[WesleyC.]

All the shows I have seen I would have to say the Roadside Attraction shows has the best opening bands.
I really didnt like many of the ones of late.
I mean I had never heard of The Odds before 93s ARA but then after that show I went out and bought their first CD and all the follow ups right up to the new one called The New Odds. I think they were excellent.
Crash Vegas was so good too. I ended up seeing them live a few more times in clubs , I bought all their CDs and even met Colin Cripps and Michelle Macadaroy (sp) and got all my cds autographed.
I didnt like Hot House Fowers at all so didnt follow them.
13 Engines were Excellent and followed them and bought their muisc.
Daniel Lanois was a serious discovery for my wife and I and even ended up naming our first son Daniel after a line in the Daniel Lanois song Lotta Love To Give. " Daniel Daniel by the bonfire, on the telephone wire, she's calling you to say , yeaaaa I gotta whole lotta love to give" We were trying to figure out a name for our first born and we were playing that song and when he sang that line we both looked at each other and at the exact same time said " Daniel"
Wintersleep, well they put me to sleep really.
The Sadies, ehhhhhh no thanks
The Weakerthans,,,, ehhhhh no thanks again...
Andrew Cash,,, Yup loved him, realized at the concert I had his earlier single, Boomtown and watched his set and went out and bought his music. Enjoyed seeing Gord sing with Andrew Cash at the Ontario Place forum and doing the song Hey Maria. One of my fav A.C. songs.
needless to say of all of them, Id have to say
1 Daniel Lanois
2 The Odds
3 Crash Vegas
4 13 Engines
Those are my fav 4 openers.
And no the woodstock bands dont really count as they were all already kinda big to begin with.
So my question is who has been your fav opening band for the hip that you possibley never heard of before seeing them open and ended up falling in love with their music and have or still are following their careers?

[Lizard King]

Ive seen alot of bands open for the Hip over the years but The Watchmen were my favorite and probably the best band that's opened for them. (Not counting large festivals..etc)

.

[ron]

the watchmen, or sam roberts or joel plaskett one of those three.

[tragicallysteve]

For me it's Sam Roberts. By a landslide! Well... maybe a small landslide....... but a landslide nonetheless.

[WesleyC.]

Ya Sam Roberts, hehehe I forgot about Belleville show.
Yea Sam Roberts is up there for sure for me also.
But I have not gone and bought any of his stuff, I have not even borrowed it from the library to copy.
I got Brother Down from Belleville last summer on my youtube channel.
My youtube link is down on the right side if your so inclined.

[Chris4613]

Love Sam Roberts as an opener, really love no opener Evening With shows, lol :mrgreen:

[Joe]

Plaskett- Wintersleep tie

[direwolf74]

In no particular order:

Daniel Lanois
Rheostatics
Wilco
Los Lobos
Sam Roberts Band
The Watchmen
The Sadies

I'd put Midnight Oil on that list too, but that was more of a co-headlining kind of thing, so I don't really count them as an opening band. My absolute favorite was probably the Watchmen. They were such an amazing band, and a tough live act for the Hip to follow.

[HipFan67]

I can't honestly say I've liked any.......

[cochise]

Sam Roberts - Grand Rapids 2004
Midnight Oil - ARA 93 - Ottawa

[tth_fan]

Sam Roberts. He rocked the house like he was the feature presentation, which got us all ready for the Hip.

[Almost Hip]

The Headstones was a great opener as were The Watchmen at the Hip and Friends shows, (even though there were several openers per night)
Others from Edgefest would be Thronley and OLP (I know it was edgefest but they all played before the Hip so im my eyes they opened for them)

Otherwise for standard 1 or 2 opener nights Sam Roberts and Buck 65 have been my favorites

[Remi_Gaudet21]

Our Lady Peace
Matt Mays & El Torpedo
Joel Plaskett Emergency

I cant imagine how awesome a night with Sam Roberts and the Hip would be though...

[WesleyC.]

The Headstones was a great opener as were The Watchmen at the Hip and Friends shows, (even though there were several openers per night)
Others from Edgefest would be Thronley and OLP (I know it was edgefest but they all played before the Hip so im my eyes they opened for them)

Otherwise for standard 1 or 2 opener nights Sam Roberts and Buck 65 have been my favorites

I thought OLP was a dissapointment actaully. I took some video and never even bothered to post it to youtube.
That song where they say " Alone Alone Alone " I didnt like the sound it seemed off. That was the Barrie show around 2002 I think it was right?
Best part of that show was this super hot chick that was all drunk and walked right up to me near the porta poties and lifted her top and shoved her huge boobs about 6 inches from my face. I was like " wholly fuck let me get my camera" i reached for my camera from the wife and turned around and the girl was gone.

[WesleyC.]

Sam Roberts - Grand Rapids 2004
Midnight Oil - ARA 93 - Ottawa

At the Markham Ontario show they were excellent.
I recall the singer picking up a shoe and asking everybody who's shoe is it? and said " come on its gotta be someones shoe"
Then a bit later he got pissed at some guy and insisted the guy get thrown out. He stopped mid song and yelled and pointed and singled him out and insisted he be kicked out and said he personally will refund the guys ticket price.
It was quite the live concert moment.
I didnt add them cause around 93 they were pretty big and I didnt really see them as an " Opening" band but more like a co-headliner type.
O yea another great one I cant remember if it was 93 or 95 at Markham ARA was The Persuite of Happiness.
Remember Moe Berg waling around holding his school picture yelling " this was me in grade 9 this was me in grade 9"
I remember teh song "the cigarette dangles" and everybody jumping quite a bit to that song too.
Yea TPOH were a pretty good opeing act too.