While The Tragically Hip may not be a traditional Valentine’s Day choice for the Air Canada Centre (John Mayer and Jon Bon Jovi have both had couples flocking to the ACC on previous V-Days), it was oddly appropriate to have them on stage. After all, Thursday night’s show could have been considered a love affair between the Canadian icons and the 13,000 strong in attendance.
By now, the band’s diehard fans know what they’re in for. They know to expect no shortage of irreverent silliness from lead singer Gord Downie, along with a couple of solo efforts from guitarist Paul Langlois. They also know to expect an inspired effort that still resonates, even after 30 years in the business. And locally, they know to erupt on cue during “Bobcaygeon,” when Downie sings, “That night in Toronto…”
The recipe for the type of strong bond that the band shares with its audience is two parts good music and one part shared cultural heritage. There is no mistaking the quintessential Canadian-ness of a Hip concert, from the references to all things red and white in the songs to the sea of hockey jerseys that appears out in the crowd. Oh, and the ever-flowing beer, too!
On Thursday, Downie and the Hip seamlessly meshed the old with the new, banging out plenty of classics (“Ahead By a Century,” “Music at Work,” “Gift Shop” and the aforementioned “Bobcaygeon,” among others) while also promoting some pleasing, if unfamiliar, works off of their new album, Now for Plan A.
The fans, who spent most of the evening out of their chairs, were keen to let their bodies flow to just about any sound the band put out. The widely held belief that Downie likes to alter and rework Hip favourites live didn’t gain much traction at the ACC, with most songs delivered as fans remembered them.
It was by no means a perfect show. Bringing out fellow local talent Sarah Harmer during the first encore seemed like a good idea in theory, until it slowed down the show’s tempo and killed a good portion of the crowd’s momentum (show openers the Arkells, on the other hand, provided a major early energy boost).
Downie limited his dialogue in between songs, which was surprising. Still, it didn’t detract from his fan interaction that much; at one point he even taunted some of those stage-side with a sweat-drenched handkerchief.
But whatever flaws the show may have had didn’t matter to the horde of Hip fans on hand, who were simply there to dance, drink, party and bask in the evening’s plentiful Canadiana.
