The Tragically Hip Go Hot And Cold

The only way last Friday's Tragically Hip concert could have been more Canadian was if it took place on Canada Day.

The show was outside, at the Historic Fort York — the same spot where the battle of York took place during the war of 1812 — on a warm summer night. The CN Tower was to the right of the stage while Toronto's busy Gardiner Expressway bustled on the left. Beer was flowing, poutine was dolled out to the masses, and Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings were playing at the Molson Amphitheatre about a kilometre away.

It should have been a night where most of the crowd would have been proud to call themselves Canucks, but an average set by the Hip and an audience who only cared about their beloved Gords made it difficult to get excited about being a part of the Great White North.

The unruly crowd got off to an inauspicious start as soon as The Sadies hit the stage. Chants of "Hip, Hip, Hip" could be heard over the alt.country band's blistering, solo-filled set. Dallas Good was visibly upset, even yelling, "I'm talking!" to one fan who dared to cut him off as he thanked his crew.

The Weakerthans received a similar reception. During song breaks, the Hip-hungry concertgoers waved their fists and again repeated their chants. Fortunately, John K. Samson and crew kept their composure and played an entertaining set that included "Left And Leaving," "Benediction" and "Manifest."

At about 9 p.m., the multi-aged crowd (the range was from 13-50) got what they came for. About 30 seconds after the Hip launched into "The Lonley End Of The Rink" — a new, unreleased song — crowd surfing commenced and screeches of delight filled the venue.

And the exuberant audience didn't stop cheering their heroes on. It helped that the band played a series of hits, including "Fully Completely," "Twist My Arm," "Gus: The Polar Bear From Central Park" and "Poets."

Working the crowd into an even greater frenzy was Gord Downie. The Hip singer flailed his arms wildly, jumped around like a maniac and ranted and raved about everything from the aforementioned expressway to pulling Canadian troops out of Afghanistan to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who, Downie says, is "full of shit."

Despite Downie's engaging performance, the Hip's set began to falter midway. "Lake Fever" and "Heaven Is A Better Place" weren't the best song choices, while "Ahead By A Century," usually a great track, felt a little sluggish. Things picked up again with "New Orleans Is Sinking," "Bobcaygeon" and "Grace, Too," but the band looked tired by the encore.

As idyllic a night as it was, the Hip have played better, more intense shows. Of course, their adoring fans didn't seem to care what was going on as long as the band — and only the band — were playing something.