get ry cooder to sing my eulogy




This weekend I managed to get my hands on Canada's own The Tragically Hip's new album, In Between Evolution - which will be in stores tomorrow (6/29). The Hip are one of the biggest rock bands in Canada & have been for more than a decade, though they've never been able to crossover here in the U.S. I listened to them a lot while I was in college, and I discovered that their albums all get better & better the more you listen to them. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to the new disc that much yet, but I'm willing to bet it ages similarly as well. I spent much of Sunday nite importing my old Hip albums into iTunes, and I still like them quite a lot after not having listened to them for almost two years - when I saw them summer '02 touring in support of In Violet Light @ First Avenue, which had no air conditioning that nite (the hottest, sweatiest show I've ever been to, btw).

MP3 The Tragically Hip - "Grace, Too"
I was introduced to The Hip in 1994 through my brother Alan, around the time they made a valiant attempt to find an American audience w/their Day For Night LP. The less-sad-back-then Dan Aykroyd introduced them on SNL, and they substituted the opening lyrics of this song with: "she said I'm tragically hip..." This song is still often a set opener at The Hip's very solid live shows - frontman Gordon Downie really knows how to work a crowd.

MP3 The Tragically Hip - "Tiger The Lion"
From 2000's Music@Work, this song was kind of a departure for The Hip at the time. Initially I was turned off by it, but I came back to it after seeing them perform it at a free Canada Day show in Central Park NYC & now it's one of my favorite Hip tracks. Downie's odd lyrics about John Cage's views on art backed-up by The Hip's heavy instrumentation finally clicked for me somehow, & I'm certainly glad that it did.

BTW: If you're reading this Juhi, do you remember keeping me company at The Hip's fall 2000 show @ NYC's Town Hall? I remember having a good time, but I just hope you weren't too bored.

I may post some more Hip tracks as the week continues, as long as I'm still feeling that it's still a worthy enterprise. I hope y'all enjoy...



Today, I felt kinda like Nate (played by fellow native-minnesotan Peter Krause) towards the end of this past sunday nite's episode of Six Feet Under, minus all that widower-single-dad-sexaholic stuff. I can, however, empathize with his desire to MOV curl up in the fetal position (6.2mb) & forget about the rest of the world. Unfortunately, I think I end up feeling that way a bit too often. Anyway, enough depressing nonsense.

Hopefully tonite's !!! show @ the Triple Rock will help to brighten my spirits.

BTW: You may need the 3ivx video codec for that 6FU video.
| fooled me once, shame on you »
| bush compares democrats to nazis »
| i got the moon, i got the cheese »
| i'll take the rapists for $400 »
| big pimpin, smokin' weed »
| drawing you into the club »
| too drunk to drink more? »
| and a sweet sound it made »
| stop shopping, stop buying things »

Anonymous Anonymous @ 6/29/2004 08:25:00 AM:

How was the big !!! show last night? I really wanted to go but it's too hard to get up and go to work after a Monday night show. I also wanted to thank you for posting a link to my little corner of the web...

Michael    


Blogger mr gilbert @ 6/29/2004 12:14:00 PM:

In understand that hesistant impluse WRT the Hip. They do have a beer-guzzling, hockey-obsessed section of their following that can turn people off, but I have never really let that bother me. Perhaps being in the states helps.    


Anonymous Anonymous @ 6/29/2004 06:01:00 PM:

Thanks for the Tragically Hip songs. How about Fifty Mission Cap? Definitely a "worthy enterprise."

There are some good Quebecois artists, too - Les Colocs, Les Freres au Ch'val, Jean Leloup, Mon'onc Serge...    


Anonymous Anonymous @ 6/29/2004 07:20:00 PM:

I am TRYING to see The Hip in concert on Canada Day, but for some reason Ticketmaster isn't selling lawn tickets online or by phone. RRRRRRR.    


Anonymous Anonymous @ 6/30/2004 12:28:00 PM:

of course i remember jonny! you were throwing down at that show! even though i wasn't familiar with their music, i still had fun, just hanging out with you :) -juhi    


Anonymous Anonymous @ 6/30/2004 08:56:00 PM:

I was at that First Ave show without AC.
It was right up there with seeing Soul Coughing three nights in July.
With the change in management at First Ave, I hope they don't fuck it up too much.    


Blogger mr gilbert @ 6/30/2004 09:07:00 PM:

Agreed. I certainly hope 1st Ave manages to keep their act together as they sort all this management messiness out. It's such a great club.    


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