REVIEW
What: The Tragically Hip
When: Wednesday night
Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
Rating: 4.5/5
Many of the Tragically Hip’s Canadian tours get underway in Victoria, which always adds to the sense of occasion.
The Kingston, Ont., band kicked off yet another tour of Canada in Victoria on Wednesday night to the delight of 6,267 fans. But there was something extra special in the air and not simply because of where the tour began.
The five-piece band was playing in sequential order 1992's Fully Completely, perhaps their most adored recording. And that, as it turns out, was more than enough to inject some get-up-and-go into the night.
The sold-out audience certainly approved. The Hip have always drawn large crowds around these parts, but the arena seemed considerably more lively on Wednesday. And more engaged, as evidenced by the smells and sights.
Credit that, once more, to the presence of Fully Completely, which is viewed as one of the great Canadian albums. It was the showpiece, but it was hardly the only element of interest. The Hip — singer Gord Downie, bassist Gord Sinclair, drummer Johnny Fay, and guitarists Robbie Baker and Paul Langlois — played five songs from different eras off the top, before they got to work on their Fully Completely run-through, which only added to the hit parade.
The band came out firing with "Grace, Too," by the close of which a sweat-soaked Downie had already discarded his leather jacket (his leather pants, for the record, stayed on for the entire night). Newer songs, "At Transformation" and "Man Machine Poem," both taken from 2012's Now For Plan A, were less effective in the early going, in part because of Downie's vocal delivery.
In recent years, his manner of communication has become something more of a shout, which deadens the impact of some songs. It didn't affect "Ahead By a Century," nor did it stop "New Orleans is Sinking" from becoming the chugging locomotive it has morphed into over the decades. But it was a slight hindrance on others.
After the short, five-song introduction, the Hip took a quick break before gearing up for the meat of the meal. In order to do so, Downie switched from a bolero to more sensible headgear, a white cowboy hat. Fully Completely deals with themes of urban angst and isolation, but somehow Downie's lonesome look and wide brim seemed fitting.
He completed his outfit with a kerchief, which he used to wipe the sweat from his brow. Also fitting, given the hard work Downie put in.
"Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)" was perfectly executed, which could also be said of "Looking for a Place to Happen" and "At the Hundredth Meridian," two of the seven certifiable hits Fully Completely produced.
Amid all the fanfare, a few gems sprung forth. "Lionized," during which Langlois earned his keep as a backup vocalist, was a giant, in part because Downie kept a tight rein on his voice. He did the same on "Locked in the Trunk of a Car," a moody thriller that seethed and spat. It was the runaway highlight at the midway point.
"Fifty Mission Cap" was a crowd favourite, and for good reason. But as the lead-in to "Wheat Kings," it was bound to suffer by comparison. The band performed the latter, a Canadian classic with a legendary "Paris of the Prairies" reference, in near total darkness, save for the glow of the audience. It was the perfect environment for a singalong ballad that has warmed many campfires across the Great White North.
The night closed with another five-song set, this one better and stronger than the one that opened the show. "In View" and "Vapour Trails" were off the radar gems and did a nice job of setting the triple-tiered stage that followed.
The night closed with "Bobcaygeon," "Nautical Disaster," and "Little Bones," three of the band's biggest and most enduring hits. "Little Bones" was insanely good and likely the best song of the night.
The sound had a tendency to be a bit muddy in spots, which could be overlooked given the talent on stage. Fully Completely was a classic then as it is now, and even though some of the songs aren't noted for their finely tuned dynamics, the night as a whole — thanks to the original album concept — worked famously.
At this stage in the Hip's career, their best songs are meant to be sung, not over-analyzed. The Victoria audience had more than its share of opportunities to do so. Kudos to the Hip.
Setlist
- Grace, Too
- At Transformation
- Man Machine Poem
- Ahead By a Century
- New Orleans is Sinking
- Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
- Looking for a Place to Happen
- At the Hundredth Meridian
- Pigeon Camera
- Lionized
- Locked in the Trunk of a Car
- We'll Go Too
- Fully Completely
- Fifty-Mission Cap
- Wheat Kings
- The Wherewithal
- Eldorado
- In View
- Vapour Trails
- Bobcaygeon
- Nautical Disaster
- Little Bones
