The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

The Tragically Hip Podcast Series.
  • 4.9 (57)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Semiweekly

A Series of Podcasts devoted to Canadian supergroup, The Tragically Hip.

  1. 1d ago

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Edmonton Night 1

    Ten years to the day. Two fans who were at Rexall Place for Edmonton night one tell the story - the presale tricks, the tight circle on stage, and the night the building went to church. Episode SummaryEdmonton, night one. July 28th, 2016. Rexall Place - months before Rogers Place opened its doors - and The Tragically Hip's first of two nights in Oil Country on the Man Machine Poem Tour. Ten years later, Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour sits down with Britain from Wainwright and Dave from Edmonton, two fans who were in the building. Amber from Meadow Lake joins long enough to drop the ticket story of the series - her seniors' exercise class watching her land eighth row on the floor through the Tales From The Hip fan club presale, in tears - before the connection gremlins claim her. We hope to hear the rest of it someday. The road to tickets is half the fun. Dave is the lapsed fan brought all the way back - off the bus during the Bob Rock years, pulled in by 'In a World Possessed by the Human Mind', then all in the moment the news about Gord broke: two sets of four from Ticketmaster, first spin. Britain - 40 shows deep - worked the presale, then discovered Ticketmaster would upgrade seats right up to showtime, held his target ticket hostage online while he waited on the phone, and turned row 17 into row 11 centre. Then he drove the 200 kilometres from Wainwright and did it all again two nights later. Inside the building, the panel remembers the band opening in that tight huddle at the front of the stage - a support group, buddies in the garage, there for Gord - before the intermission and the thunderstorm video interlude gave way to the full rock show. The album-by-album set list format gets called a stroke of genius, the In Between Evolution sampler delivers 'Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park' as a sleeper highlight, and 'Scared' - "pleasure doing business with you" - leaves Britain levitating somewhere above the floor. Dave's word for it: church. There's real talk about saying goodbye - during the show, on August 20th, 2016 when CBC paused its own Olympics for 11 million of us, and not until the Long Time Running documentary made it land. The word this panel keeps coming back to: celebration. The PanelBritain from Wainwright - 40 shows and counting, equidistant from everywhere and willing to drive. Video-recorded the entire night from his seat on a monopod; the footage lives on YouTube under his handle, Britstones, and the audio lives in his iTunes library.Dave from Edmonton - the returning fan who got to say goodbye in the same barn where he saw The Hip as a younger man. Now the commissioner of the great Hip song bracket running daily in the Facebook group - 128 songs enter, one leaves.Timestamps00:00 - Welcome and panel introductions02:00 - Dave: a lapsed fan hears the news and is instantly all in04:44 - Amber's presale: eighth row floor, witnessed by a seniors' exercise class05:58 - Britain's Ticketmaster upgrade trick: row 17 becomes row 11 centre09:20 - Rexall Place over Rogers Place: one last night in the old barn12:25 - The set list: album by album, a stroke of genius15:30 - The In Between Evolution set and 'Gus: The Polar Bear'19:14 - The vibe: celebration, church, and levitating through 'Scared'23:21 - Production: the tight circle, the dark stage, the thunderstorm interlude28:31 - When did you start saying goodbye?33:14 - Encores: the 'Courage' singalong, and 'Flamenco' into 'Ahead by a Century'38:19 - August 20th, 2016: watch parties, basements, and CBC pausing the Olympics43:18 - Long Time Running and the Mansbridge interview44:56 - The catalogue: Bob Rock albums, reissue wish lists, and no duds49:54 - The songs that take them back: 'Gus' and 'Scared'57:44 - Final thoughts: once in a lifetime, for good and sad reasons59:49 - Plugs: Britstones on YouTube and the song bracketResources & ReferencesSetlist and tour-debut data: hat tip to setlist.fm - 'Flamenco' made its tour debut this nightAudience recordings of the tour live at The Tragically Hip ArchiveBritain's five-part video of the show: search Britstones on YouTubeThe Escape Is at Hand origin story (and the Neu! 'Hallogallo' connection) comes from This Is Our Life by Michael BarclayThe documentary discussed is Long Time RunningDave's 128-song Hip bracket runs daily at facebook.com/groups/tthpods - round two is going to be brutalRelated listening: Yer Hipstories - Victoria, July 22 2016Join InThis series is a living audio time capsule, and it only works if the community brings the goods. Were you at a stop on the Man Machine Poem Tour? Share your Hipstory and be part of the record. Want more from the network between episodes? Subscribe to Yer Letter, the monthly newsletter from jD. ClosingHuge thanks to Britain from Wainwright and Dave from Edmonton for taking us back inside Rexall Place - and to Amber from Meadow Lake, who the bandwidth gods took from us far too soon. The takeaway this week is the word the panel refused to let go of: celebration. They did it for us. We got to be there. So there's that. Next up, after a day off: Edmonton Night Two, July 30th, 2016, with a whole new panel. Get after it. ConnectFacebook group: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com #TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #GordDownie #ManMachinePoem #InGordWeTrust #YerFavourites Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Edmonton Night 1

  2. 3d ago

    The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: 700 Ft. Ceiling

    jD convenes the expert panel to dissect "700 Ft Ceiling," the song that lands like a baseball bat to the face right in the middle of Trouble at the Henhouse. The conversation starts warm — everyone's summertime Hip pick, from "Membership" to "Morning Moon" to "Summer's Killing Us" — before turning to the puzzle at the centre of the track: what exactly is a 700-foot ceiling? (Aviation term. Lowest layer of broken or overcast cloud sitting 700 feet above ground.) The panel unpacks Gord's habit of collecting phrases for their sound rather than their meaning, the wintery outdoor-rink imagery, and the Lou Reed-flat melody that barely distinguishes verse from chorus. Things get spicy on placement. Tracy calls it filler and skips it. Mikk and Jamie agree the song detonates a gorgeous opening run — "Gift Shop," "Springtime in Vienna," "Ahead by a Century," "Don't Wake Daddy," "Flamenco" — and kicks off what Jamie dubs the album's weird second half alongside "Butts Wigglin'" and "Coconut Cream." The Kids in the Hall theory gets floated. So does the grunge theory. Everyone concedes it hit much harder live than it ever did on record. Then the episode's real gift: Mick and Jamie tell the story of renting the Bathhouse for a weekend — sleeping in the studio, playing pool while spinning We Are the Same on vinyl, Billy Ray wandering in at 10pm with stories, engineer Niles behind the board, Gord's training bike still parked where he left it. Once-in-a-lifetime stuff, told well. Next week's shuffle: "Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park" from In Between Evolution. Key Quotes"It's like an alarm clock goes off." — Mik, on where the song lands on the album"It is like a baseball bat in the face." — jD"Think about how many shows they played after 2004 that they did not play this song. That's why it ranks low. Guys, I'm telling it like it is." — Jamie"I think this is kind of Gord's secret talent — he listens better than everybody." — Mik"He says '700-foot ceiling' like four times, but the second or third time it's '700 and sinking,' which is just cool." — Jamie"It kind of felt very lived in. There was nothing you couldn't touch, nothing you couldn't sit on." — Mik, on the Bathhouse"I'll get emotional if I talk about it." — Jamie, on being shown the band's jam space"Well, I know what we forgot to do this week. We forgot to listen to the goddamn song." — jDTale of the Tape — Trouble at the HenhouseReleased May 7, 1996 — the band's first simultaneous Canada/USA releaseWinner, 1997 Juno Award for Album of the YearRecord 5 of 13Self-produced with Mark Vreeken — the only time the band worked without an outside producerRecorded at the Bathhouse "700 Ft Ceiling" live stats (via The Hip Base and setlist.fm) Played live 130 times — 3 times as an opener, 7 times as an encoreFirst played October 21, 1995Last played November 27, 2004 (retired; not performed on the final tour)Ranked #76 in the Tragically Hip Top 169 countdown — did not crack the Top 40 This week's poll: 47% / 47% split, with 6% "tolerating" it. Songs & Albums MentionedTragically Hip songs 700 Ft Ceiling · Membership · Morning Moon · Coffee Girl · The Depression Suite · Summer's Killing Us · You're Not the Ocean · Ahead by a Century · Gift Shop · Springtime in Vienna · Don't Wake Daddy · Flamenco · Butts Wigglin' · Apartment Song · Coconut Cream · Let's Stay Engaged · Sherpa · Put It Off · New Orleans Is Sinking · Little Bones · Titanic Terrarium · Emergency · Fireworks Tragically Hip albums Trouble at the Henhouse · Day for Night · Fully Completely · Road Apples · Phantom Power · We Are the Same · In Between Evolution · Live Between Us Other references Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy — source of "Butts Wigglin'"Rick Beato's interview with Billy Joel — the "vowel movements" idea Joel credits to Keith RichardsGrunge-era touchstones: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, CreedLou Reed — Tracy's comparison for Gord's vocal delivery on this trackIt's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken — the stage adaptation, seen in Hamilton, now touringTom Green's interview with Paul Langlois, filmed in the Bathhouse jam spacePeople MentionedGord Downie · Paul LangloisBilly Ray — Bathhouse caretaker and keeper of the storiesNiles Spencer — Bathhouse engineerMark Vreeken — co-producer, Trouble at the HenhousePatrick Downey — filming Billy Ray for the documentaryGreg — JD's co-host on the earlier podcast seriesLinks & PlugsKingston weekend events — Friday mixer at a pub · live record listening party August 21 at 4:30 at a pub · Sunday brunch at Morrison's. Email jd@tthpods.com to get on the list. Mik Perlus — Ragged Islands — Mick's EP, recorded over three days at the Bathhouse. Includes a cover of "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken." Available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other streaming services. Named for East Ragged Islands, Nova Scotia. Jamie — Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish — with English and Russian supertitles. Recently ran at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto (roughly 17,000 attendees during Jamie's run). Coming to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, February 13 – March 14, 2027. The Hip Handbook — JD's new AI-built discography and stats tool, debuting on this episode for the Tale of the Tape. The Hip Museum / Museum After Dark — referenced for the grunge angle and album background. Next Week"Gus: The Polar Bear from Central Park" from In Between Evolution. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: 700 Ft. Ceiling

  3. 3d ago

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Vancouver Night 2

    Ten years to the day. Three fans who were at Rogers Arena for Vancouver night two tell the story - the tickets, the Fiddler's Green goodbye, and the night a one-year-old slept through history. Episode SummaryUncharted waters - we never do third ones. Vancouver, night two. July 26th, 2016. Rogers Arena, the third stop on the Man Machine Poem Tour, and the night The Tragically Hip opened with Fully Completely - just like the set-list sleuths predicted. Ten years later, Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour gathers three fans who were in the building: Craig from Langley, Tina from Prince George, and Jay from BC - currently in Ottawa, so probably working for CSIS. We're careful what we say. The ticket stories run the full range. Craig and three coworkers all hit Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. sharp and every one of them scored - no bots, no drama. Tina borrowed a friend's Amex presale code, landed 13th row at the back, then got a phone call: Ryan was trading her his row seven, side of stage seats, because the bigger fan deserved the better view. Jay missed Victoria for a high school reunion, struck out on Vancouver night one, and was mid-refresh with his whole family when his dad popped up with the last row of the lower bowl - exactly where he likes to sit. Then there's the night itself. Tina brought her daughter - the day before her first birthday - who took in the whole scene, collected high fives across the concourse, and fell asleep against her mom the moment the music started. The panel digs into the songs that hit differently: Craig's 'So Hard Done By' that suddenly wasn't funny, Jay's 'Fifty Mission Cap' with Bill Barilko's ghost and the shiny hats, a 'Music @ Work' section that produced 'Toronto #4' - bonkers - and the 'Fiddler's Green' that became Tina's goodbye moment, her "hey man, thanks" to the band that got her through everything. Plus the 'Grace, Too' moment both nights: three minutes of guitar and an entire building screaming. Ten years on, the reflections go deep - how Long Time Running reframed everyone's memories, the Spirit of the West parallel at the Commodore, and Tina on what Gord's Kingston challenge to Trudeau has meant to the Indigenous community: a legacy that goes beyond the music. The word this panel lands on: gifted. The PanelCraig from Langley - 18 shows deep, first one in 1993 with his buddy Gord. Went to both Vancouver nights, predicted the Fully Completely opener in writing, and reunited with Dan, his old drummer, before the show.Tina from Prince George - Day For Night-era fan with the deep-cut lyric tattoo to prove it. Brought her daughter to the show the day before her first birthday; that kid is now a proud Gord Downie fan.Jay from BC - then working at the BC legislature in Victoria, now in Ottawa (no further questions). Walked out of Rogers Arena and bought Calgary night two, because this couldn't be his last.Timestamps00:00 - Welcome: officially into uncharted waters01:59 - The person you think about: Tina's daughter, one day shy of her first birthday02:47 - Craig reunites with Dan, his old drummer05:30 - Hearing the news: gutted at work, glued to the Sunnybrook press conference06:25 - Craig's on-sale: four coworkers, four wins, zero problems07:44 - Tina's Amex presale and the row-seven trade from Ryan09:57 - Jay: a muted newscast, a missed Victoria date, and dad grabs the last row of the lower bowl15:50 - Songs that hit different: 'Daredevil' both nights, 'So Hard Done By' not funny anymore18:27 - Tina: earmuffs, the crashing-waves interlude, and realizing this is the last time22:45 - Jay: the 'Fiddler's Green' surprise, 'Fifty Mission Cap', and 'Toronto #4'28:36 - The outfits, the set-list formula, and touching all 13 albums30:56 - Gord's memory, the lyric monitors, and showing up how he wanted to show up34:14 - The SNL performance, the Sheldon Cooper theory, and the emoting37:25 - When did it dawn on you? The goodbyes inside the show39:37 - Rowdy going in, stunned coming out: tears and the emptying arena44:05 - The 'Grace, Too' moment: three minutes of screaming48:03 - The one last tour that was actually one last tour49:08 - Ten years later: how Long Time Running rewrote Jay's memory of the night53:28 - Craig: full circle since 1993, and the Spirit of the West parallel56:54 - Tina: Kingston, the challenge to Trudeau, and the Downie Wenjack legacy01:00:08 - Final thoughts and a song from that night on the way outResources & ReferencesSetlist and song-count data: hat tip to setlist.fm - roughly 71 different songs across the tour, touching all 13 albumsThe rehearsal and monitor moments discussed come from Long Time RunningThe first-ever live 'Fiddler's Green': MacEwan Hall Ballroom, Calgary, on the World Container TourLearn more about Gord's Kingston challenge and its legacy at the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack FundRelated listening: Yer Hipstories - Victoria, July 22 2016Join InThis series is a living audio time capsule, and it only works if the community brings the goods. Were you at a stop on the Man Machine Poem Tour? Share your Hipstory and be part of the record. Want more from the network between episodes? Subscribe to Yer Letter, the monthly newsletter from jD. ClosingHuge thanks to Craig from Langley, Tina from Prince George, and Jay from BC for taking us back inside Rogers Arena - the trades, the tears, and the toddler who slept through the whole thing. The takeaway this week is Tina's word: gifted. We watched them pull a rabbit out of a hat, and we got to say goodbye. So there's that. Next up: Edmonton Night One, July 28th, 2016, and one last night in the old barn. Get after it. ConnectFacebook group: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com #TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #GordDownie #ManMachinePoem #InGordWeTrust #YerFavourites Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Vancouver Night 2

  4. 5d ago

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Vancouver Night 1

    Ten years on, jD sits down with three fans who were there the night the Tragically Hip played Vancouver on the Man Machine Poem tour — the second stop of Gord Downie's final run across Canada. Tina, Joe, and Shaun walk through the whole arc of that evening: the scramble for tickets when floor seats and Ticketmaster luck meant everything, the electric-but-apprehensive mood in the building as everyone wondered how Gord would hold up, and the moment his shaking hand during "Three Pistols" turned nerves into relief. The conversation ranges from the emotional gut-punches — "Grace, Too," "Bobcaygeon," "Tired as F**k," and "At Transformation" — to the craft behind the show: the band huddling close around Gord like a bar band again, the retrospective set lists that pulled from nearly half their catalog, and the stripped-down staging that only fully landed watching the final concert on TV. Along the way there's talk of secondary-market ticket gouging and dynamic pricing, the pride of a country coming together over a rock band, and how each of them found their way home that night carrying a feeling Tina sums up perfectly: "How can you feel so empty and so full at the same time?" Next episode: July 26 — Vancouver Night 2, with a new panel. Tina from Vancouver A devoted Hip fan (by her own admission the bigger fan in her household) who scored floor seats, row 26, through Ticketmaster while nearly everyone she knew was shut out. "Grace, Too" was the song that hit her hardest that night. By day she works for a Canadian pet-treat company. Only One Treats — Canadian-made pet treats with a single ingredient. Find them on Facebook, Instagram, and other socials, and in local pet food stores. Joe from Vancouver A lifelong musician (playing in bands since he was 15) and an entertainment-lighting professional — a rental account manager for a major North American lighting company. He got into Vancouver Night 1 on a spare ticket from his cousin's daughter, sat on Rob's side of the arena, and has played Rob Baker in a Hip tribute, which shaped how closely he watched the band that night. "Bobcaygeon" is the song that still takes him back. Blue Collar Overdrive — his Bachman Turner Overdrive tribute band (Joe on bass, handling the Fred Turner vocals).Website: bluecollaroverdrive.comFacebook: facebook.com/bluecollaroverdriveUpcoming shows: Kamloops Rib Fest (Aug 9), Langley Rib Fest (Aug 14), Retro Fest at Sun Peaks (Aug 24) Shaun from Vancouver A big fan who first heard the news — Gord's diagnosis and the one last tour — while riding the SkyTrain out to Surrey. He got a ticket on the first crack through Ticketmaster and watched from the rafters, just happy to be in the building. "Three Pistols" is forever linked for him to the image of Gord's shaking hand. Outside the music, he runs a pair of travel websites and recently drove an EV across Scandinavia to the top of Europe. thislifeandtrips.commyevtrips.com Connect with the Podcast Website: home.tthpods.com Reach jD: JD@tthpods.com A presentation of the Tragically Hip Podcast Series. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Vancouver Night 1

  5. Jul 23

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Victoria

    Ten years to the day. Three fans who were in the building for opening night in Victoria tell the story - the tickets, the silver suit, and the night the Man Machine Poem Tour began. Episode SummaryFirst stop. July 22nd, 2016. The Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, where The Tragically Hip opened the Man Machine Poem Tour and, as jD puts it, tore the place up. Ten years later, Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour gathers three fans who were there - Chris from Kelowna, Dave from Campbell River, and Jay from Edmonton - to take it from soup to nuts: hearing the news, chasing the tickets, and living the night. The ticket stories alone are worth the price of admission. Dave had seen The Hip 19 times and never sweated a ticket - until dynamic pricing and the bots turned this on-sale into the most stressful of his life. Chris dumb-lucked into fabulous seats through a venue voucher he had to drive to Victoria to redeem - and ended up on CBC, Global, CTV, and CNNalong the way, posting his mileage in a very Canadian unit: 12 Tragically Hip songs per hundred kilometres. Jay stared down 45 minutes of "sold out" on Ticketmaster before row four on the floor appeared for him, his wife, and his two-year-old daughter - then did it again and landed row two for Vancouver. Then the lights went down and 'Boots or Hearts' opened the night. The panel remembers the acoustic-style start, the deep cuts up front, Gord Downie's glittering silver suit and feather - and Chris's reading of it all: this was the band flipping the bird at cancer and controlling the narrative. Jay's daughter got a wave from Gord during 'Blow at High Dough' - a moment you can spot in the documentary. Dave got 'The Luxury', played for the first time since 2000, at his 20th show. There's real talk about the four "Man Machine Poem" songs played each night - 'In a World Possessed by the Human Mind', 'Machine', 'What Blew', and one more with a title we can't print here - plus where everyone was on August 20th, 2016, from inside the Kingston barn to packed small-town bars in Dorintosh, Saskatchewan, and Vanderhoof, BC. The word the panel lands on: gratitude. The PanelChris from Kelowna - longtime search and rescue volunteer, then living in Vanderhoof. Drove 1,000 kilometres to the show with his brother and an iPod co-pilot, and became the national media's favourite Hip fan for a week.Dave from Campbell River - joining from Halifax on the other end of the country. Victoria was his 20th Hip show; he carried on to Ottawa and Kingston, and he has never said goodbye.Jay from Edmonton - then in Calgary, tent trailer in tow for a family vacation on the island. His two-year-old daughter is the little girl in the headphones in the documentary. Victoria was show 39 of 40.Timestamps00:00 - Welcome and panel introductions02:01 - Ticket stress: bots, dynamic pricing, and pure persistence08:27 - Chris's media tour: CBC, Global, CTV, and CNN11:16 - The opener: 'Boots or Hearts' hits different13:51 - 'Blow at High Dough' and a wave from Gord16:29 - The silver suit, the feather, and flipping the bird at cancer22:14 - The "Man Machine Poem" songs live28:09 - A farewell party and the beginning of a goodbye35:47 - August 20th, 2016: Kingston, and the bars that held the rest of us41:34 - News: the live record and the National Celebration rebroadcast42:46 - Final thoughts on Victoria50:42 - Gratitude and what comes nextResources & ReferencesSetlist and play-count data: hat tip to Hipbase and setlist.fmThe documentary moments discussed come from Long Time RunningNational Celebration returns: a live record on August 21st, and the CBC rebroadcast on August 22ndRelated listening: The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: The Darkest OneJoin InThis series is a living audio time capsule, and it only works if the community brings the goods. Were you at a stop on the Man Machine Poem Tour? Share your Hipstory and be part of the record. Want more from the network between episodes? Subscribe to Yer Letter, the monthly newsletter from jD. ClosingHuge thanks to Chris from Kelowna, Dave from Campbell River, and Jay from Edmonton for opening the vault on opening night - the nerves, the tears, the feather, and the wave. The takeaway this week is the word Chris found and everyone kept: gratitude. They chose the stage. We got to be there. So there's that. In two days, the series crosses the Strait to the mainland: Vancouver, July 24th, 2016. Get after it. ConnectFacebook group: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com #TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #GordDownie #ManMachinePoem #InGordWeTrust #YerFavourites Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - Victoria

  6. Jul 20

    The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: Everytime You Go

    A side-two burner with a secret third verse? The panel digs into the 1988 Horseshoe debut and discovers 'Every Time You Go' was once a song called 'Holding Out'. Episode SummaryThe wheel said 'Every Time You Go', and the wheel does not lie. This week, The Tragically Hip On Shuffle takes on the side-two rocker from "Up to Here" (1989) - played live 61 times between July 15th, 1988 and June 25th, 2004, three of them as encores, and ranked #93 of 169 on the fan countdown, sandwiched between 'Heaven Is a Better Place Today' and 'When the Weight Comes Down'. jD gathers Andrew from Winnipeg, Adam from South Tampa, and Daryl from Belleville to debate, discuss, and dissect it. The listening party spins the demo from the "Up to Here" box set - a skeleton with muscle, as jD puts it, alive but not quite finished. Then comes the find of the night: both Daryl and Adam independently dug up the song's live debut at the Horseshoe Tavern, July 15th, 1988, where Gord Downie introduces it as 'Holding Out', dedicates it to race car driver Bobby Rahal, and sings a lost third verse - a prom dress, a tear-stained vest, and a waltz - that the band later cut. They did not play it again for a year. So there's that. From there it's a close read of the lyrics - knowing a Dave, the big snake pit, a birthday suitcase brown from dust from no place, and the formidable "my girl don't just walk, she unfurls" - plus the Thunder Road parallel, the highway girl connection, and Andrew's case that this song is the musical blueprint for 'Little Bones'. The poll lands at 69% love it, the panel wrestles with a front-loaded record and a side two that swings, and Adam asks the question every box-set owner is asking: how did 'Wait So Long' not make this album? The wheel gets spun twice (a first - the chat caught a repeat), the Kingston gathering gets a massive plug, and a big scheduling announcement lands: next week's live stream moves to Tuesday night, because Wednesday belongs to the debut of Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour. The PanelAndrew from Winnipeg - host of Alphabet Soup on UMFM (the letter Z is up next), the Radiohead podcast Head Full of Radio, and Threads Bachelorette. This week's cheerful tolerator, and the man who spotted the 'Little Bones'DNA.Adam from South Tampa - retired, armed with the actual countdown brochure, and the one who caught the play-count error in the listing. Grateful this song is not the Paul Young one.Daryl from Belleville - survived a last-minute audio miracle (and a spilled plant) to get on the stream. Vintage Hip evangelist who introduced "Up to Here" to his 17-year-old daughter, and co-discoverer of the lost verse.Timestamps00:00 - Welcome and panel introductions01:23 - First hit: favourite Hip summer jams06:06 - The tale of the tape: 'Every Time You Go' by the numbers08:32 - Poll check: 69% love it10:56 - Listening party: the demo from the "Up to Here" box set14:32 - First reactions: reverb, toms, and background vocals17:00 - The lost verse: July 15th, 1988 at the Horseshoe, and a song called 'Holding Out'20:47 - Andrew hears 'Little Bones' in the bones25:57 - The curse of the first two records29:31 - The lyrics: Daves, snake pits, and a girl who unfurls36:11 - Side two of "Up to Here": front-loaded or fully loaded?44:46 - The 'Wait So Long' problem46:56 - Final thoughts around the table53:37 - Spin the wheel - twice57:05 - Big announcements: Tuesday streams and a new series58:37 - Plugs and the Kingston gatheringResources & ReferencesSetlist and play-count data: hat tip to the Hip Handbook and setlist.fmThe 1988 Horseshoe Tavern recording courtesy of The Tragically Hip Archive - preservation work that made the whole episodeThe demo of 'Every Time You Go' comes from the "Up to Here" box setPodcasts plugged this week: Sarah's Tangentially Hip, Head Full of Radio, Alphabet Soup on UMFM, and Threads BacheloretteJoin InThe randomness is the feature, and the community is the point. Join the community Facebook group to catch the next live stream, vote in the polls, and share your take in the chat. Want more from the network between episodes? Subscribe to Yer Letter, the monthly newsletter from jD. Heading to Kingston? The gathering runs August 20th to 23rd alongside Forever Hip - a mixer at the Merchant Pub, Choir! Choir! Choir! in Springer Market Square, a listening party for the brand new record "The Tragically Hip Live, July 22 - August 20, 2016" on its release day, a Long Time Running screening, the CBC re-airing of a national celebration, and a farewell brunch at Morrison's. Reach out to jD to get in on any or all of it. ClosingHuge thanks to Andrew from Winnipeg, Adam from South Tampa, and Daryl from Belleville for bringing the goods - lost verses, countdown brochures, and one very good Everly Brothers joke. The takeaway this week: even a side-two album track has a secret history, and sometimes the archive gives you a whole extra verse. Two dates to circle. Next week the live stream moves to Tuesday night at 8 to talk '700 Ft. Ceiling' from "Trouble at the Hen House". Then Wednesday night, exactly ten years on from Victoria, Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour kicks off - a new episode every second day celebrating the Man Machine Poem Tour. Get after it. ConnectFacebook group: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com #TheTragicallyHip #TragicallyHip #GordDownie #UpToHere #TTHOnShuffle #InGordWeTrust Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: Everytime You Go

  7. Jul 13

    The Tragically Hip - Live Stream: The Darkest One

    A song this beloved, played live only 31 times? The panel unpacks the mystery, the mischief, and the cat at the centre of 'The Darkest One'. Episode Summary The wheel landed on a big one. This week, The Tragically Hip On Shuffle pulls 'The Darkest One' - track three and the third single from "In Violet Light" (June 11th, 2002), and number 30 on the Tragically Hip Top 40 countdown. jD gathers Kirk from Chino, Sean from Toronto, and Duxoop from Toledo around the table to debate, discuss, and dissect it. The tale of the tape raises the episode's central puzzle: first played live December 31st, 2001, last played August 1st, 2003, and just 31 performances all-time. Why did a single this strong vanish from the setlists? The panel has theories - Gord Downie's punishing high notes, his one-of-a-kind delivery timing, and the karaoke bravery both would demand. There's a listen to a formidable live version from Vancouver, September 20th, 2002, a close read of the lyrics (a darling sky, not a darkening one - and the moment as a wild place), and Duck Soup's honest, funny, and disarming answer to the question the song keeps asking: who's the darkest one in your friend group? Then it's off to the music video - the Trailer Park Boys, Don Cherry, vintage KFC buckets, and one great cat let in from the rain. The panel ranks the song on the album, mourns Hockey Night in Canada, debates a "Fully Completely" box set, and jD floats a Hip Club conspiracy theory about those suspiciously excellent bonus tracks.  The Panel Sean from Toronto - repping The Hip from the West Coast, where he saw them at the Commodore on the World Container tour. This week's cheerfully unrepentant heel on 'All Tore Up’.Duxoop from Toledo - honorary Canuck (the Duck Canuck), karaoke stalwart, and the self-confessed darkest one in his friend group.Kirk from Chino - Discovering Downie alum, guitarist with The Daryls, and currently in the studio recording his first solo album, "From the Kirkyard", with producer Joey Delgado. Find him at Kirk Lane Music. Timestamps - 00:00 - Welcome and panel introductions - 03:14 - First hit: favourite Hip summer jams - 06:05 - The tale of the tape: 'The Darkest One' by the numbers - 09:37 - High notes, weird timing, and the karaoke problem - 11:20 - Poll check: "In Violet Light" gets its flowers - 13:44 - Listening party: 'The Darkest One' live in Vancouver, 2002 - 18:54 - First thoughts around the table - 25:35 - The lyrics: every friend group has one - 32:16 - The video: Trailer Park Boys, Don Cherry, and a great cat - 37:50 - Final thoughts and album rankings - 46:24 - Did it break through south of the border? - 53:16 - Spin the wheel: next week's song revealed - 55:11 - Plugs  Resources & References - Setlist and play-count data: hat tip to Hipbase and setlist.fm - Live recording courtesy of The Tragically Hip Archive - The Hugh Padgham stories come from This Is Our Life by Michael Barclay - Bands plugged this week: The Fabulously Rich (Pacific Northwest), Gift Shop (Vancouver), the Knights of Molino (San Francisco), The Daryls, and the Delgado Brothers - Related listening: Discovering Downie, wherever you get your podcasts  Join In The randomness is the feature, and the community is the point. [Join the community Facebook group](https://community.tthpods.com) to catch the next live stream, vote in the polls, and share your take in the chat. Want more from the network between episodes? [Subscribe to Yer Letter](https://subscribe.tthpods.com), the monthly newsletter from jD.  Closing Huge thanks to Kirk from Chino, Sean from Toronto, and Duxoop from Toledo for pinch-hitting on short notice and bringing the goods - from Salt Lake City name-drops to dentures that laugh. The takeaway this week: the wild are strong, the strong are the darkest ones, and every friend group has one. So there's that. Next week, the wheel says 'Every Time You Go' - a deep cut from "Up to Here". Get after it.  Connect Facebook group: [community.tthpods.com](https://community.tthpods.com) | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com TheTragicallyHip TheHip GordDownie InVioletLight TTHOnShuffle InGordWeTrust --- Meta description (155 characters): The Tragically Hip On Shuffle unpacks 'The Darkest One' from In Violet Light - Gord Downie's high notes, the Trailer Park Boys video, and one great cat. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    The Tragically Hip - Live Stream: The Darkest One

  8. Jul 6

    The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: Bobcaygeon

    The shuffle lands on *'Bobcaygeon'* - a love song built on a race riot, and the track one fan ties to losing Gord Downie. --- "This is the song I think of when I think about coming to terms with the fact that Gord Downie was going to die." Dave from Montreal --- Episode Summary The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream is back after a week off, and the shuffle lands on *'Bobcaygeon'*, the acoustic-leaning centrepiece of "Phantom Power" and one of the most beloved songs in the entire **Tragically Hip** catalogue. The panel - **Chris from Seattle**, **Greg from the Kootenays**, and **Dave from Montreal** - takes it apart from every angle. They dig into the constellation imagery, the buried 1933 Christie Pitts riot the lyric nods to, the much-debated "Aryan twang" line, and the way **Gord Downie** humanizes a cop caught in the middle of it all. First impressions split the room between love at first listen and slow-burn grower. From there the conversation moves through the song's placement between *'Save the Planet'* and *'Thompson Girl'*, Steve Berlin's organ work, and how *'Bobcaygeon'* became, for more than one fan in the room, the song tied to coming to terms with **Gord Downie's** passing. Along the way: an icebreaker on favourite live Hip performances, a featured live cut from Austin City Limits, poll results that surprise nobody, and a look ahead to the next shuffle. A real conversation about how a quiet song carries this much weight. Tale of the Tape - Song: *'Bobcaygeon'*, from "Phantom Power" (released July 14, 1998), the album's fourth single - TTHTop40 Countdown ranking: #14 - First played live: May 10, 1997 - a full year before the record dropped - Last played live: August 20, 2016 - Played as a show opener once, and as an encore 115 times - Featured live cut: Austin City Limits, September 15, 2006 - Listener poll: 91% Love It, 7% Like It, 1% Tolerate It The Panel **Chris from Seattle** returns for his second appearance - the panel's lone American and a working musician. His band Loud Flowers just put out two EPs, the Litho EP and the Earwig EP, recorded in part at Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's Seattle studio. **Greg from the Kootenays** has caught The Hip somewhere north of 25 times and brings a scholar's eye. He has published academic work on the band, including the article "Ambiguously Hip: The Tragically Hip and Canadian Nationalism." **Dave from Montreal** is a writer, journalist, and tour guide who has covered The Hip for years. He runs non-touristy Montreal tours with Spade and Palacio. Resources, Links & References - "Phantom Power" (1998) - the album *'Bobcaygeon'* calls home - Featured live version: Austin City Limits, September 15, 2006 - Setlist and live-performance data sourced from Hipbase and setlist.fm - Live recordings via The Tragically Hip Archive - Band history reference: This Is Our Life by Michael Barclay - Greg's article: "Ambiguously Hip: The Tragically Hip and Canadian Nationalism" - Chris's band: Loud Flowers - the Litho EP and the Earwig EP - Dave Kaufman's Montreal tours with Spade and Palacio - Instagram @davekaufman1, Bluesky @davekaufman - Related listening: Discovering Downie Support the Show Editing is hard, and the coffee runs dry. If The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream keeps your battery charged, you can drop a caribou in the tip jar at buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40. Tips, always - never an ask. Big thanks to **Chris from Seattle** for coming back and bringing the musician's ear, to **Greg from the Kootenays** for the scholarship and the 25-shows-deep perspective, and to **Dave from Montreal** for going somewhere heavy and honest with this one. *'Bobcaygeon'* is a slow jam about something dark and ominous under the surface, and this panel found every layer of it. Next shuffle is *'The Darkest One'* on July 8 - no show on Canada Day, so mark the calendar. - Explore the full discography, lyrics, credits, and mapped live shows at The Hip Compendium: compendium.tthpods.com The network home: home.tthpods.com Facebook: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com #TheTragicallyHip #PhantomPower #GordDownie #TheHip #TTHOnShuffle #InGordWeTrust Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/tthtop40/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: Bobcaygeon
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About

A Series of Podcasts devoted to Canadian supergroup, The Tragically Hip.

Information

  • Creator
    The Tragically Hip Podcast Series.
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    346
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dewvre podcasts and such. 2025
  • Show Website
    The Tragically Hip Podcast Series