth Music Hall, and Gord was there standing five feet from me watching Craig Finn's set.

The one time I met Gord was outside a Hold Steady show in Calgary.

Our entire conversation: me, "Hey, thanks for playing 'Thugs' last night." Him, nodding: "You're welcome!"

[arewhyehen]

It was back in February, but, I was at the Japandroids show at Danforth Music Hall, and Gord was there standing five feet from me watching Craig Finn's set.

The one time I met Gord was outside a Hold Steady show in Calgary.

Our entire conversation: me, "Hey, thanks for playing 'Thugs' last night." Him, nodding: "You're welcome!"

Haha, aren't those the best though? I met Jack White (fan girl moment..and I'm a guy) and I shook his hand and said nice to meet you and he gave me a weird look and some sarcastic remark. I asked him to sign my record and he did and left. Happened in about 10 seconds, but it brings a smile to my face when I think of it..

[edgoffin]

It was back in February, but, I was at the Japandroids show at Danforth Music Hall, and Gord was there standing five feet from me watching Craig Finn's set.

The one time I met Gord was outside a Hold Steady show in Calgary.

Our entire conversation: me, "Hey, thanks for playing 'Thugs' last night." Him, nodding: "You're welcome!"

I have a funny meeting Gord story. Morning after the Kingston FC show, wife and went out for breakfast. Sit down thinking the tables are pretty close and I'm going to elbowing this guy beside me, then look and realize it's Gord. Has a ball cap on, jean jacket, no one really paying him much attention, he's texting on a phone from what looks like the 90s. He finishes up, getting ready to leave and I'm thinking I have to say something. Even just thanks. At the same time, conscious that I don't want to raise a lot of attention for him.

I did this what I though was subtle, what my wife thinks sounded menacing "Goooorddd" whisper. Catches his ear and he turns. Then, crap....I have to say something. Blurt out "great show last night. You guys have been part of my life since I was a teenager, three decades later you still get better and better. Thanks." He smiled, shook my hand, said "thanks, I think we're maybe on to something." Gave my wife a little nod, and was gone.

I smile every time I think about it -- the smallest of exchanges, but seems like a classic Gord. Deadpan delivery, smirking smile.

Had one other Gord encounter, REM Monster tour show in Toronto sat beside him. End of the show tapped him on the shoulder, shook his hand, and just said thanks for the music. Around the same time my wife was going to school in TO and working at a jeweler. Gord was a customer on occasion and she dealt with him -- her recollection was that he was very quite, and it felt weird asking Gord to speak up.

I don't want to speculate on health, but he looks pretty good in the recent photos. Seeing the video preview of the documentary, looks much stronger and healthier now than he did last August.

[direwolf74]

It was back in February, but, I was at the Japandroids show at Danforth Music Hall, and Gord was there standing five feet from me watching Craig Finn's set.

The one time I met Gord was outside a Hold Steady show in Calgary.

Our entire conversation: me, "Hey, thanks for playing 'Thugs' last night." Him, nodding: "You're welcome!"

Haha, aren't those the best though? I met Jack White (fan girl moment..and I'm a guy) and I shook his hand and said nice to meet you and he gave me a weird look and some sarcastic remark. I asked him to sign my record and he did and left. Happened in about 10 seconds, but it brings a smile to my face when I think of it..

I met both Jack and Meg in Calgary when they played a surprise afternoon gig one day at the Cantos Music Museum (now called the National Music Centre). My buddy is a local music promoter in town and he called me that morning, saying "if you're free today, get your ass down to Cantos Museum by noon. Trust me." So I show up and there are maybe 30 other people there, tops. It was quite the experience. This was during their 2007 Canadian tour where they played a series of these impromptu sets all over the country, including one on a city bus in Winnipeg.

[arewhyehen]

Haha, aren't those the best though? I met Jack White (fan girl moment..and I'm a guy) and I shook his hand and said nice to meet you and he gave me a weird look and some sarcastic remark. I asked him to sign my record and he did and left. Happened in about 10 seconds, but it brings a smile to my face when I think of it..

I met both Jack and Meg in Calgary when they played a surprise afternoon gig one day at the Cantos Music Museum (now called the National Music Centre). My buddy is a local music promoter in town and he called me that morning, saying "if you're free today, get your ass down to Cantos Museum by noon. Trust me." So I show up and there are maybe 30 other people there, tops. It was quite the experience. This was during their 2007 Canadian tour where they played a series of these impromptu sets all over the country, including one on a city bus in Winnipeg.

That's pretty cool. I have a friend who works at a radio station here in London, ON and he was at the Arva Flour Mill secret show...wish I had met him a few years earlier to get the inside scoop. His boss went down to Nashville in 2009 when TMR opened up and interviewed Jack and Meg. At the end of the interview Jack handed him a promo copy of the Live in Las Vegas 3LP set. If you know anything about Jack's stuff, it's one of those pretty rare albums... His boss put it in a desk drawer when he got back to the office and was promoted a few years later. My friend got his old job...and his desk. In the desk was still those LPs. HOW THE HELL DOES ONE FORGET ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT?? So yeah..one day I will own those, when my friend needs money and offers to sell it to me..haha

[NWOntario]

Meeting Rob Baker was the most awkward thing I've ever done. He used to live around the corner from me in Kingston, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. Like I'd run into him at the corner store buying milk...but what the hell are you supposed to say? "Hey, Mr. Baker. Beautiful milk there!"

Well...my last day in the neighbourhood I was walking past his place and he was outside. And so I said this:

"Hi, Mr. Baker. Beautiful day today, isn't it?"

Him: "Yes it is!"

"Have a great day!"

And...I cringed typing that conversation omg.

My friend once saw Gord Downie in a coffee shop, walked up to him, and said: "Are you Gord Downie?" "Yes!" "Just checking."

[cochise]

Not a huge run in, but met Stephen Fearing (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and solo artist) at a Tom Petty concert a few years back in Toronto. I would usually never bother going up to anyone, but I had a couple beers in me and decided to say hi. So I went up and introduced myself, said I was a fan and he shook my hand and said thanks. After about 5 seconds of trying to find something else to say, I finally came up with "so, you here to see Tom Petty?" As soon as it came out of my mouth, I felt like a fool. The look he gave me was pretty much "why the f$ck do you think I am at a Tom Petty concert". He just laughed it off kinda and I told him to enjoy the show.

God, I still cringe even thinking about it now and it was over 15 years ago probably.

[SRK]

I met Robby when I was a kid in Kingston in...94, maybe? My dad was golfing in the group behind robby and his dad, and my dad proceeded to nail his dad direct in the head with a shot. That was...something.

My favourite famous person run-in was meeting Roger Daltrey after a bob Dylan show in London. I was quite drunk, and my buddy pointed him out so I walked right up and

"Hi Mr. Daltrey!"
"Oh...hi?"
"what did you think of the show?"
(He turned and looked at the stage sem-disgustedly)..."the first four songs were good, but he's TAKING THE PISS OUT OF HIS AUDIENCE WITH THAT FACKING ORGAN!"
...and walked off into the night.

We didn't stop laughing about that for days. He was exactly how you'd want Roger Daltrey to be.

[arewhyehen]

Meeting Rob Baker was the most awkward thing I've ever done. He used to live around the corner from me in Kingston, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. Like I'd run into him at the corner store buying milk...but what the hell are you supposed to say? "Hey, Mr. Baker. Beautiful milk there!"

Well...my last day in the neighbourhood I was walking past his place and he was outside. And so I said this:

"Hi, Mr. Baker. Beautiful day today, isn't it?"

Him: "Yes it is!"

"Have a great day!"

And...I cringed typing that conversation omg.

My friend once saw Gord Downie in a coffee shop, walked up to him, and said: "Are you Gord Downie?" "Yes!" "Just checking."

Hahaha. That's just awesome. Something I would do for sure. When we interviewed him at his house last year, we drove around the block about 5 times before stopping because we were so nervous. Ended up he was super nice and we sat and chilled and talked for 2 hours. He's one of the most humble musicians I've ever met.

[hotmetal401]

Meeting Rob Baker was the most awkward thing I've ever done. He used to live around the corner from me in Kingston, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. Like I'd run into him at the corner store buying milk...but what the hell are you supposed to say? "Hey, Mr. Baker. Beautiful milk there!"

Well...my last day in the neighbourhood I was walking past his place and he was outside. And so I said this:

"Hi, Mr. Baker. Beautiful day today, isn't it?"

Him: "Yes it is!"

"Have a great day!"

And...I cringed typing that conversation omg.

There's a good chance the corner store you would run into him at was the one I lived next door to when I was a Queen's student. We'd see him all the time; some of my housemates would be known to stare awkwardly at him from our front window when he was walking down the street. Me, I was just to nervous to really fanboy out. Couldn't get a coherent word out to any of them when I saw them. Such as when I ran into Paul Langlois at Sam Roberts' first show at AJ's Hanger, right after opening on the IVL theatre tour. It was like Ralph Wigam asking Lisa Simpson if she liked stuff.

Fast forward to the Now For Plan A shows at the Supermarket. In the "receiving line" after each gig I actually have an adult conversation with Rob Baker for the first time ever, despite the couple of years where he literally lived a block away from me. We laughed about the gawking housemates. It certainly wasn't the worst thing that's happened to him living on the fringes of the Student Ghetto. Apparently, one of the landlords actually put in an advertisement one year "live down the street from The Tragically Hip's Rob Baker."

I also told him that I'd move back to K-town when he runs for mayor. Even if I actually don't, I really want to see that happen.