Hip Artpark run, viewed from the afterglow

The Tragically Hip's four-night run at Artpark kicked off the summer concert season in a big way last week. With the dust settling, and the inevitable deep blue feeling that comes with the afterglow, one is left wondering if anything else that happens this summer will manage to evoke such sustained feelings of elevation. (My money's on Wilco!)

All four shows - three-hour, twin-set events each - were killer, and no two were the same. The whole thing felt like a four-day party with close friends all around, and a house band hitting a new peak in a career that has already had several.

The crowds at Artpark were, generally speaking, adoring, open and receptive to the new "We Are the Same" material, (which the band played a healthy dose of every night) and unreservedly ebullient when the Hip pulled out older songs and kicked them squarely in the pants. (Thursday's "Locked in the Trunk of A Car" and "Fifty Mission Cap," or Saturday's acoustic reworking of "Fireworks," for example.)

The band seemed to be as genuinely thrilled by the whole experience as was the crowd. During a meet-and-greet following Friday's show, drummer Johnny Fay praised Artpark for both its acoustic properties and its relative intimacy, claiming that, of all the places around the world he's played, the Lewiston venue takes the highest honors. That's really saying something.

If you were there for any (or all!) of the shows, share your thoughts on the experience, offer us a few picks for best tunes, or tell me to shut up and stop writing about the Tragically Hip, if that's your pleasure. (Go ahead. I can take it.) Here's some video from Saturday's acoustic mini-set. 
 

Comments

[David]

I was at the Tuesday show and couldn't believe they broke out "Fiddler's Green." Just a beautiful song.

[Bob]

I thought the roof was going to blow off of Artpark during the 2nd set of Saturdays show - the audience was into it - and got it good.

[Dana]

4 Nights
100 Songs Played
62 Different Songs

37 Songs Played 1 of 4 Nights
16 Songs Played 2 of 4 Nights
5 Songs Played 3 of 4 Nights
4 Songs Played 4 of 4 Nights

1/4 50 Mission Cap
1/4 ABAC (acoustic)
1/4 Ahead By A Century
1/4 bobcaygeon (A)
1/4 Boots Or Hearts (Acoustic)
1/4 Coffee Girl
1/4 coffee Girl (A)
1/4 country Day
1/4 daredevil
1/4 dark Canuck
1/4 eldorado
1/4 escape is at hand
1/4 Fiddlers green (acoustic)
1/4 Fireworks (A)
1/4 Flamenco (Acoustic)
1/4 Gus
1/4 Honey, Please
1/4 Inevitability of Death
1/4 It Can't Be Nashville Every Night
1/4 it's a good life
1/4 locked
1/4 noibeat (A)
1/4 Pigeon Camera
1/4 Puttin' down
1/4 Save The Planet
1/4 Scared (Acoustic)
1/4 The Bear (A)
1/4 The Dire Wolf
1/4 the drop off
1/4 the exact feeling
1/4 the Lonely end of the rink
1/4 Thompson girl (acoustic)
1/4 Throwing off glass
1/4 Tiger The Lion
1/4 Twist My Arm
1/4 Wheat Kings (A)
1/4 Yawning or Snarling
2/4 At The Hundredth Meridian
2/4 Blow at High Dough
2/4 Bobcaygeon
2/4 Courage
2/4 Family band
2/4 Fireworks
2/4 Fully Completely
2/4 Gift Shop
2/4 Grace, Too
2/4 Little Bones
2/4 My Music At Work
2/4 Nautical Disaster
2/4 Poets
2/4 Speed River
2/4 Springtime in Vienna
2/4 Yer Not The Ocean
3/4 Frozen in My Tracks
3/4 In View
3/4 Love Is a First
3/4 New Orleans is Sinking
3/4 Queen of the Furrows
4/4 Morning Moon
4/4 Now The Struggle Has a Name
4/4 the Depression suite
4/4 The Last Recluse

[Sitler]

I loved the shear power of "Springtime in Vienna" on Saturday night. It sent the crowd into a tizzy!!! "Yawning & Snarling" was also a special treat for this Hip fan.

[rjm]

A little over the top, Jeff? Thursday night's show was good, but...the first set sucked because of the sound being so muddled, all bass and drums with the vocals buried, lead guitar lost in the mix. I like TTH but this will not stand as the summer's highlight unless you don't plan on getting out much. Ani DiFranco and David Byrne at Canandaigua...that's the highlight so far!

[MJJ]

If you thought the shows at Artpark were tight, you should have attended the gig at Cleveland's House of Blues on the previous Sunday.
A major blast in front of just 800 people!

[Bob]

MJJ - Cleveland holds 1200 people.
And Saturday at Artpark BLEW Cleveland away!

[mike]

Sounds like everyone had a great time, Jeff did you go to all the shows?

[Jeff]

OK you asked for it.. shut up and stop writing about the Tragically Hip

[Dan D]

I saw 3 of the 4 Hip shows.
Please Keep writing.
The Cleveland setlist was very close to Friday's show, if not exact (except for 2 songs).
Saturday's and Tuesday's had such a great setlist... If I hadn't seen the Cleveland show, I would've appreciated Friday's set a lot more (and also if 4 drunken 40-somethings weren't in the seats in front of me.)
I hate when people talk during concerts... Don't they realize we can hear them too? When you're at a concert, now is not the time to tell your friends about your day at work.
But, a great 4-night stand.
If the tickets were less expensive, I would've went to all 4 nights.

[Dave]

I was at saturdays show and i was absoultly blown away that was the best hip concert ive ever been too

[siket71]

Phish at Darien Lake in August....there is your summer highlight by far!

[gsimons]

Hi Jeff, I really find most of your writings insightful
but please could you research this question for me.
Why doesn't WNY attract any big name jazz stars and why do we not have any outdoor jazz festivals as Toronto or NYC does. Remember Grover Washington,Chuck Mangioni,Bobby Milletello,Spiro Gyra,all hale from WNY. Have we turned our back on jazz for country and classic rock?