The Tragically Hip: June 13, 2009
San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
support: band

Main Set:
The Depression Suite
Yer Not The Ocean
Fully Completely
Morning Moon
Ahead By A Century
The Dire Wolf
Honey, Please
At The Hundredth Meridian
Coffee Girl
In View
Love Is A First
Thompson Girl
Courage (For Hugh Maclennan)
Scared
Don't Wake Daddy
Poets
The Last Of The Unplucked Gems
Thugs
Bobcaygeon
Grace, Too
Frozen In My Tracks
Fireworks
New Orleans Is Sinking

Encore(s):
Now The Struggle Has A Name
Blow At High Dough

Notes: I went to this show with my dad, my sister, and family friend, Roken. The Hip is my sister's favorite band, but I haven't really gotten into any of their albums in the last decade, so I didn't know all of the more recent material they played. But they always play well and hard and put on an excellent show. The downside is the inevitable influx of drunk people who push their way to the front, totally disrespecting those of us who had been standing there for hours to stake out our space, and there was no shortage of them on this night. About 90 minutes in, I had to bail from my spot a few people back from the rail so I could sit down and get some air and rest. The drunk people were pissing me off, and one guy in particular was completely obnoxious and distracting me from the show.

I was happy they played my favorite song, "Grace, Too," which isn't always a guaranteed staple of their setlists.

Lead singer Gord Downie sheds buckets of sweat, and he goes through several dozen handkerchiefs to mop it up during the show. They're usually tossed into the audience for a random fan to grab. At one point he came down to the rail to get closer to the fans. My sister was right there, and he deliberately put a handkerchief into her hand. She goes to see them multiple times when they play in California, and usually gets a spot right up front and sings along to every song. I am convinced he remembered her from shows in the past and decided to reward her. (If a used, sweaty rag can be seen as a reward? :-D)

(May 13, 2010)

 

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