[Hugh23]

Please tell me one Hipbaser attended the Gord Downie & TCOM's show at a secret location in Toronto on Thursday, May 13th. Where is the show review and set list?

Mav, please help us out with a set list and any information you have.

[chris]

I was there.

They played most of the songs from the new album - nothing else. Gord said they toyed with the idea of playing some older songs but that the crowd wouldn't know any of them...

I didn't write down the setlist but they opened with As A Mover and closed with The East Wind.



I wrote a bit more at <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.Hipfans.com">www.Hipfans.com</a><!-- w -->

[daylight]

They played most of the songs from the new album - nothing else. Gord said they toyed with the idea of playing some older songs but that the crowd wouldn't know any of them...

I hope this isn't indicative of plans for the rest of the tour.

[Joe]

They played most of the songs from the new album - nothing else. Gord said they toyed with the idea of playing some older songs but that the crowd wouldn't know any of them...

I hope this isn't indicative of plans for the rest of the tour.

Ya, that would be a huge let down. If I heard Steeplechase or Never Ending Present live I'd shit meself.

[Tthip]

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Gord Downie
by Ryan James Terry

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Gord Downie And The Country Of Miracles perform at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in Toronto. Roughly 100 people, including myself, had the unique opportunity to see the “Canadian Rock Icon” perform songs from his upcoming release ‘The Grand Bounce’ in a relaxed and intimate setting. The venue was a 170 year old building, about the size of a small country church. We were seated about 4 feet away from the band on the same eye level — no stage, just the band setup and some mood lighting. To quote Mr. Downie that evening, “The microphone is just for effect.” The atmosphere of the room was an odd mix of electric excitement and relaxed casual. Surrounded by family and friends, the band shook the dust off with mighty gusto, having last performed together in 2004.

My experience with Gord Downie goes back to the Summer of 1991 (approximately). A lot of big things happened for me that Summer (if my memory serves me correctly — which, thanks to the drugs and alcohol I also discovered at the time, it probably doesn’t). It was the year I decided I wanted to become a singer, and the responsibility for that lies at the feet of a few key culprits. Such guilty parties released around that time included Red Hot Chili Peppers: ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magic,’ Pearl Jam: ‘Ten,’ Faith No More: ‘The Real Thing,’ Nirvana: ‘Nevermind,’ (all of which I could gush about with equal vigour here) and by no means lastly, The Tragically Hip: ‘Fully Completely.’ Those albums remain close to my heart to this very day, only diminished by time because I listened to them so many fucking times. I don’t know if it’s possible to wear grooves into CDs through constant play, but that Summer and for years to come, I did my damnedest. ‘Fully Completely’ played a large role in teaching me how to harmonize and if I had to pick an album that evoked the feeling of Summer, that would be it. Gord and “The Hip” have been through ups and downs since that album, but to this day Gord’s voice and poetry (that’s right, POETRY…not lyrics) are a distinct and unique force with the power to awe and inspire.

I have seen Gord and The Hip perform roughly 5 times in my life, on a great big stage at a great big festival doing the great big icon thing that they do. Thus, to see Gord Downie stripped down to just a guy playing a guitar in a room was a truly memorable experience. He has hit his stride as a solo artist with ‘The Grand Bounce,’ giving me the same feeling I had in 1991: the joy of listening and singing along, being affected by lyrical sentiments, and of course, the feeling of Summer. This album will be heard under the sunlight and on a warm wind many times for years to come.

The accompanying illustration is an homage to the song “The East Wind” as well as the album cover itself –which was also painted by Gord Downie.

Thanks to Edge 102.1 & Bookie for the prize tickets. There’s a reason why I know that Chris Walla produced this album, as well as Tegan and Sara’s ‘Sainthood.’ You’re the man Bookie!