'The Luxury' sits in the middle third of "Road Apples" and somehow that's exactly where it belongs.

Track four of twelve. It doesn't announce itself. It doesn't demand anything from you. It just settles in - dark, jazzy, a little snarling - and waits to see if you're paying attention.

Turns out, a lot of people are.

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD is joined by three first-timers - Paul from Columbus, Jamie from LA (by way of Montreal, for the record), and Eric from Toronto, who also happens to shred guitar in Forever Hip.

Three rookies. One song. Zero consensus on where it ranks on "Road Apples." All the consensus in the world on 'The Last Recluse.' So there's that.

The tale of the tape: 

'The Luxury' comes from "Road Apples," released February 18th, 1991, and recorded at Kingsway Studios in New Orleans - Daniel Lanois' personal studio. Produced by Don Smith. Live debut: March 1st, 1991 at the Town Pump in Vancouver. Final performance: August 10th at the Air Canada Centre - the middle show of the Man Machine Poem Tour. It ranked #67 out of 169 songs on the TTHTop40 Countdown.

The conversation goes deep:

Jamie breaks down a single melodic note change Gord made on the chorus - from the studio recording through the Roxy in May '91 all the way to "Live Between Us" in '96 - and how that one shift changed the song's emotional register entirely.

Eric reads the lyrics as a vignette: a man fresh out of prison, hiring company for the night, seeing a colour TV and soft water as genuine luxuries.

Paul connects the song to the fire at his cottage near Tobermory, a Crown Royal in hand, just letting it sit.

They get into the "fleur-de-lis" line, the Playboy reference, the lyric flip on "why are you partial to that Playboy con," and Gord's famous "song about a man walking down the street shaking a banana" intro on "Live Between Us." There's also a live chat shoutout to Duxoop Douglas for the New Orleans connection.

Very good, yeah.

The live shuffle at the end of the episode lands on 'An Inch, An Hour' from "Day for Night." Next week.

Paul from Columbus is a lifelong Hip fan from Columbus, Ohio - and the guy who connected the July 1st, 1992 Molson Park poster to the raffle happening this Saturday at An Evening for Sara J. Bada bing.

Jamie from LA - originally from Montreal, where his love for The Hip was first forged at camp in '89 via a mixtape with 'New Orleans Is Sinking' and '38 Years Old' on it - is heading to Toronto at the end of the month to perform in the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish with English supertitles at the Elgin Theatre. May 25th to June 7th. Go see it.

Eric from Toronto plays guitar in Forever Hip, who are performing this Saturday at An Evening for Sara J at the Firkin on Yonge. Patrick Downie will be there. Two sets of all your favourites and that song you're thinking of right now. Yes, that one.

Resources & References

• 'The Luxury' - "Road Apples" (1991), Kingsway Studios, New Orleans
• Produced by Don Smith | Released February 18th, 1991
• Live debut: March 1st, 1991 - Town Pump, Vancouver
• Final performance: August 10th - Air Canada Centre (Man Machine Poem Tour)
• TTHTop40 ranking: #67 of 169 (source: TTHTop40 Countdown, 2025)
• "Live Between Us" (1996) - the version that changed the song for Jamie
• Live at the Roxy, May 1991 - early live recording referenced
• Live at Metropole, October 1998 - referenced in conversation
• Setlist data: Hipbase | setlist.fm

An Evening for Sara J - This Saturday, April 11th The Firkin on Yonge, 207 Yonge St, Toronto. Doors 7 PM. Featuring Patrick Downie and Forever Hip. Tickets at tickets.tthpods.com. Every dollar raised goes directly to the cause.

Next episode: 'An Inch, An Hour' from "Day for Night." Live stream, 8 PM. Be there.

Join the community at home.tthpod.com @tthpods | youtube.com/@tthpods | jd@tthpods.com

#TheTragicallyHip #TTHOnShuffle #RoadApples #GordDownie #TheHip #CanadianRockPodcast

Pete and Tim hear "We Are the Same" for the first time. Bob Rock, big strings, and a campfire album that divides fans right down the middle.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Released in 2009 and produced by Bob Rock, "We Are the Same" was the first record in over 20 years that made Tragically Hip fans wait longer than two years for new material. It debuted at number one. And it is, to put it diplomatically, a record that asks something of you.

Pete Marchica and Tim Lyden sit down with jD for their first full listen, and neither of them is ready for what they get. The conversation covers every track - from the country-laced AM radio chorus of 'Morning Moon' to the sprawling, emotionally devastating nine-plus minutes of 'Depression Suite,' which Pete calls fucking magnificent. There are Pink Floyd comparisons, David Gilmour guitar tributes, a detour into the agricultural meaning of 'Queen of the Furrows,' and a story about how Gord heard a CBC news correspondent's name as "Honey Watson" mid-song and just... went with it.

The residential school system, the weight of Gord's legacy as a voice for people who needed one, and the question of where that voice has gone in music today - those threads run through the episode too. Pete says it plainly. Tim agrees. jD doesn't argue.

Bob Rock takes some heat. The drum mixing takes some heat. The strings - which show up on approximately every song - take some heat. And yet, somehow, this episode ends with three grown men picking their MVPs and meaning every word.

'Depression Suite' is jD's. 'Frozen in My Tracks' is Tim's. Pete's? Listen and find out. Some things you've got to earn.

ABOUT THE HOSTS

jD is the founder and host of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series, a seven-show podcast network built out of love for a band and a community. He has raised over $35,000 for causes including the Downie Wenjack Fund, the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and CAMH.

Pete Marchica is coming to you from Spain. He showed up this week with notes, opinions, and a strip club analogy that somehow makes complete sense in context.

Tim Lyden listened to this album later than he would like to admit, did a deep dive on Honey Watson's true identity the day before recording, and watched a crow destroy something in his backyard mid-episode.

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

• Tragically Hip discography and setlist data: Hipbase
• Live performance history: setlist.fm
• Band biography: This Is Our Life by Michael Barclay
• The Tragically Hip Archive - source for live recordings

IN THIS EPISODE

• Opening: jD on "We Are the Same" and the three-year wait
• The Italian fan translating Hip lyrics into his own melodic structure
• Track-by-track: 'Morning Moon,' 'Honey Please,' 'Wheat Kings,' 'Coffee Girl,' 'Exact Feeling,' 'Queen of the Furrows,' 'Speed River,' 'Depression Suite,' 'Love Is a First,' 'Country Day'
• The Bob Rock debate: production genius or too much Kool-Aid?
• Gord Downie, residential schools, and the question of who speaks for the people now
• MVPs, playlist picks, and a poodle skirt fundraising pledge

CALLS TO ACTION

Listen to Getting Hip to the Hip and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Join the community: community.tthpods.com

CONNECT

📸 Instagram: @tthpods ▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods

📧 Email: jd@tthpods.com

#TheTragicallyHip #GordDownie #WeAreTheSame #TragicallyHip #GettigHipToTheHip #CanadianRock

The Hip's most divisive record. The one that feels beige on first listen and breaks your heart on the fifth. jD and Greg LeGros go track by track through "We Are the Same" - and they don't hold back.

jD and Greg LeGros return for the 17th anniversary episode of the "We Are the Same" deep dive. The album nobody fully agreed on when it dropped in 2009, and the one that keeps climbing anyway. The production is neutered, Bob Rock wanted to sell records out of Starbucks, and yet - 'Depression Suite' is sitting right there in the middle of it, ten minutes long, and it is a monster.

They go track by track. 'Morning Moon.' 'Honey Please.' 'The Last Recluse.' 'Coffee Girl' (controversial, stay with them). 'Now the Struggle Has a Name' - which turns out to be about something much bigger than the melody suggests. And 'The Depression Suite,' which gets called hookless by critics in 2009 and is, in fact, enormously hooky.

Greg lands on 'The Last Recluse' as his takeaway song. jD goes with 'Depression Suite' but admits he's going to listen to 'The Struggle Has a Name' twice on the drive home with a different set of ears. There's a Sobeys story. There's a Gandharvas rabbit hole. There's a Honey Watson correction that opens the whole album up.

This is Fully & Completely: Redux. It's the same DNA as the original run. Not a sequel - a reunion. Start at the start.

What We Get Into

'Morning Moon' - The most complete recording on the album. Neil Young-adjacent, not in a bad way. Should have been the first single. Greg connects it to listening out a charter bus window watching Ontario roll by, and it clicks. The plume of smoke across the lake from Bath studio. Labour Day. Makes sense.

'Honey Please' - The Springsteen opening that the production keeps from becoming what it should be. Mission statement buried in the first verse: I don't want to look for words, I don't want to work that hard. jD reads it as Gord's note to himself - and maybe Bob Rock's - for this entire record.

'The Last Recluse' - Tragically Hip at their most Radiohead-adjacent, which is not a sentence you write about many Hip songs. A Springsteen-y tragic love story. The Radiohead gang vocal at the end earns its place. Who is the last recluse? Greg has a read. It lands.

'Coffee Girl' - The most contentious track. Greg calls it the basement for this band. jD goes to bat for it from the barista's point of view - working the early shift, knowing her name, getting off the bus stop north just to walk past. He doesn't fully win the argument. But he makes a run at it.

'Now the Struggle Has a Name' - This is where the episode opens up. Residential schools. Reconciliation. The first time Gord openly dedicates a full song to something this specific and this political. The applause can begin for the apology. That is a stinging line. And Honey Watson, it turns out, is Connie Watson - he misheard the name on the news, wrote it down, realized the mistake, and kept it anyway. Of course he did.

'The Depression Suite' - Nearly ten minutes. Three movements. Called hookless by people who weren't listening. Are you going through something? Because I am too is one of the great hooks in this catalogue - F sharp minor, Greg can't stretch his hand to play it, it still lands. 2009 was early to be this direct about mental health. The Hip were early, as usual.

'The Exact Feeling,' 'Queen of the Furrows,' 'Speed River,' 'Frozen in My Tracks,' 'Love Is a First,' 'Country Day'- The back half of the record gets a harder look. Some of it holds up better than they expected. Some of it still suffers from production that cuts the band off at the knees right when they should be rocking. 'Skeleton Park' - the bonus track, Apple Music Extra only, not on every format - is brought up as the song that should have been the closer. Never heard it? Go find it.

The Verdict

Greg's takeaway song: 'The Last Recluse' jD's takeaway song: 'The Depression Suite' The song to play someone to introduce them to this album: 'Morning Moon' - impossible not to like Does anything crack jD's personal top 25 Hip songs? No. He says so plainly. Is it still a good album? Yeah. It is. Greg likes 65% of it. He says so plainly too.

Coming Up

Next time out - a Hipstories episode with a very interesting guest. A Gord solo episode follows that. They'll get it to you as they get it to you. Life happens.

Resources & References

• "We Are the Same" - The Tragically Hip, 2009. Produced by Bob Rock. Recorded at Bath Studios (Ontario) and Hana, Hawaii.
• 'Depression Suite' - Track six on "We Are the Same." Nearly ten minutes. Three movements. The centrepiece.
• 'Now the Struggle Has a Name' - References residential schools and Canadian reconciliation. Among Gord Downie's earliest and most direct political statements on record.
• The Downie Wenjack Fund - Gord's commitment to reconciliation didn't stop with this song. It became the foundation for everything that followed, including "Secret Path." Learn more at downiewenjack.ca
• "The Ecstasy of Rita Joe" - Play by George Ryga, referenced in the Athabasca section of 'Depression Suite.' If you know the connection, tell them.
• The Gandharvas - Canadian band, not on Spotify in original form. Go find Kicking in the Water on YouTube. Start with 'The First Day of Spring.' You're welcome.
• Hipbase - Primary source for setlists, catalogue data, and discography information used throughout. hipbase.com
• This Is Our Life - Michael Barclay's biography of The Tragically Hip. The definitive source.

Support the Cause

The TTH Podcast Series has raised over $35,000 for causes including the Downie Wenjack Fund, The Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and CAMH. If this community has given you something, give something back.

Learn more and give

Stay Connected

Community: community.tthpods.com Subscribe to Yer Letter: subscribe.tthpods.com Instagram: @tthpods YouTube:youtube.com/@tthpods Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com

Transcript available above. If you have information about the Athabasca / George Ryga connection in 'Depression Suite' - seriously, tell them. The forum is open.

#TheTragicallyHip #FullyCompletely #WeAreTheSame #GordDownie #CanadianRock #TragicallyHipPodcast

Episode Summary

'I'm a Werewolf Baby' clocks in at number 140 out of 169 songs in the TTH Podcast Series community poll. And yet. Pull it up right now and try not to move. You can't. You will fail. That's the thing about this song — it doesn't care where it ranks. It just rips.

The song comes from the self-titled Tragically Hip EP, released in the Kingston area in late 1987 and distributed more widely in 1988. It was produced by Red Ryder guitarist Ken Greer. Lyrics by Gord Downie. Music by Robbie, Johnny, and Gord Sinclair. That songwriting credit breakdown — individual, named, specific — is one of the things that makes the EP a genuinely interesting document. That, and the fact that it pre-dates Paul Langlois on guitar. He played shaker on this one. And during the breakdown, apparently, Gord picked him up and carried him around the stage. So there's that.

Based on what setlist.fm and Hipbase can confirm, the song was performed live only three known times — debuting in 1987 at the Alma Combo in Toronto and last appearing April 11, 1990 at the Spectrum in Montreal. Why did they stop? The panel had opinions. Some of it comes down to New Orleans Is Sinking absorbing the sonic real estate. Some of it comes down to werewolves being out of fashion by 1990. Some of it, jD suspects, is that they just didn't love it anymore — and when your setlist is building toward "Nautical Disaster" and "Fifty-Mission Cap," this one starts to look like the eight-crayon box sitting beside the 128-count set with the built-in sharpener.

What the panel kept coming back to is the foreshadowing. The howl in this song, Andy from St. Thomas points out, is the same howl Gord would use between songs on the 2016 Man Machine Poem Tour — the final tour — with the mic pressed to his belly button. Nearly thirty years apart. Same sound. The embryo and the elegy.

Justin from Bridport came in having re-watched the docuseries specifically to prepare. He surfaced the detail that the song predates Paul's addition to the band — this was a holdover from the Davis Manning era, a relic that got dusted off and recorded because they needed one more song. That reframe matters. This wasn't a proud showcase. It was a polished demo. It was the bar band phase. It was fresh-out-of-high-school energy — and Johnny Fay was literally still a teenager when they tracked it.

Joe from Toronto, frontman of Forever Hip, put it plainly: the lyrics read like Paul Stanley wrote them. Which is not an insult, actually. It's just that from Gord Downie, knowing what came after, it reads like a deal with the devil got made sometime between this and "Locked in the Trunk of a Car." The growth from 1987 to 1989 is almost impossible to reconcile when you hear them back to back. Justin confirmed it — his algorithm served him 'I'm a Werewolf Baby' and then, immediately after, 'Blow at High Dough' from "Up to Here." Same band. Two years later. How.

Community poll results from the Facebook group (approaching 5,000 members - now there's a number): 58% love this tune, 26% tolerate it, 11% skip it, and 5% had never heard it before tonight. That 5% number surprised everyone. It probably shouldn't. If you came to The Hip through "Phantom Power," this EP is a different country.

Next week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle: 'The Luxury' from "Road Apples." Three new panelists. One random song. Same deal.

The Guests

Joe from Toronto is the frontman of Forever Hip, the Tragically Hip tribute band playing live at An Evening for Sara J - April 11 at the Firkin on Yonge. This is his second appearance on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle.

Andy from St. Thomas is a lifelong Hip fan making his first appearance on the show. He came prepared, he admitted the EP was one he'd slept on, and his insight about Gord's 2016 howl being traceable all the way back to this song was the best moment of the night. He's a good dad. His daughter knew the Blue Album better than he did.

Justin from Bridport - the only Bridport in America, and a returning panelist working his way toward the five-timers sash. He re-watched the full Hip docuseries this week specifically to prep for this episode. It showed.

Resources & References

• setlist.fm - setlist and live performance data for 'I'm a Werewolf Baby'
• Hipbase - discography and catalogue reference. Thank you to Lance Robinson and the Hipbase team.
• The Tragically Hip Archive - for live recordings referenced in discussion
• The Tragically Hip Reddit community - Rico Borrega's song-by-song breakdowns of the full catalogue are worth your time. jD avoids reading them before recording. You shouldn't have to.

An Evening for Sara J - April 11, Firkin on Yonge

Hip fans in Toronto - this is the one. Live episode recording with Patrick Downie. Forever Hip on stage. Six Hip concert posters and a numbered Richard Beland fine art print of Chris Cornell up for raffle. All for a great cause. Tickets at tickets.tthpods.com.

Connect

Facebook community: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com

#TheTragicallyHip #TTHOnShuffle #TheHip #GordDownie #TragicallyHip #UpToHere

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD pulls 'Train Overnight' from "Music @ Work" - the twelfth track on the eighth album, a deep cut that earned exactly zero votes in the TTHTop40 fan-sourced countdown, landing in the company of only four other songs in The Hip's entire catalogue with the same distinction. 'Luv, sic,' 'Goodnight Josephine,' 'Sherpa,' and 'Are We Family.' That's the list. Five songs. Out of everything they ever recorded.

The panel doesn't agree on what to make of 'Train Overnight.' And that's exactly what makes this episode worth an hour of your time.

Kirk from Chino is the only panelist who saw it live - twice, in San Francisco and LA on the same tour. He noticed seven people on stage his first time seeing The Hip. A keyboard player, a female vocalist who occasionally played percussion. That was his frame of reference for what this band was.

Greg from Tacoma - who first heard The Hip on the same Seattle radio station that broke Nirvana, spent two years thinking the song was NRBQ, then proceeded to do guerrilla marketing for the band across the Pacific Northwest for the better part of a decade - brings the long-distance devotion that makes American Hip fans a particular breed of formidable.

Mike from Toronto was there from the very beginning. Jake Gold handed him a wristband at a Day for Night-era surprise show at the Horseshoe. Queen and Spadina. Nine in the morning. 300 people that night. He asks the question the whole panel keeps circling back to: if 'Train Overnight' had been on the first record, would The Hip have been The Hip?

The conversation moves through Gord's lyrical genius - specifically the line about apologizing like an old dictator might, which Greg calls one of those Gordism nuggets just buried in the song - through the bass work of Gord Sinclair (part McCartney, part Geezer Butler, all chug), through what it meant to be an American doing guerrilla marketing for a band most of your country had never heard of, and through the generational divide the Shuffle keeps surfacing: "Music @ Work" as exit point for one wave of fans and as entry point for another. Kirk came in through this record. Mike came in at the Horseshoe in '87. Greg found them in 1989. Same band. Three completely different doors.

Greg puts the whole arc into something sharp near the end: Day for Night as the blue period, the hangover after the nineties. Trouble at the Henhouse as the rosy-fingered dawn coming up the next morning. Phantom Power as the bright of day. And "Music @ Work" as a prism - every colour at once. The first record where they had 5,000 crayons instead of 64. You've got to love it.

Next week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle: 'I'm a Werewolf Baby.'

Guests

Kirk from Chino - A returning Shuffle panelist and musician, Kirk came to The Hip through the later catalogue and has been going back to the beginning ever since. He saw 'Train Overnight' live twice on the same tour - San Francisco and LA. He's a co-host on Discovering Downie and plays in a cover band called The Darryls (his name is Larry). He has a solo album in the works and a debut live performance booked in San Diego, May 2. Follow him at Kirk Lane Music on Facebook and Instagram.

Mike from Toronto - A first-timer on the Shuffle and a lifelong Hip fan who was there from the very beginning - the Horseshoe, the Alma Combo in '87, a Day for Night-era surprise show where Jake Gold gave him the wristband. His go-to record is "Day for Night." He listens to every album start to finish on long drives. He also recommends Ryan Davis Roadhouse Band - playing the Horseshoe in June.

Greg from Tacoma - Another first-timer, Greg has been a Hip devotee since he heard them on the radio in 1989 - or thought he did, until he spent two years believing the song was NRBQ. His go-to record is "In Between Evolution," and Tacoma is name-checked in the 'Tacoma Narrows Bridge' lyric, which he notes with appropriate pride. He put a record out at 60. He is in the Tacoma, Washington area and has a crew of five who all attend Hip shows and all play in bands at least partially influenced by The Hip.

Links & Resources

• Submit to podList 7 - covers from The Tragically Hip EP through Day for Night: podlist.tthpods.com
• An Evening for Sara J - Saturday, April 11, Firkin on Yonge, Toronto: tickets.tthpods.com
• Discovering Downie (referenced by Kirk): available on all podcast platforms
• Kirk Lane Music: Facebook and Instagram https://hadeesmarket.bandcamp.com/album/missives-at-the-turn
• https://www.youtube.com/@HadeesMarket

Timestamps

00:00 - Pre-show promo: Joe from Forever Hip on An Evening for Sara J 01:37 - jD opens The Tragically Hip On Shuffle 02:27 - Introducing Kirk from Chino, Mike from Toronto, Greg from Tacoma 04:32 - Go-to Hip records: "Live Between Us," "In Between Evolution," "Day for Night" 09:05 - Mike's Horseshoe stories - from '87 to the Day for Night surprise show 12:26 - The reveal: tonight's song is 'Train Overnight' from "Music @ Work" 16:32 - Panel reacts after listening 17:02 - Greg on the Gordism nugget - apologizing like an old dictator might 23:51 - Mike: was "Music @ Work" a chapter closing or a door opening? 27:40 - The zero-votes revelation: only five songs in the entire catalogue 31:52 - Kirk saw it live. Twice. San Francisco and LA. 32:04 - jD on Paul Sinclair's bass line sounding like a chugging train 32:15 - Greg: McCartney, Geezer Butler, all over the song 34:01 - Kirk on guerrilla marketing for The Hip in California 37:00 - Mike: the only time he saw The Hip in the US was New York, 2012, NHL lockout 48:16 - Greg: the colour palette theory - 64 crayons to 5,000 49:55 - jD calls shuffle for next week 54:10 - Next week: 'I'm a Werewolf Baby'

🎟 An Evening for Sara J - April 11, Firkin on Yonge - tickets.tthpods.com 🎵 Submit to podList 7 - Hip covers from The EP through Day for Night - podlist.tthpods.com

Connect with the community

Facebook: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com

#TheTragicallyHip #GordDownie #TTHOnShuffle #MusicAtWork #TragicallyHip #TheHip

The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - TTHTop40 Countdown

March 25th, 1995. Saturday Night Live. Dan Aykroyd walks out, the band plugs in, and Canada holds its breath. Thirty years later, we went and found the people who were watching.

"I finally felt like we - maybe as a nation, as a people, as a culture - arrived."

About This Episode

Hey, it's jD here. This one is different.

March 25th, 1995 is a date that lives in the muscle memory of every Canadian Hip fan. The Tragically Hip on Saturday Night Live - introduced by Dan Aykroyd, two songs that weren't exactly designed for a mass American audience, and a performance that has been debated, replayed, and treasured ever since.

This is a poduMENTARY, not a regular episode - something else entirely. We went out to the community and asked a simple question: where were you? What we got back was something formidable. Seventeen voices. Seventeen Hipstories.

Basement house parties, university bars, dorm rooms, living rooms, a bar in St. Catharines, a campus pub at Queen's. Some people were jumping on their beds. Some were pretty sure they cried. One person was at the actual afterparty and watched David Spade walk away confused.

We also hear from Bill Kenny of the SNL Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Network Podcasts, who puts the episode in full context - what kind of season it was, how Dan Aykroyd ended up hosting, and why this one still holds up.

The songs were 'Grace Too' and 'Nautical Disaster.' The debate about whether those were the right choices has apparently never stopped. We get into that too.

So there's that.

"I remember Dan Aykroyd coming out wearing a shirt that looks like something a snowboarder would wear on Laundry Day and thinking, as a country, we deserve better swag than that."

Voices in This Episode

Community members and contributors, in no particular order:

• Alan Carver
• Bill Kenny - SNL Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Network Podcasts
• Christy Miskelly
• Dean Rainey
• Devon Law
• Erin Rizok
• Jason Kirby
• Jessica Novak
• Jeremy Schultz
• Kim Gill
• Mark Gordon
• Mike Foster
• Paul Do Forno
• Rich Raczelowski
• Ryan McNeil
• Sara J
• Scott McRae

Resources & Links

Mentioned in This Episode

SNL Hall of Fame and Saturday Night Network Podcasts

This Is Our Life - The Tragically Hip (Michael Barclay)

Hipbase - The Tragically Hip Discography & Setlists

The Tragically Hip Archive

Connect & Listen

All TTH Podcast Series links - home.tthpods.com

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live every week

Email jD - tthpodcastseries@gmail.com

Join Us Live - The Tragically Hip On Shuffle

Every week we pull a random Hip song and unpack it live with a rotating panel. No prep. No script. Just the song, the room, and whatever comes up. Join us - details and links at home.tthpods.com.

A Note From jD

Thank you to every single person who sent in a voice memo for this one. Seventeen people trusted us with a memory - a real one, the kind that lives in your chest - and that is not a small thing. This community is the whole point. Every time.

Get after it.

- jD / Host / Producer / The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - Est. 2018

#TTHTop40 #TheTragicallyHip #GordDownie #TheHip #CanadianRockPodcast #TragicallyHip

Bob Rock, a divisive record, and the Tragically Hip song that might just be their best. jD and Greg came around. Hard.

October 17th, 2006. The Tragically Hip released "World Container" - their first of two records with producer Bob Rock, and one of the most divisive albums in the band's catalog. Twenty years later, jD and Greg LeGros are back for Season 2 of Fully & Completely: Redux, and the verdict is in: this record is better than you remember.

In this episode, jD and Greg dig into the landscape of 2006 - the Wild West of music piracy, the indie pop boom, Arctic Monkeys blowing up on MySpace, and a straight-ahead Canadian rock band trying to stay relevant without chasing a trend. Then they get into the album itself, track by track: the stadium-sized riff of 'You're Not the Ocean', the disco-beat weirdness of 'The Lonely End of the Rink', the complicated love letter that is 'In View', the cool-as-hell swagger of 'Fly', and the title track 'World Container' - which gets called one of the best Tragically Hip songs of all time. No argument here.

Greg also quit coffee. It almost killed him. We talk about that too.

This is Fully & Completely: Redux. Season 2. We're back.

"I missed the boat completely. Because this song is just perfect."

Greg LeGros from Toronto - co-host of Fully & Completely and the person most likely to make you reconsider a record you wrote off. Musician, music obsessive, and the only person jD trusts to go track by track through a Tragically Hip album for hours without losing the thread. This is their reunion after a longer-than-expected break - and it picks up exactly where it left off.

Mentioned or referenced in this episode:

• "World Container" (2006) - The Tragically Hip - produced by Bob Rock
• "Hipeponymous" (2005) - The Tragically Hip box set collection
• A Stranger to Myself: The Inhumanity of War, Russia, 1941-1944 by Willy Peter Reese - referenced in the 'You're Not the Ocean' discussion (Gord Downie connection)
• Hipbase - discography and catalogue reference
• HipMuseum - band history and archival reference

Related episodes:

• Fully & Completely: Redux - In Violet Light
• Fully & Completely: Redux - We Are The Same (up next)

00:00 - Cold Open: October 17th, 2006 01:45 - Intro & Season 2 is back 04:00 - Greg quit coffee (the dark side of a cleanse) 14:30 - The World Container year: 2006 in music and sports 28:00 - Bob Rock: the man, the myth, the Black Album 38:00 - Track by track: 'You're Not the Ocean' 48:30 - 'The Lonely End of the Rink' 57:00 - 'In View' - call your mom 1:06:00 - 'Fly' - Moonbeam, Ontario 1:14:00 - 'Luv (Sic)' and 'Kids Don't Get It' (recording gap at 1:03 - see production note) 1:22:00 - 'Pretend' 1:29:00 - 'Last Night I Dreamed You Didn't Love Me' 1:37:00 - 'The Drop Off' 1:43:00 - 'Family Band' 1:52:00 - 'World Container' - all songs are one song 2:02:00 - Final diagnosis & favourite track picks

Got a take on "World Container"? A song that still hits you different? Drop it in the comments or bring it to the community - we want to hear what you think.

💙 Leave a tip for jD: tthpods.kit.com/products/tipsforjd

"World Container" took its time getting its due. Greg wasn't sold. jD wasn't ready. And then - track by track, line by line - it got them both. "All songs are one song and that song is don't forget." That's not just a lyric. For anyone who's been listening to this network for a while, you know exactly what that means.

Next week: jD and Greg keep going. Bob Rock. Season 2. They're not done yet.

• The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - weekly live stream, one random Hip song, real-time community conversation - youtube.com/@tthpods
• Yer Hipstories: Reflections From The Final Tour - the oral history of the Man Machine Poem Tour - coming 2026

Web: home.tthpods.com

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Email: jd@tthpods.com

#TheTragicallyHip #FullyCompletely #WorldContainer #GordDownie #TheHip #TTHOnShuffle

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

Panel: Ryan from Toronto • Patrick from Toronto • Adam from Tampa

Intro

There’s nothing uglier than a man hitting his stride - and there’s nothing better than a panel that doesn’t agree on what that line even means.

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD pulled ‘Vapour Trails’ from “Phantom Power” - track eight of twelve from The Tragically Hip’s sixth studio record, produced by Steve Berlin, recorded at The Bathhouse in Bath, Ontario, and released July 14, 1998. It was a promo CD single that never got a video. It ranked #72 on the TTHTop40 Countdown. And for a song that lives in the shadow of ‘Bobcaygeon’ and ‘Poets’ on the same record, it had absolutely no problem holding its own for an hour of live discussion.

So there’s that.

About This Episode

‘Vapour Trails’ is a road song. Or a loneliness song. Or a song about Gord watching Mexican farmworkers from a highway somewhere in rural Ontario and being moved enough to write it down. It might be all three at once - which is, of course, exactly how Gord Downie worked.

jD is joined this week by Ryan from Toronto - a first-timer on the show and a veteran podcaster whose ear for music analysis makes itself known immediately - alongside returning panelists Patrick from Toronto and Adam from Tampa, both of whom came loaded with research, opinions, and very strong feelings about the back half of the “Phantom Power” discography.

• What followed was one of those conversations that starts with bass and drums and ends somewhere near ephemeral, the Canadian spelling of vapour, and whether Rob Baker was playing a Rickenbacker.

Coming Up

Next week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD hits shuffle again - and this time it landed on ‘Train Overnight.’ Three new panelists. Wednesday night. 8 PM. You know the drill.

An Evening for Sara J

Before you go - An Evening for Sara J is happening Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Firkin on Yonge, 207 Yonge Street, Toronto. Doors at 7:30 PM, live podcast at 8, Forever Hip takes the stage at 9.

Sara is one of our own, and this whole night is for her. There’s a live podcast with Patrick Downie, a 50/50 draw, a raffle, and every dollar raised goes to Sara’s GoFundMe. Go to tickets.tthpods.com to get yers now!

Early Bird tickets are $20 - and they won’t last. After March 25, it’s $25 general admission or $30 at the door.

Stay Connected

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Get Yer Letter

Want Hip news, album anniversaries, episode recaps, fundraising updates, and early previews delivered straight to your inbox every month? Subscribe to Yer Letter - the official community newsletter of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series. When you sign up, you’ll also get a free copy of The Complete Hip Discography v6.0 - every studio album, every solo record, every side project across all five members of the band.

Subscribe here: subscribe.tthpods.com

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle is part of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - Est. 2018.

New episodes every Wednesday at 8 PM ET, live on YouTube and Facebook!

"In Between Evolution"

Hosts: jD & Greg LeGros | Guest: Toronto Mike | Fully & Completely: Redux

The Episode

There are records you fall into immediately - and then there are the ones that sneak up on you. "In Between Evolution" is absolutely the second kind. The Tragically Hip's 2004 record is one of their most slept-on, most politically charged, and - depending on who you ask - one of their very best. jD and Greg LeGros dig in track by track, joined by Toronto's favourite podcast man, Toronto Mike.

It's feisty. It's got punk energy. And for a record that got passed over in 2004, it holds up like an absolute bruiser. So there's that.

Guest Spotlight

Toronto Mike from Toronto, Ontario

Toronto Mike is the podcaster and blogger behind torontomic.com and Toronto Miked - a fiercely independent Toronto-centric podcast that's been going longer than most people can remember. He's a passionate Hip fan who - full disclosure - once had serious plans to launch his own Tragically Hip album-by-album podcast series. He abandoned those plans specifically because jD and Greg were doing it too well. That's not spin. That's what he said on mic.

"I went into the podcast kind of tiny bit hoping it would suck."

- Toronto Mike, on hearing Fully & Completely for the first time

What's In This One

A full track-by-track of "In Between Evolution" plus the cultural context of June 2004 - which, as it turns out, is a lot. Here's some of what you're getting into:

• Why this is probably The Tragically Hip's most overtly political record - and why it had no choice but to be (they recorded it in Seattle, surrounded by American media, one year after the U.S. went into Iraq)
• 'Heaven Is a Better Place Today' - a tribute to Dan Snyder built on funeral clichés and sports colloquialisms that somehow makes you cry. Every time.
• 'Summer's Killing Us' - the song Greg would play for anyone who's never heard of this band. Not even officially released as a single. Absolutely should have been.
• 'Gus the Polar Bear from Central Park' - a slow burn. Toronto Mike did not like it at first. He's come around. We dig into why.
• 'Vaccination Scar' - the actual lead single, and a song that gets a bit more complicated the more you think about it
• 'It Can't Be Nashville Every Night' - the one with the la-la-oos in the chorus that should not work, and absolutely does. Possibly a Toby Keith thing. Possibly a Dixie Chicks thing. Definitely a great song.
• 'One Night in Copenhagen' - band turmoil, Gord's solo career pulling on the seams, and that one line about a payphone in the snow that Greg still talks about
• 'Goodnight Josephine' - the closer that sounds like late-period Springsteen and contains some of the most beautiful lyrics Gord ever put down on tape
• The Stanley Cup Final, the Grey Cup halftime show (yes, The Hip played it), a commemorative Tragically Hip CD, and how the 2004 Leafs playoff run ended a sketch troupe's road trip to LA

The Cultural Climate: June 2004

Greg always brings the goods on context, and June 2004 is a rich one. "In Between Evolution" landed in the middle of a musical year that included American Idiot, College Dropout, Funeral, Hot Fuss, and Songs for the Deaf. Commercially, the charts were a very different story - Usher, Evanescence, Josh Groban, and a lot of stuff these three would rather forget. It's a great time to be a music fan if you knew where to look. This was a record that knew exactly where it was looking.

Pocket Songs

At the end of every record, we each pull one track to carry forward to the playlist.

• jD: 'Goodnight Josephine'
• Greg: 'It Can't Be Nashville Every Night'
• Toronto Mike: 'Are We Family'

Why This Record Matters

Because it got slept on. Even in the band's own documentary, this one gets two seconds. And that's bananas - because it is a deep, huge favourite, and it is one of their very best. It's a hard rocker. It's a protest record. It's a record about loss, and change, and what happens when the things you love don't get to stay the same. It's the most guitar-forward record they ever made, and it has the audacity to rhyme its chorus with la-la-oos.

Spend time with this album. This album is waiting for you.

About Fully & Completely: Redux

Fully & Completely: Redux is the reunion of the original Fully & Completely podcast - the show that started it all in 2018. jD and Greg LeGros go back through The Tragically Hip's full catalogue, album by album, track by track. Same DNA. Same chemistry. Not a sequel - a reunion.

Part of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series, a network raising funds for the Downie Wenjack Fund, The Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research, and CAMH. Over $35,000 raised and counting.

Find Us

• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthpods
• Instagram: @tthpods
• YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods
• Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com

Listen via your podcast app of choice. Search: Fully & Completely Redux.

#TheTragicallyHip #InBetweenEvolution #GordDownie #FullyCompletely #TragicallyHip #CanadianRockPodcast

Meta Description (for podcast platforms)

jD, Greg LeGros & Toronto Mike go track by track on The Tragically Hip's "In Between Evolution." Hipstories, fandom, and Canadian rock - TTH Podcast Series.

Hey, it's jD here.

Every once in a while, the shuffle lands on a song that feels like it found you on purpose. This was one of those weeks.

'We Want To Be It' - track four off "Now For Plan A" - doesn't get talked about the way

'Bobcaygeon' does. It doesn't get the bar rock reverence of the early records. But spend a week with it, really spend a week with it, and something starts to happen. Layers. Lots of them.

This week, jD is joined by Steph from Winnipeg, Andrew from Tampa, and Tyler from Etobicoke for what turned into one of the more surprising discussions the show has had. The song is three minutes and twenty-nine seconds. The conversation ran nearly an hour. That ratio should tell you everything.

We dig into what "Now For Plan A" actually is as a record - the shortest album in The Hip's catalog, a band quietly fracturing while somehow still playing out of their minds, produced by Gavin Brown under conditions that, as Tyler points out, sound a lot like band therapy.

Andrew came in with ten shows under his belt from that tour. Tyler revisited the record for the first time in years and kept finding new things. Steph brought the kind of insight that makes you stop mid-sentence and say yes, exactly that.

And then there's the drip, drip, drip.

Is the song about Laura Downie? About the band itself? About wanting to dissolve into the music instead of having to manufacture it over and over? Tyler brings a genuinely hot take - sourced from an Alan Gregg interview on Toronto Mike's podcast and Michael Barclay's book - that reframes the whole thing. Andrew adds the Alan Arkin connection Gord himself referenced in early live intros of the song. And jD talks about the three layers of crust this song has developed for him personally over the years.

It's a choose your own adventure lyric written by a guy who never gave you the map. That's the feature. Big thanks to Steph, Andrew, and Tyler for bringing the goods on this one. Next week, we hit shuffle again - no idea what's coming, and that's exactly the point.

From Our Guests"I'm in season three of Pocket Full of Mojo - wherever you enjoy your podcasts. I help recovering people pleasers like me remember how to get out of our own way and figure out that there's way fewer rules in this life than we're told."

- Steph from Winnipeg | Pocket Full of Mojo Podcast

"If you can't make it out to the event, get on the page and get into the GoFundMe for Sarah. And you don't have to be in Toronto - you can always fly in."

- Andrew from Tampa

"I'll be appearing on Toronto Mike's podcast in early April to do a Q1 recap. Other than that, just keeping my head down and trying to stay out of trouble."

- Tyler from Etobicoke | Toronto Mike'd Podcast



• Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this landed for you.

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"In Violet Light" - The Tragically Hip

Episode Show Notes

——————————————————————————————————

Fully & Completely: Redux | "In Violet Light" - The Tragically Hip (2002)

——————————————————————————————————

Hey, it's jD here.

Some albums don't just meet you where you are - they find you exactly when you need them. **"In Violet Light" is that record.** Released in June 2002, it's the one that pulled jD hard back into The Tragically Hip after a stretch of distance. And if you listen closely, it makes total sense why. This isn't a band trying to hold on - it's a band that has let go of every obligation and is just making music for themselves. **The result is one of the most quietly assured records of The Hip's entire career.**

This week on Fully & Completely: redux, jD and Greg LeGros go track by track through "In Violet Light" - the eighth studio album from The Tragically Hip, recorded in the Bahamas with legendary producer Hugh Padham - and make the case that this record has no business being this good, this far into a career.

——————————————————————————————————

EPISODE OVERVIEW

"In Violet Light" landed in a 2002 music landscape that included Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Queens of the Stone Age's "Songs for the Deaf," Beck's "Sea Change," and Broken Social Scene's "You Forgot It in People." The indie pop explosion was just beginning to blow the roof off Canadian music. The Hip were eight albums deep, the mainstream had largely written them off, and **they responded by making one of their best records.** No fat. No filler. Eleven tracks of lean, confident, beautiful rock and roll.

The album was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas - the same studio where AC/DC recorded "Back in Black" and Bob Marley cut some of his most enduring work - with Hugh Padham, the producer behind the gated drum sound that defined the 1980s (Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," Sting's solo catalogue, The Police's "Synchronicity"). **jD and Greg break down why that combination - this band, this producer, this place - produced something genuinely special.**

——————————————————————————————————

TRACK BY TRACK HIGHLIGHTS

**'Are You Ready to Love'** - The opener sets the whole album's thesis. jD hears the first verse as a direct response to the critics and mainstream fans who had written The Hip off. **"They're pulling the plug. They've got our whole dug." And then - the chorus arrives like a shrug and a fist at the same time: are you ready for love?** A great rock and roll song that doubles as a mission statement.

**'Use It Up'** - Built on a lyric attributed to the booklet of a Raymond Carver collection, this is a track about seizing everything, wasting nothing, and making music for the love of it. Greg hears Radiohead's "OK Computer" in the verses and the Georgia Satellites in the chorus - **and somehow The Tragically Hip pull both of those things off in the same song.** A slow burn that rewards headphones.

**'The Darkest One'** - jD turns up whatever he's listening to every single time this song starts. **"The wild are strong and the strong are the darkest ones - and you're the darkest one."** Greg calls it a safe place. A song about freedom of expression, comfort, and the strange intimacy of being fully understood. Don't let the Trailer Park Boys video fool you - this song could have broken them wide open.

**'It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken'** - The centrepiece. The lead single. **Both jD and Greg pick this as their track of the record - the first time in the history of Fully & Completely that hosts have landed on the same song.** Named for a Canadian graphic novel by Seth and a phrase used by band staffer Molly Lorimer to describe life on the road, it's a song about mortality, aging, and the strange grace that comes when you stop fighting. Death is swirling all around it - and it's still one of the most uplifting things The Tragically Hip ever made.

**'Silver Jet'** - The one that changes gears just right. Greg connects this song personally to the empty skies over the Danforth in the days after 9/11, and the feeling of the first plane cutting back through the silence. **A song about hope, fear, and the things that pull your gaze forward.** The wolves of Northumberland. An archipelago. A green star. Only Gord.

**'Throwing Off Glass'** - Companion piece to 'Trick Rider' from "Phantom Power" - if that song is about his son, this one is about his daughter. A slow builder that rewards patience. **A soundscape that would fit comfortably on "Coke Machine Glow."**

**'All Tore Up'** - A great drinking rock and roll song. Dottie the bluegrass singer. Open concept. Getting a little happening with old friends. **No one else writes a lyric like this and makes it fit inside a song this well.** Turn it up.

**'Leave'** - A waltz in 3/4 time. Beautiful backup vocals. A late-night phone call at three in the morning. **"You better be dying." And they were.** An emotional gut-punch that doubles as a permission slip - to leave a job, a relationship, a place that no longer fits.

**'The Dire Wolf'** - A pseudo-history lesson disguised as a rock song. Tallulah Bankhead and Canada Lee, stars of Hitchcock's "The Lifeboat." Ann Harvey of Isle of Morts, Newfoundland, who rescued 163 shipwrecked souls in 1828. A poem called "Sea Surface Full of Clouds" by Wallace Stevens. **Greg pulls all of this from memory. It's an entire university lecture wrapped in six minutes of music that absolutely slaps.**

**'The Dark Canuck'** - The closer. Possibly the longest Tragically Hip song ever recorded at six and a half minutes. A time signature change halfway through. **Canadian soldiers as peacekeepers. Apple, Zippo, and Metronome as record labels. Jaws at the drive-in. The Dark Canuck playing second on the double bill.** Nobody at the drive-in is staying for it. And that's sort of the whole point.

——————————————————————————————————

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

This is the album that brought jD back to The Hip in earnest - **the record that cracked open the second half of his relationship with this band.** It's also the episode where he and Greg pick the same song for the first time. And it's the one where jD, partway through discussing 'Leave,' pauses to talk about his mother. **Listen for that moment. It's what this podcast is for.**

"In Violet Light" is a masterpiece with no business being this good eight albums in. And this episode earns every minute of its runtime.

So there's that.

——————————————————————————————————

SOURCES & CREDITS

• HipMuseum.com

• This Is Our Life: The Tragically Hip in the 1990s (Michael Barclay)

• "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" - graphic novel by Seth

• "Sea Surface Full of Clouds" - poem by Wallace Stevens

• Ann Harvey of Isle of Morts, Newfoundland - historical record

• Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas - production history

• Raymond Carver - attributed quote in "Use It Up"

——————————————————————————————————

CONNECT WITH THE SHOW

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• Instagram: @tthpods

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• Email: tthpodcastseries@gmail.com

The Tragically Hip Podcast Series - Est. 2018

#TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #InVioletLight #FullyCompletely #GordDownie #TragicallyHip #CanadianRock

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Honey, Please — Deep Cut or Hidden Gem?

Sometimes the Shuffle Gods reach deep into the catalogue.

And sometimes what they pull out sparks a conversation you didn’t see coming.

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, we landed on “Honey, Please”, the second track from We Are the Same — The Tragically Hip’s 2009 album produced by Bob Rock. Clocking in at four minutes even, it’s one of those songs that quietly sits in the album’s early stretch and doesn’t always get the spotlight when people talk about the band’s catalogue. 

But that’s exactly the point of this show.

Because when you put a few fans in a room and really dig into a track — the lyrics, the production choices, the album context, the cultural references — sometimes a song that felt like a bridge suddenly starts revealing its layers.

And “Honey, Please” might just be one of those songs.

On paper, the track finished #162 in the fan-voted Road to the Top 40, placing it surprisingly close to the bottom of the list of Tragically Hip songs ranked by listeners. Yet when fans were polled again ahead of the episode, many described it as an “underrated gem.” 

So what gives?

That’s the question we explore in this episode.

Along the way we talk about:

• where the song fits within the We Are the Same album flow
• whether “Honey, Please” functions as a bridge track between songs
• the role of keys and arrangement compared to other Hip songs
• lyrical interpretations and what Gord Downie might be reaching for
• possible cultural references in the title and phrasing
• and how deep-cut Hip songs often reveal more when fans start connecting the dots together

At one point the conversation turns to the phrase itself — “Honey, Please” — and how it echoes similar titles across music history, from soul influences like Barry White to indie and punk songs with the same name. 

Because with Gord Downie’s writing, nothing ever lives in a vacuum.

And that’s where the fun begins.

As we talk through the track, one idea keeps coming up: even songs that seem modest on first listen can open up when fans start doing the homework — digging into the lyrics, the context, and the emotional throughline of the album.

Sometimes what sounds simple is anything but.

Or as we discover here, a deep cut can still be a gem once you look under the hood. 

Pull Quote

“Even a song that feels like a deep cut can turn out to be a gem once you start digging into it.”

In This Episode

• A closer look at “Honey, Please” from We Are the Same (2009)
• How the track fits within the album’s narrative flow
• Lyrics, references, and fan interpretations
• Production touches from Bob Rock
• Why some Tragically Hip songs reveal themselves slowly over time

About 

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle

Hosted by jD, The Tragically Hip On Shuffle randomly selects a song from the band’s catalogue and explores it in conversation with fellow fans.

No scripts.

No predetermined rankings.

Just a deep dive into whatever the Shuffle Gods decide we’re listening to that night.

The result is part conversation, part discovery — and a reminder that the music of The Tragically Hip always has more to uncover.

Get Involved

Want to join a future episode?

Follow along in the community and keep an eye out for opportunities to participate in upcoming recordings of:

• The Tragically Hip On Shuffle
• The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown
• Discovering Downie

Follow + Listen

If you enjoy this episode, make sure you’re subscribed to the show and share it with a fellow Hip fan.

And if you’d like occasional updates about episodes, events, and opportunities to join the conversation, you can sign up for Yer Letters here:

https://mailchi.mp/8fca809e6a92/join-the-community

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The Tragically Hip podcast, Honey Please Tragically Hip, We Are the Same album analysis, Gord Downie lyrics meaning, Tragically Hip deep cuts, Canadian rock podcast, Tragically Hip song discussion, Bob Rock production Tragically Hip, Hip fandom podcast, Tragically Hip fan community.

Guest: Rob Johannes

🎧 Episode Overview

In Episode 9 of Fully & Completely: redux, we dive headfirst into Music @ Work, The Tragically Hip’s 2000 studio album — a record often misunderstood, occasionally maligned, but undeniably pivotal.

Joined by musician and longtime Hip devotee Rob Johannes, we unpack why this album may represent the band’s second great unshackling — their “Kid A moment,” as Rob puts it.

From John Cage references and Indigenous commentary to experimental production textures and some of the strongest background vocals in the band’s catalog, Music @ Work emerges as a bold, transitional, and deeply layered record.

Is this the Hip’s most cohesive album of the 2000s?

Is it their quiet revolution?

Is it better than its reputation?

Let’s get into it.

🔍 What We Explore in This Episode

🎙 The Context of 2000

• Radiohead’s Kid A and artistic reinvention
• Outkast’s Stankonia
• U2’s return to form
• Cultural tension at the turn of the millennium
• Where The Tragically Hip fit in that landscape

🎸 The Production Shift

• Steve Berlin’s return
• Recording at the Bathhouse
• The abandoned train-recording concept
• Electronic textures meeting organic instrumentation

🔥 Key Track Deep Dives

• “My Music @ Work” – deceptively upbeat with dark undercurrents
• “Tiger the Lion” – John Cage, experimental art, and Mission Statement 2.0
• “Lake Fever” – cholera, young love, and Algonquin mythmaking
• “Put It Down” – subtle political commentary and ricochet culture
• “Stay” – desperation, longing, and balance
• “The Bastard” – Billy Sunday, theology, swagger

🎤 Gord Downie’s Evolution

• Phraseology and rhythmic tension
• Consonant holds and vocal elasticity
• Serving the song vs. serving expectation
• The politics that simmer beneath the poetry

💬 Pull Quote

“This is the Hip’s Kid A moment. The unshackling. The second time they tore it down to rebuild it.” – Rob Johannes

🎶 Why Music @ Work Matters

This isn’t just the follow-up to Phantom Power.

This is a pivot point.

Where Fully Completely led to Day for Night,

where Trouble at the Henhouse recalibrated,

where Phantom Power reasserted control —

Music @ Work quietly breaks the machinery open again.

It’s experimental without announcing itself as experimental.

It’s political without sermonizing.

It’s cohesive in ways that only reveal themselves years later.

This episode reframes the album not as a stumble —

but as a deliberate recalibration of The Tragically Hip’s creative identity.

👤 About Our Guest – Rob Johannes

Rob Johannes is a Toronto-based musician and longtime Hip champion whose deep appreciation for the band’s experimental and arts-driven eras makes him the perfect guide for this conversation. His perspective — shaped by both West Coast and Ontario Hip culture — brings fresh nuance to how Music @ Work was received and how it should be reconsidered.

📢 Join the Conversation

What’s your relationship with Music @ Work?

Underrated gem? Transitional record? Personal favorite?

Join the discussion inside the Tragically Hip Podcast Series Facebook Group and tell us where this album ranks for you.

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• Follow/Subscribe on your podcast platform
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• Write a short review

It helps more Hip fans discover the show and keeps this project growing.

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If you’d like to support the work we’re doing across the Tragically Hip Podcast Series, you can fuel the conversations here:

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Every contribution helps keep the mics on and the deep dives coming.

🔑 SEO Keywords (naturally embedded throughout)

The Tragically Hip, Music @ Work, Fully & Completely podcast, Gord Downie lyrics analysis, Music @ Work album review, Steve Berlin producer, Rob Baker guitar, 2000 alternative rock albums, Phantom Power follow-up, Canadian rock history, Tragically Hip deep dive

Next week: In Violet Light.

And the evolution continues.

Live at Six

 (Gord Downie + The Sadies + The Conquering Sun) — Track-by-Track on Release Day

On launch day, jD reunites with Craig Rogers, Kirk Lane, and Justin St. Louis to break down Live at Six, a newly released live record featuring Gord Downie, The Sadies, and The Conquering Sun. It’s an eight-track collection drawn from four shows (Sarnia, Fredericton, Cambridge, MA, and Dundas) spanning 2012 and 2014.

This episode is a full-on fan-and-musician conversation: play it loud, follow the rabbit holes, and enjoy a record that feels like you’re right up against the stage, even when it was recorded outdoors.

MVP picks, deep cover-song origins, live-record sequencing debates, and a whole lot of gratitude—plus a reminder that sometimes the point isn’t to decode everything. Sometimes it’s just rock and roll.

Episode Highlights

• The crew gets back together to cover Live at Six on release day
• Why this record feels like a sweaty club even when it isn’t
• The meaning behind the title Live at Six (and where “six” actually comes from)
• Major rabbit holes (including the story behind “If You Have Ghosts”)
• Covers that still sound unmistakably like Gord Downie + The Sadies
• Live energy: loose-but-tight, tempo shifts, extended outros, and why that’s part of the magic
• MVP picks from each host—plus what track people “need to hear” first

Tracklist Breakdown (as discussed)

1) “If You Have Ghosts” — recorded in Dundas, Ontario (Sept 1, 2012)

• Huge reactions to Dallas Good’s performance
• Deep dive into Rocky Erickson and the song’s backstory
• Why the lyric “If you have ghosts, you have everything” hits so hard

2) “So Sad About Us” — Sarnia (Aug 30, 2014) — a The Who cover

• Noted for harmonies and a vibe that recalls early rock/pop influence
• Discussion of how naturally it sits in Gord’s wheelhouse

3) “It Didn’t Start to Break My Heart” — (live version discussed as an all-time banger)

• Faster than the studio version; jam section praised heavily
• Described as completely over-delivering as a live performance

4) “Grey Riders” — Fredericton, New Brunswick (Sept 12, 2014) — Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival — a Neil Young song

• Strong praise for backing vocals and arrangement
• Conversation about preferring this version vs. the one they heard from Neil

5) “Generation” — Fredericton (Sept 12, 2014) — a Fucked Up cover

• Album title reference comes from Gord speaking right before/around this track (“at six o’clock”)
• Note: the group didn’t have as much time with this track due to a file miss

6) Cambridge, Massachusetts set (May 3, 2014) — a track originally by The Gun Club (from Fire of Love, 1981)

• Described as the most “Sadies-sounding” song on the record
• Talk of punk lineage and guitar swagger

7) “Demand Destruction” — revisited live (from the Sarnia show)

• jD’s MVP: the live performance hits harder than the studio version
• Favorite lyric noted: “Breakdown in the verse part / Dead spot in the lyrics…” (songwriting “fourth wall” moment)

8) “I Gotta Right” — The Stooges cover (closing track)

• Described as a “punch in the face” closer
• Leaves everyone wanting more; debate about wishing the album was longer
• Justin mentions being disappointed it wasn’t “Search and Destroy” (also performed by Gord + The Sadies in other live clips)

MVP Picks

• Craig: “If You Have Ghosts”
• Kirk: “Grey Riders” (and says “I Gotta Write” is the one people need to hear)
• Justin: “It Didn’t Start to Break My Heart”
• jD: “Demand Destruction”

Production Credits (as stated on the episode)

• Mixed by Ken Friesen (all tracks) except “Goodbye Johnny”
• “Goodbye Johnny” mixed by Dallas Good and Guillermo Sabatze
• Mastered by Philip Shaw Bova

Timestamps (approx. from transcript)

• 0:49 — Welcome + what Live at Six is + who’s on the mic
• 3:36 — Release context: 4 shows, 2012/2014, where the recordings come from
• 9:14 — Track 1: “If You Have Ghosts” deep dive begins
• 21:57 — Track 2: “So Sad About Us” (The Who cover)
• 33:11 — “It Didn’t Start to Break My Heart” (live version reaction)
• 38:27 — “Grey Riders” (Neil Young)
• 43:54 — Side B + “Generation” (Fucked Up) + title explanation
• 51:07 — Cambridge, MA track (The Gun Club origin discussed)
• 55:26 — “Goodbye Johnny” (live vs studio)
• 59:11 — Closer: “I Gotta Write” (The Stooges) + credits
• 1:09:24 — MVP picks
• 1:17:41 — Final thoughts + gratitude + community + live music plug

Listen / Follow / Join the Community

• Instagram: @tthpodseries
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Secondary: If You Have Ghosts, So Sad About Us, Grey Riders, Demand Destruction, Generation (Fucked Up), I Gotta Write (The Stooges), live record review, track-by-track breakdown

Long-tail: Gord Downie Sadies live at six tracklist, Live at Six album discussion, Discovering Downie Live at Six episode

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Episode Summary

From the jump, the panel keeps circling back to how much weight “Fully Completely” carries in such a compact frame. jD points out the song’s efficiency — how there’s nothing wasted in its structure, lyrically or musically. It moves quickly but never feels slight. Instead, it builds tension through groove and restraint, creating something that feels dense despite its relatively short runtime.

Toronto Mike situates the track within the broader context of the Fully Completely album, a record stacked with defining Tragically Hip songs like “Locked in the Trunk of a Car,” “Courage,” and “50 Mission Cap.” In that company, the title track can sometimes feel overshadowed, but he emphasizes how it stands on its own — particularly in live settings, where its emotional and musical arc becomes even more apparent.

Joe Cad brings a performer’s lens to the discussion, describing “Fully Completely” as his personal favorite Hip song. As the frontman of Forever Hip, he speaks to the physical and emotional experience of performing it, highlighting its gradual build and payoff. He describes it as a kind of musical ascent, where every section contributes to a sense of lift and release by the end.

Duxoop Douglas reflects on discovering the song in a different way — through individual listens rather than as part of the original album rollout. His experience mirrors the premise of the show itself: rediscovering The Tragically Hip one song at a time. Over time, “Fully Completely” earned its place as a standout, not because it demanded attention immediately, but because it rewarded repeated listening.

Interpretation becomes another thread running through the episode. The panel explores different readings of Gord Downie’s lyrics, reinforcing how the song’s meaning remains open and personal. Like many Hip songs, “Fully Completely” doesn’t hand you a single answer — it leaves space for listeners to find themselves inside it.

Topics Discussed

• Why “Fully Completely” feels dense and efficient despite its short runtime

• The song’s place within the Fully Completely album and the Tragically Hip catalogue

• Differences between studio and live performances of the track

• Joe Cad’s experience performing the song with Forever Hip

• How listeners discover Hip songs outside of traditional album listening

• The interpretive openness of Gord Downie’s lyrics

• The song’s placement at #13 in the fan-voted Top Forty Countdown

Pull Quote

“It’s very economical. I don’t know that there’s 150 words in it. And yet it feels fucking dense, pound for pound.”

About Our Guest(s)

Toronto Mike

Toronto Mike is the host of Toronto Mike’d, a long-running podcast featuring interviews with musicians, media personalities, and cultural figures. A lifelong music fan, he brings historical context and deep personal experience with The Tragically Hip’s albums and live performances.

Joe Cad

Joe Cad is the frontman of Forever Hip, a Tragically Hip tribute band dedicated to performing the band’s catalogue for audiences who continue to connect with the music. His perspective combines fandom with the lived experience of performing these songs.

Duxoop Douglas

Duxoop Douglas is a dedicated Tragically Hip listener whose discovery of the band unfolded gradually through individual tracks and repeated listening. His perspective reflects the personal and evolving nature of connecting with the Hip’s catalogue.

Guest Links

Toronto Mike

• torontomike.com

Joe Cad

• foreverhip.ca

Duxoop Douglas

• No link provided

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Phantom Power

 (1998) — Remastered. Revisited. Reconsidered.

Originally released in 2018. Re-edited, remixed, and reintroduced in 2026.

July 14th, 1998.

Steve Berlin at the helm.

The band at full stride.

The ice storm still in the trees.

Hockey still in the bloodstream.

And somehow — almost impossibly —

The Tragically Hip delivered a “comeback” record that never needed a comeback.

We went back into the bathhouse for this one.

We cleaned it up.

We tightened the mix.

We added a short 2026 intro from Greg and I.

It’s quick. It’s sweet. It sets the tone.

And then we let 1998 breathe again.

🟡 Phantom Power — The Yellow Record

We’ve always talked about this stretch:

• Day for Night — blue
• Trouble at the Henhouse — red
• Phantom Power — yellow

Primary colours.

Primary era.

Primary stride.

This is the record where:

• 🎸 The rock came back
• 🎭 The art never left
• 🏒 Hockey met heartbreak
• 🇨🇦 Canada stayed cinematic
• 🎤 Gord Downie hit that upper register and meant it

🔥 The Run Is Unreal

Poets — the perfect lead single.

Something On — the ice storm riff.

Bobcaygeon — say less.

Thompson Girl — that vocal lift.

Fireworks — romance + Bobby Orr.

Escape Is At Hand — narrative brilliance.

Emperor Penguin — matriarchal masterpiece.

There are no throwaways here.

No padding.

No “yeah, it’s fine” tracks.

Just a band fully hitting its stride.

🎧 Why This Redux Matters

When we first recorded this episode in 2018, we loved it.

But revisiting it now?

With more context.

More history.

More loss.

More gratitude.

It hits different.

There’s a warmth in Phantom Power.

A confidence.

A joy that doesn’t feel naive.

It feels earned.

And hearing it again in 2026 — cleaned up and tightened — reminded us:

This isn’t just a “great Canadian rock album.”

It’s one of the strongest records in The Tragically Hip catalogue.

🎙️ Pull Quote

“This is a band fully hitting their stride of what they do right… unconventional, but it completely works.”

💬 Let’s Talk

I want to hear from you:

• Where were you in 1998 when Phantom Power dropped?
• Did this feel like a comeback?
• Is Bobcaygeon still the one?
• Has Escape Is At Hand grown on you?
• Do you skip anything? (be honest)

Tag someone who needs to rediscover this record.

Let’s spark something.

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We’re not done telling these stories.

And we’re not done rediscovering the records that raised us.

Episode: 

Nautical Disaster (Day for Night)

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, we pulled a heavyweight.

Nautical Disaster.

jD is joined by Scott from Lunenburg and Dave from St. Louis for a deep dive into one of the most cinematic, structurally daring, and emotionally layered songs in The Tragically Hip catalogue.

From that opening Gord Sinclair bassline to the fade-up intro, no traditional chorus, and the full minute-plus instrumental outro, this episode unpacks why Nautical Disaster breaks the rules — and why it still works.

As jD puts it, it’s “a rhythm poem” and possibly the keystone of Day for Night .

🔍 What We Explore

• First memories of hearing Nautical Disaster live and on record
• The Day for Night era shift from Fully Completely
• The song’s unconventional structure (no chorus, fade-in, extended outro)
• Gord Downie’s lyrical cadence and conversational storytelling
• The “parasites in your blood” imagery and themes of empathy and survival
• The role of the MuchMusic video and the SNL performance in expanding the band’s reach
• The ongoing debate: historical event or metaphorical shipwreck?

Scott, a longtime broadcaster and station owner, breaks down the musicianship — especially Sinclair’s bass work — while Dave reflects on discovering The Hip from the U.S. through MuchMusic tapes and the cult-like conversion experience .

💬 Why This Song Endures

Thirty-plus years later, the panel agrees: this one has no shelf life.

It’s cinematic. It’s conversational. It’s haunting without being theatrical. And it rewards repeat listens in a way casual fans may miss on first pass .

If you’ve ever wondered why Nautical Disaster still hits like it does — or why it feels bigger than a “radio single” ever should — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

#TheTragicallyHip #NauticalDisaster #DayForNight #TheHip #TTHOnShuffle #GordDownie

Fully & Completely – The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

This week on Fully & Completely, jD and Greg dive into Live Between Us, The Tragically Hip’s electrifying 1997 live album — and they’re joined by music publicist, historian, and walking encyclopedia Eric Alper.

Together, they unpack what makes these tracks “stone cold classics,” how Gord Downie’s lyrics evolve over time, and why some songs reveal entirely new meaning decades after first listen.

If you’ve ever sung a Hip lyric confidently… only to realize years later you completely misunderstood it — this episode is for you.

🎯 Brief Summary

Is Live Between Us simply a live album — or a defining snapshot of peak-era Tragically Hip?

Eric Alper joins the show to explore:

• What makes a song “essential”
• Why some Hip tracks feel tailor-made for new listeners
• The layered brilliance of Gord Downie’s lyric writing
• How deeper research transforms appreciation
• Why revisiting songs years later changes everything

The conversation moves from “make me a tape” essentials to peeling back lyrical layers — and celebrating how the band’s live energy elevated already iconic songs.

🔥 Pull Quote

“You think you know what the song means… until one day you realize you’ve been singing it right — but understanding it completely wrong.”

🧠 Broad Topics Covered

• Live Between Us (1997) live album analysis
• Essential Tragically Hip songs
• Gord Downie’s layered lyricism
• The evolution of meaning over time
• Canadian rock history
• The difference between studio and live performance
• How fandom deepens through research
• Songs misunderstood as love songs (and why context matters)

👤 Our Guest: Eric Alper

Eric Alper is one of Canada’s most respected music publicists and a celebrated social media presence known for sharing deep-cut music facts, pop culture history, and industry insights.

Follow Eric:

• Twitter/X: @ThatEricAlper 
• Website: www.thatericalper.com 

If you love music trivia, archival rabbit holes, and “wait… WHAT?” moments about your favorite artists, Eric’s feed is pure gold.

🎸 About the Album

Album: Live Between Us

Release Year: 1997

Recorded: Cobo Arena, Detroit

Live Between Us captured The Tragically Hip at a commercial and creative high point. More than a concert recording, it serves as an entry point for new fans and a definitive live document for longtime listeners.

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📲 Follow The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

This episode is part of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series.

• Instagram: @tthpodseries 
• Facebook Group: The Tragically Hip Podcast Series 
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com 

Join the conversation with fellow fans and obsessive lyric analysts.

☕ Support the Show

If you love these deep dives and want to help keep independent Hip content alive:

👉 Leave a tip at:

buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40

Drop a caribou or two in the jar and help keep the flag flying.

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, we pull “At Transformation” from Now For Plan A and let it breathe.

Is it about Gord Downie’s wife’s cancer battle? A marriage unraveling? The band’s own evolution? Or something more universal — the moment when life tilts and you realize you’re different now?

jD is joined by Tim (Columbus), Shawn (Edmonton), and Jeff (Vaughan) for a layered, passionate, and occasionally chaotic deep dive into one of the most emotionally charged songs from the later Hip catalogue.

🎯 Episode Summary

“At Transformation” doesn’t explode — it presses forward. With grit, propulsion, and urgency, it opens Now For Plan A in a way that feels both classic Hip and unmistakably late-era Gord.

The panel explores:

• The emotional context surrounding the album
• Whether knowing Gord’s personal backstory enhances or complicates interpretation
• The song’s lyrical ambiguity
• Johnny Fay’s relentless drumming
• Gord Sinclair’s muscular bass work
• Rob Baker’s textured, hammer-on lead work
• Why this track became a live show opener
• How it echoes Day for Night while signaling something new

And yes — we debate what “transformation” actually means.

🔥 Pull Quote

“It’s not just about someone else transforming. It’s about realizing you’re different now — and there’s no going back.”

🧠 Broad Topics Covered

• The Tragically Hip songwriting evolution
• Now For Plan A album context (2012)
• Gord Downie’s lyrical ambiguity
• Live performance history (Mod Club pop-up show)
• The band’s internal tensions in the late 2000s
• Classic Hip dynamics: loud/quiet propulsion
• Sports metaphors vs. emotional metaphors
• The concept of transformation (personal, medical, relational)

🎸 About the Song

Song: At Transformation

Album: Now For Plan A (2012)

Notable Traits:

• Aggressive opener energy
• Fuzzed-out Gord Sinclair bass
• Johnny Fay playing heavier than usual
• Rob Baker’s distinctive hammer-ons and outro solo
• Became a live set opener on the 2012 tour

👥 Our Guests

Tim – Columbus, Ohio

Co-host of the Dig Me Out Podcast (16 years, 850+ episodes). Longtime Hip champion south of the border.

Shawn – Edmonton, Alberta

Director with the Edmonton Blues Society. Deep early-days Hip memories and strong connection to the Day For Night era.

Jeff – Vaughan, Ontario

Veteran live-show attendee who caught “At Transformation” during its early Mod Club performance and multiple shows on the 2012 tour.

🔍 SEO Keywords

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The Tragically Hip deep cuts

Canadian rock band analysis

Day For Night comparison

Late-era Tragically Hip songs

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Email: tthtop40@gmail.com

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YouTube: Search The Tragically Hip On Shuffle

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If you love these deep dives and want to keep the windows down and the engine running:

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Drop a caribou or two in the tip jar and help keep independent Hip content alive.

Next week: Nautical Disaster.

Set aside three hours. 😉

Fully & Completely: Redux

Episode 6 — 

Trouble at the Henhouse (1996)

In this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, we land in 1996 and crack open Trouble at the Henhouse — one of the most misunderstood, emotionally loaded, and quietly radical albums in the catalogue of The Tragically Hip.

What should have been a victory-lap record turns into something stranger and braver: stripped-back, red-toned, reflective, and full of songs that don’t explain themselves — they linger. This is the sound of a band surviving the 90s, refusing to coast, and accidentally making one of the era’s most enduring records.

Hosts jD and Greg LeGros dig into the album track by track, placing it inside the cultural hangover of the mid-90s: the end of high school, the death of grunge’s innocence, shifting radio formats, CanCon realities, and the moment when everything felt like it was changing — whether you were ready or not.

What We Talk About

• Why Trouble at the Henhouse feels like the hangover to Day for Night
• The opening five-song run (Gift Shop → Flamenco) as one of the strongest stretches in the Hip’s career
• Robbie Baker’s guitar finally stepping out of the shadows
• The sequencing controversy (yes, we’re talking 700 Foot Ceiling and Butts Wiggling)
• “Ahead by a Century” as a once-in-a-generation song — and why it had to be the one
• Gord Downie’s writing shift: misdirection, restraint, and devastating clarity
• Don’t Wake Daddy as the emotional centre of the record (and the 90s)
• Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Eric’s Trip, and the ghosts living between the grooves
• Why this album was divisive then — and why it’s essential now

Standout Moments

• The bleed from Gift Shop into Springtime in Vienna as a mission statement
• The Kurt Cobain reference that somehow lands with grace
• Flamenco as both comfort and confrontation
• Sherpa as pure atmosphere — the quiet psychedelic cousin of Day for Night
• Put It Off as an ending that feels like everything slowly going dark

Why This Album Still Hits

Trouble at the Henhouse isn’t flashy. It doesn’t chase hits. It doesn’t hold your hand.

It sits with you.

This episode makes the case that the record’s power lies in its restraint, its refusal to repeat past triumphs, and its willingness to capture a moment when music — and life — felt heavier, stranger, and more complicated.

Red instead of blue.

Morning instead of night.

The hangover instead of the party.

Listen & Follow

🎧 Listen to Fully & Completely: Redux wherever you get your podcasts

📲 Follow the show on Instagram: @TTHpodseries

💬 Join the conversation in our Facebook group with fellow Hip fans

📩 Contact the show: TTHtop40@gmail.com

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🔀 The Tragically Hip On Shuffle

Fire in the Hole

 (Day for Night, 1994)

Every Wednesday, The Tragically Hip On Shuffle spins the wheel and lands on a random song from the Hip catalogue—then assembles a panel to tear it apart, stitch it back together, and see what still smoulders.

This week’s draw: Fire in the Hole—a blistering, confrontational cut from the band’s 1994 masterpiece Day for Night.

What follows is a loud, thoughtful, occasionally unhinged conversation about rawness, rage, punk energy, fascism, notebook lyrics, and why this song—despite being under-streamed—was a live-wire monster onstage.

🎙️ This Week’s Panel

• Sara J.
• Tom Horton
• Mark Hebscher

Together with host jD, the panel explores Fire in the Hole from every angle: sonic, political, emotional, and physical (yes, including neck injuries and sweat-soaked encores).

🔥 Episode Highlights

• Why Fire in the Hole may be The Tragically Hip’s most punk-rock song
• Gord Downie’s anti-fascist live rants and how they reframed the studio version
• The song’s roots in old mining folklore and earlier folk recordings
• Gord Sinclair’s underrated, punishing bassline
• Johnny Fay as a human jackhammer
• The lyric “that kid’s a fucking goof” — notebook throwaway or brutal narrative precision?
• Why this song destroyed Gord’s voice and often closed shows
• First-hand memories of Woodstock ’99 and early Day for Night tour chaos
• Why the studio cut feels like a teaser—and the live version felt like a threat

🧠 Why This Song Still Matters

Short. Violent. Uncompromising.

Fire in the Hole doesn’t explain itself—it hits, gets out, and leaves you rattled.

This episode makes the case that while the song may never top streaming charts, it remains one of the Hip’s most honest expressions of rage, resistance, and release—a reminder that rock & roll doesn’t always need poetry to be profound.

Sometimes it just needs three chords, a warning shout, and absolutely no mercy.

📀 Listen & Subscribe

🎧 Listen to The Tragically Hip On Shuffle wherever you get your podcasts

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube

🔔 Subscribe, rate, and review—it helps more Hip fans find the show

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Day for Night

 (1994)

A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

Hosted by: jD & Greg LeGros

Release: Monday

Format: Album deep dive (Redux edition)

Runtime: ~1h 45m

In this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, we turn our full attention to Day for Night — the record many fans point to as the moment The Tragically Hip stopped chasing expectations and fully committed to the dark, patient, cinematic version of themselves.

Released in September 1994, Day for Night arrived at a cultural moment when the ’90s were no longer new, no longer shiny, and no longer pretending everything was okay. What followed was an album that broke rules quietly: hit singles with no choruses, stories without resolutions, grooves that crept instead of charged.

In this Redux episode, jD and Greg revisit the album with fresh perspective — tracing its creation, its reception, and why it remains one of the most singular statements in the Hip’s catalogue.

What We Cover

• Why Day for Night felt like a deliberate pivot after Fully Completely
• How “Grace, Too” announced a darker, stranger Hip — visually and sonically
• The improbability of “Nautical Disaster” becoming a massive hit with no chorus
• Gord Downie’s leap into fully cinematic, image-driven lyricism
• Johnny Fay and Gord Sinclair quietly redefining the band’s rhythmic identity
• The patience, restraint, and atmosphere that hold the album together
• Why this record feels less like a collection of songs and more like a journey

Track-by-Track Highlights

• Grace, Too – A career-defining opener and tonal manifesto
• Daredevil – A tumbling, vertigo-inducing rock song hiding in plain sight
• Greasy Jungle – Off-kilter, playful darkness with a smirk
• Yawning or Snarling – Menace, crowd imagery, and creeping tension
• Fire in the Hole – Nuance over catharsis, patience over payoff
• So Hard Done By – A mid-tempo, grimy, cinematic standout
• Nautical Disaster – One of the boldest hit singles of the decade
• Thugs – Swampy groove, film references, and one of Downie’s greatest opening lines
• Scared – Beauty, menace, and the illusion of safety
• An Inch an Hour / Emergency / Titanic Terrarium – The album’s final descent into reflection and unease

Why 

Day for Night

 Endures

More than any other Hip album, Day for Night rewards patience. It doesn’t rush you. It doesn’t explain itself. It invites you into the fog and trusts you to stay there. For many fans — including jD and Greg — this wasn’t just another release. It was the album that turned admiration into devotion.

About the Podcast

Fully & Completely is a chronological, album-by-album exploration of The Tragically Hip’s studio catalogue. Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros, the series blends music history, personal memory, cultural context, and deep fandom — without myth-making or nostalgia goggles. Redux episodes revisit classic installments with improved audio, tighter edits, and the benefit of distance.

Follow, Join, Support

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If you enjoy what we’re building here, following, sharing, or tossing a few bucks in the jar genuinely helps keep the lights on.

Fully & Completely: Redux — 

Day for Night

 (1994)

A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

Hosted by: jD & Greg LeGros

Release: Monday

Format: Album deep dive (Redux edition)

Runtime: ~1h 45m

In this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, we turn our full attention to Day for Night — the record many fans point to as the moment The Tragically Hip stopped chasing expectations and fully committed to the dark, patient, cinematic version of themselves.

Released in September 1994, Day for Night arrived at a cultural moment when the ’90s were no longer new, no longer shiny, and no longer pretending everything was okay. What followed was an album that broke rules quietly: hit singles with no choruses, stories without resolutions, grooves that crept instead of charged.

In this Redux episode, jD and Greg revisit the album with fresh perspective — tracing its creation, its reception, and why it remains one of the most singular statements in the Hip’s catalogue.

What We Cover

• Why Day for Night felt like a deliberate pivot after Fully Completely
• How “Grace, Too” announced a darker, stranger Hip — visually and sonically
• The improbability of “Nautical Disaster” becoming a massive hit with no chorus
• Gord Downie’s leap into fully cinematic, image-driven lyricism
• Johnny Fay and Gord Sinclair quietly redefining the band’s rhythmic identity
• The patience, restraint, and atmosphere that hold the album together
• Why this record feels less like a collection of songs and more like a journey

Track-by-Track Highlights

• Grace, Too – A career-defining opener and tonal manifesto
• Daredevil – A tumbling, vertigo-inducing rock song hiding in plain sight
• Greasy Jungle – Off-kilter, playful darkness with a smirk
• Yawning or Snarling – Menace, crowd imagery, and creeping tension
• Fire in the Hole – Nuance over catharsis, patience over payoff
• So Hard Done By – A mid-tempo, grimy, cinematic standout
• Nautical Disaster – One of the boldest hit singles of the decade
• Thugs – Swampy groove, film references, and one of Downie’s greatest opening lines
• Scared – Beauty, menace, and the illusion of safety
• An Inch an Hour / Emergency / Titanic Terrarium – The album’s final descent into reflection and unease

Why 

Day for Night

 Endures

More than any other Hip album, Day for Night rewards patience. It doesn’t rush you. It doesn’t explain itself. It invites you into the fog and trusts you to stay there. For many fans — including jD and Greg — this wasn’t just another release. It was the album that turned admiration into devotion.

About the Podcast

Fully & Completely is a chronological, album-by-album exploration of The Tragically Hip’s studio catalogue. Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros, the series blends music history, personal memory, cultural context, and deep fandom — without myth-making or nostalgia goggles. Redux episodes revisit classic installments with improved audio, tighter edits, and the benefit of distance.

Follow, Join, Support

📍 Instagram / YouTube / Facebook: @tthpods

☕ Support the show: buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40

If you enjoy what we’re building here, following, sharing, or tossing a few bucks in the jar genuinely helps keep the lights on.

This week’s shuffle pull: “Wild Mountain Honey” (Track 11 on Music @ Work), a song that got exactly zero votes in the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown universe — and, honestly, that fact alone felt like a cosmic dare. Is it an overlooked monster? A “respect more than like” deep cut? A Johnny Fay showcase hiding in plain sight? We took it to the group chat court and let the litigious force do its thing.

This Week’s Song

• Song: Wild Mountain Honey
• Album: Music @ Work (2000)
• Why this one matters: A structural outlier that some fans skipped for years — and others swear is an absolute banger.

Panelists

• Tyler (Etobicoke) — longtime fan perspective + “meridian point” theory for the band’s eras
• Kirk (Chino) — U.S. fan, Music @ Work as the gateway record, Zeppelin energy comparisons
• Adam (Tampa) — reappraisal years later, big on the Music @ Work “depth and weirdness” (complimentary)

What We Get Into

• The “zero votes” mystery: how does a track like this get nothing in a 169-song voting pool?
• Johnny Fay unleashed: drums way up in the mix; Bonham-ish weight; pure chops showcase
• “Breakup song” reading: divorce / separation / relationship unraveling… and why the lyrics support it
• Embassy + diplomacy imagery: neutral ground, choosing to leave before it gets ugly
• The album as a turning point: Music @ Work as the “door out” for some fans, and the “door in” for others
• Live rarity: discussed as being played 26 times, essentially during the 2000 era
• The eternal question: why is it called “Wild Mountain Honey” when the phrase never appears in the song?

Quote Worth Stealing

“Diplomacy goes even better with drinks.”

(Also: “confetti cannon… with litigious force,” which… come on.)

Next Week on Shuffle

We spun again — and the next song is: “Fire in the Hole” (Day for Night).

Three new panelists, same chaotic method.

Shout-outs + Links Mentioned

• Discovering Downie (podcast) — recommended by Kirk
• FOTM Cast (quarterly deep-dive on Toronto Mike’d) — Tyler’s appearance
• A surprisingly heartfelt wellness moment: do your checkups, take care of your health, don’t put it off.

Join Us Live

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle streams every Wednesday night — come watch live, jump in the chat, and help us decide whether the wheel nailed it or needs to be thrown in the lake.

Follow / Join / Hang: (add your usual socials + group links here)

Support the work: buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40

Episode 104 — Fully Completely (1992)

A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros

Class is officially back in session.

In Episode 104, Fully & Completely returns as Fully & Completely: Redux — our weekly, album-by-album wander through the studio catalogue of The Tragically Hip.

This week: Fully Completely (1992). The one that didn’t just kick the door down — it blew the whole damn car up.

And because this is Redux, you get it in two parts:

First, a short present-day catch-up with jD and Greg — sitting in the “easy chairs by the fireplace” version of adulthood — reminiscing about what this record felt like then, what it feels like now, and why it still hits like a masterclass.

Then we drop into the classic Fully & Completely episode, now re-edited, re-mixed, and re-mastered — the same deep dive, but cleaned up, tightened up, and sounding better in your headphones.

From the jump, the conversation is rooted in why this album became a cultural object in Canada: six singles, nonstop video rotation, and that feeling that you couldn’t escape it — even if you tried. Not because of CanCon. Because people wanted it.

We get into why Locked in the Trunk of a Car is such a strange (and perfect) lead single, the confidence of a band shifting from “beloved” to “the band,” and how the record meant to help crack America ended up being, arguably, their most Canadian statement up to that point.

Along the way: 1992 as a time capsule (good, bad, and bananas), the shifting musical landscape, and how Gord’s writing starts leaning harder into Canadian stories, mythology, and history — without turning into novelty.

It’s huge. It’s dusty. It’s intense.

And it still holds up top to bottom.

In This Episode

• The Redux intro: jD + Greg reunite, reminisce, and talk about how this record lands now
• Why Fully Completely felt unavoidable in Canada (six singles, constant rotation)
• 1992 as a time capsule — culture, headlines, and a wildly stacked year in music
• The jump in sound: new producer, bigger rooms, bigger ambition, bigger “world stage” vibe
• The American push that got pulled after two weeks — and what that meant
• Gord’s shift into Canada-as-myth + Canada-as-story songwriting
• Party guitars, campfires, and why we all somehow still know that song
• Track-by-track highlights including:
• Courage and the Hugh MacLennan connection
• Locked in the Trunk of a Car and the bootleg “bonus for the nerds”
• At the Hundredth Meridian as a national singalong moment
• Wheat Kings as the great Canadian makeout song you probably shouldn’t make out to
• Deep cuts love for Eldorado and the title track’s intensity

Album Discussed

Fully Completely (1992)

Produced by Chris Tsangarides

Six singles. A diamond-era cultural staple.

A road album. A statement. A turning point.

What’s Next

Next week, the journey continues — another step forward, another right turn, another era.

Listen & Subscribe

Fully & Completely: Redux is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow, subscribe, and settle in — we’re taking this fully and completely, one record at a time.

This week, the wheel landed on “Leave” from In Violet Light (2002) — and we got into the groove, the two-part structure, Gord’s bird-heavy storytelling, and where this track sits in the album’s pacing (aka: the unsung bridge between heavy hitters).

Next week’s random pick: “Wild Mountain Honey” from Music @ Work.

This Week’s Song

Song: “Leave”

Album: In Violet Light (2002)

Producer: Hugh Padgham

Format: Live panel + chat discussion (one song, one hour, no wrong takes)

Panelists

• Andrew (Winnipeg)
• Patrick (Toronto)
• Craig (Langley) (also plays in the Hip tribute band Gift Shop)

What We Talk About (Highlights)

• Album “go-to” picks right now: World Container, In Violet Light, and We Are the Same
• Why “Leave” feels like an album track / deep cut — and why that’s not an insult
• The band’s groove (Sinclair + Fay love all over this one)
• The song’s structure: essentially two halves instead of a standard verse/chorus/bridge pattern
• Lyrical rabbit holes: quotes, birds talking to birds, and that killer line: “How do we learn to hurt?” (discussed, not solved — because Gord)
• Live history note from the panel: “Leave” appears to have been played live only a handful of times (per setlist research mentioned on the stream)
• Chat check-in: one-word reactions and a great listener description of the track as a “start the day” song — gentle, moving, pointed but laid back

Timeline (from the stream transcript)

• [0:38] jD sets the table: the On Shuffle format + “no wrong takes”
• [1:47] Introductions: Andrew (Winnipeg), Craig (Langley), Patrick (Toronto)
• [3:36] “Go-to Hip record right now” discussion
• [10:43] Song discussion begins: first impressions + where “Leave” fits
• [18:31] Music deep-dive: groove, dynamics, structure (two-part feel)
• [24:09] The “birds” thread expands (and yes, people noticed)
• [35:31] Live-performance chat + setlist mention
• [48:09] Wheel spin: next week’s song is “Wild Mountain Honey”
• [49:54] Panelist plugs + shoutouts
• [53:01] Breadcrumbs teased for upcoming stuff + community reminder

Next Week

🎶 Next song: “Wild Mountain Honey” (Music @ Work)

🗓 When: Wednesday at 8pm ET

💬 How to participate: Jump into the live chat and bring your takes.

Panelist Plugs (as mentioned on-stream)

• Andrew: Head Full of Radio (podcast) + Alphabet Soup (University of Manitoba radio show; archives mentioned)
• Patrick: The Deep Cover Show (on hiatus; returning around early February per the stream)
• Craig: Plays in Gift Shop (Hip tribute band). Mentioned a “Depression Suite” video posted last week and an upcoming Vancouver show announcement with details expected February 20 (as teased on-stream).

Join the Community

• Instagram: @tthpodseries
• YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods
• Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthpodcastseries
• Email: TTHtop40@gmail.com

This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle, jD and panelists Andrew (Winnipeg), Craig (Langley), and Patrick (Toronto) break down “Leave” from In Violet Light (2002) — groove, structure, lyrics, and where it fits on the record. Next week: “Wild Mountain Honey.”

Episode 103— Road Apples (1991)

A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros

If Up to Here was the sound of a band kicking the barroom doors open, Road Apples is what happens when they walk in knowing the room already belongs to them.

Released in February 1991, this record lands right in the middle of a cultural earthquake — Nevermind, Ten, The Black Album, Out of Time, Loveless, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Rock music is shedding its hairspray, sharpening its teeth, and looking for something that feels real again.

And here come The Tragically Hip — louder, darker, more confident, and somehow more mysterious than ever.

In this episode of Fully & Completely: Redux, jD and Greg LeGros dig into Road Apples as the moment where the band perfects their bar-band bravado — and then quietly starts planning their escape from it. Produced once again by Don Smith, recorded largely live off the floor, this album sounds like five guys in a room who trust each other completely… and aren’t afraid to push.

We talk about:

• Why 1991 might be the most important year in modern music
• Road Apples as the band’s first true leap — not just forward, but outward
• The brilliance of Little Bones as an all-time album opener
• Gord Downie’s emerging lyrical mythos — cab drivers, King Lear, Macbeth, and prison-yard stares
• How Cordelia and The Luxury reveal a darker, more literary Hip
• Why Long Time Running becomes one of the band’s first truly communal songs
• The quiet devastation of Fiddler’s Green
• And how Last of the Unplucked Gems gently closes the door on one era… and opens another

This is the album where the confidence hardens, the writing deepens, and the band stops sounding like anyone else. The last gasp of their blues-rock skin — and the first clear signal that something bigger is coming.

School’s still in session.

And things are starting to get interesting.

Episode Summary

Welcome to the very first episode of The Tragically Hip On Shuffle — a weekly live-streamed conversation where host jD and a rotating panel of fans spin the wheel, land on one randomly selected Tragically Hip song, and discuss, debate, and dissect it from every angle: lyrics, themes, musicality, album context, and the personal connection that makes Hip fandom feel like home.

For the premiere episode, the shuffle lands on “You’re Everywhere” from In Between Evolution (2004) — a loud, sharp, post-9/11-era record produced by Adam Kasper that captures The Tragically Hip in full rock-and-roll form. From the opening riff to the vocal urgency in the chorus, this track becomes the perfect test case for what this series is all about: thoughtful takes, layered interpretations, and the shared realization that there’s rarely one “right answer” in Gord Downie’s writing.

Panelists this week include:

• Tim (Columbus, Ohio) — co-host of the long-running music podcast Dig Me Out, and a proud defender of deep cuts
• Ryan (Victoria, BC) — frontman of Nautical Disaster, a Tragically Hip tribute band, with a vocalist’s ear for emotional delivery
• Justin (Vermont) — longtime Hip fan and Discovering Downie alum, bringing album-level context and a sharp eye for lyrical subtext

Together, the panel explores why “You’re Everywhere” feels both deeply personal and uncomfortably political, how In Between Evolution balances big guitars with uneasy undercurrents, and why this song—despite being lesser-played live—hits with the kind of emotional pressure that grows louder the longer you sit with it.

And yes: the episode also features the first official On Shuffle tech gremlin moment, a brief detour to the green-room snack table, and a laminated birthday card signed “No.” So there’s that.

In This Episode

• The On Shuffle format: one random Hip song, one hour, zero forced takes
• First impressions of “You’re Everywhere” and why the groove is deceptively simple
• The vocals: urgency, desperation, and that “live-in-the-can” feel
• Lyrics + themes: layered meaning, media saturation, democracy, identity, and memory
• The line “when I reel my Irish in” — and why it can mean 10 different things
• Album context: where “You’re Everywhere” sits in the In Between Evolution tracklist and why it works as a centerpiece
• Rare live sightings: an early “workshopping” version with a different working title and lyrics
• Producer talk: Adam Kasper (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden connections) and how the Hip chose heavyweight producers across eras
• The show’s mission: The Hip as refuge, ritual, and community hang

Key Quotes

• “There are no wrong opinions. There are no wrong takes. But my hope is there will always be a moment.”
• “It’s a simple song structure… but it’s how they play it.”
• “Gord layers ideas — the subtext can run through the entire album.”

Featured Song

“You’re Everywhere” — The Tragically Hip

Album: In Between Evolution (2004)

Next Week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle

The shuffle chooses the next track live at the end of the episode.

Next episode song: “Leave” from In Violet Light

🕗 Live Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET

About the Panelists

Tim (Columbus)

Co-host of Dig Me Out — a long-running podcast featuring album reviews, interviews, and roundtables spanning 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond, with a special love for the underappreciated gems.

Ryan (Victoria, BC)

Frontman of Nautical Disaster, a Tragically Hip tribute band. Also a community-builder: the band helped raise $5,000 for their local food bank through a fundraiser show.

Justin (Vermont)

Longtime Hip fan and Discovering Downie collaborator. Also involved in Vermont motorsports projects including the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Where to Watch + Follow

Watch the live stream (and replays): youtube.com/@tthpods

Subscribe for weekly episodes of The Tragically Hip On Shuffle and more from The Tragically Hip Podcast Series.

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Episode 102 — Up To Here (1989)

A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros

If Episode 101 was the band trying to get hired, Up To Here is the band showing up like: we’re already the headliners, you just don’t know it yet.

Released in September 1989, The Tragically Hip’s first full-length LP is the moment where the sweat and swagger of the EP turns into something sturdier — a vibe, a sound, an identity. This is the record that made the country start paying attention in a different way. Not “hey, that bar band is pretty good,” but “oh… this is our band.”

We set the scene: Mulroney still running the country, the first Grey Cup at the SkyDome (and yes, the Rough Riders/Roughriders nonsense is as chaotic as it sounds), and a pop-heavy musical world where Repeat Offender, Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul, and even Dr. Feelgood are moving units like it’s a national sport. Meanwhile, the underground is brewing — Sonic Youth, the weirdos starting to kick the door open — and out of Kingston comes this bluesy, barroom, don’t-overthink-it-just-turn-it-up record that somehow becomes a diamond-certified Canadian classic.

We talk about why Up To Here connects with everybody — the Queens Pub crowd, the farm-town beer crowd, the “I only know four Hip songs but I know them perfectly” crowd — and how certain tracks became bigger than the band itself. There’s a whole New Orleans is Sinking tangent involving Crown Royal, Lake Ontario, and one of the most wholesome cross-cultural Canadian moments imaginable.

This album is loaded. Side A is basically a greatest hits package. But we also dig into the deeper stuff: the early emergence of Gord’s strange, slippery cadence; the way the band’s confidence jumps from the EP to this like it got shot out of a cannon; and the idea that every Hip album has at least one track that quietly points at what comes next.

Up To Here is where the lesson plan gets real.

In This Episode

• The cultural and musical landscape of 1989 (Mulroney, pop domination, the underground brewing)
• Why Up To Here hit everywhere in Canada — bars, cottages, dorms, and car stereos
• The leap in identity from the EP to a full-on signature sound
• “New Orleans is Sinking” as a national anthem (and as a live-performance launchpad)
• Gord Downie’s early “how-the-hell-do-you-sing-that” cadence taking shape (“38 Years Old”)
• The record’s “top-heavy” track sequencing — and why it works
• Deep-cut advocacy hour: “Every Time You Go” gets its flowers
• The “DNA track” theory: one song per album that hints at the next record
• Listener callout: What’s your Up To Here moment?
• 
  

Album Discussed

Up To Here (1989)

Produced by Don Smith

A barroom-recorded, road-tested, diamond-certified cornerstone.

Time Capsule Tracks

• jD’s pick: 38 Years Old
• Greg’s pick: Opiated

What’s Next

Next week, we keep moving — and you can already feel the band getting sharper, stranger, and more themselves. The evolution is in motion.

Listen & Subscribe

Fully & Completely: Redux is available wherever you get your podcasts.

📲 Follow The Tragically Hip Podcast Series on Instagram: @tthpodseries

💬 Join the Facebook Group and hang with like-minded Hip fans

✉️ Reach jD: tthtop40@gmail.com

Fully & Completely: Redux

Episode 101 — The Tragically Hip EP (1987)

A presentation of The Tragically Hip Podcast Series

Hosted by jD and Greg LeGros

Class is officially back in session.

In Episode 101, Fully & Completely returns as Fully & Completely: Redux, kicking off a weekly, album-by-album journey through the catalog of The Tragically Hip — starting where it all began: the self-titled 1987 EP.

This episode takes us back to a pivotal year in Canadian history. Brian Mulroney is Prime Minister. The loonie replaces the dollar bill. Edmonton is the City of Champions. And in a music landscape dominated by The Joshua Tree, Appetite for Destruction, Sign o’ the Times, and Document, a sweaty, blues-rock bar band from Kingston quietly releases their first official recording.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not fully formed.

But it is the sound of a band just out of high school, road-tested, tight as hell, and figuring out who they might become.

jD and Greg dig into the historical and musical context of 1987, the Canadian charts of the era, the bar-band DNA baked into this EP, and the early lyrical breadcrumbs that hint at where The Tragically Hip were headed. Along the way, they debate throwaway lines versus keeper lyrics, celebrate the power of live mythology, and agree — as most Canadians eventually do — that Highway Girl is the track that escapes the gravity of its origins.

This is the starting point.

The chalk outline.

The sweaty stage at the Horseshoe before the arenas.

And from here on out, it only gets deeper.

In This Episode

• Why 1987 matters — culturally, musically, and politically
• The Tragically Hip as a very good bar band (and why that matters)
• Blues rock, R&B roots, and early Stones influence
• Canadian pop vs. underground grit in the late ’80s
• First signs of Gord Downie’s lyrical instincts
• The role of live performance in shaping Hip mythology
• Time Capsule Track: Highway Girl

Album Discussed

The Tragically Hip (EP, 1987)

Produced by Ken “Kenny” Greer

Eight tracks. Under 30 minutes. A launching pad.

What’s Next

Next week, the tour continues with the next chapter in the evolution — more confidence, sharper songwriting, and the beginning of something unmistakably Hip.

Listen & Subscribe

Fully & Completely: Redux is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow, subscribe, and settle in — we’re taking this fully and completely, one record at a time.

This is The Abacus Files — eight straight minutes of pure, mystical nonsense pulled from the fever dream that is my creative process. A parade of psychic ferrets, deep-fried deep fryers, face bidets, kumquat bongs, and ceramic televangelists with spiderweb crowns — all gathered around one sacred desk to divine the true order of The Tragically Hip’s Top 40.

It’s equal parts séance, satire, and studio detritus — a love letter to the absurd rituals behind the show. Somewhere between noir and nostalgia, math and magic, you’ll find The Abacus Files: a companion piece to chaos, and maybe the most honest thing we’ve ever done.

So grab a candle that smells like nachos and regret. The spreadsheet gods demand tribute.

We trace Secret Path’s journey: Gord’s shift to solo purpose, how each lyric sketches escape and absence, and how the album remains a bridge between grief and activism. In this intimate revisit, we unpack the poems, the illustrations, and the moments that still haunt us.

What to Expect:

• A song-by-song revisit: The Stranger, Swing Set, Seven Matches, I Will Not Be Struck, Son, Secret Path, Don’t Let This Touch You, Haunt Them, Haunt Them, Haunt Them, The Only Place To Be, Here, Here and Here
• Reflections on how Secret Path changed what we heard — and how we remember
• Insights into Gord’s vision, the artistic collaboration with Jeff Lemire, and the legacy of cultural reconciliation
• Moments of silence, of grief, and of renewed purpose

If this album shaped your heart — or you haven’t listened closely before — I invite you to enter its shadows with me and let Gord’s voice linger long after.

Tonight, we re-release the Away Is Mine episode of Discovering Downie. We walk those songs again. This is a record born of love, mortality, and farewell.

During four days in July 2017, Gord and Josh Finlayson went into The Bathouse studio in Ontario and captured these final songs, knowing time was short.  

They weren’t trying to make an album — they were trying to make a moment.

Recorded in front of a packed room of Hip fans at A Celebration of The Hip for ALS, this finale brings all the pomp, circumstance, and pure Canadian emotion you’d expect from a sendoff like this. Joined by the incomparable Tara Slone, we crown the #1 song as chosen by you—the listeners—and dig into what makes Grace, Too such a defining moment in the band’s story.

There’s reflection, revelation, and a few well-earned sighs. Because when the abacus finally stops spinning, what’s left is something bigger than rankings—it’s legacy.

About the Guest

Tara Slone—musician, broadcaster, actor, and lifelong champion of Canadian artists—joins jD live on stage for the grand finale. Tara’s Hipstory runs deep, from performing on national stages to interviewing Paul Langlois at Massey Hall. Her perspective on the band’s artistry, evolution, and impact is both intimate and electric. Together, she and jD unpack Grace, Too with reverence and humour, exploring its mystique, its mythology, and why Gord’s two-finger salute still echoes through time.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just another countdown. It’s a love letter to one of the greatest bands this country’s ever produced.

Over nearly a year, fans from across the globe submitted their Top 20 Tragically Hip songs, resulting in this fan-sourced canon of Hipdom. From 38 Years Old to Ahead by a Century—and finally, Grace, Too—the journey has been as poetic, chaotic, and proudly Canadian as the music itself.

And with Tara Slone on stage, the night becomes something else entirely: a collective catharsis. Part concert, part wake, part love fest. A moment when everyone in the room—bandana’d superfans, first-time listeners, and the just-plain-curious—felt the same electricity that Gord once bottled on stage.

Pull Quote

“I like to think this was a band that didn’t have a logo—every record was different because the content was different. They were explorers, always chasing their own evolution.” — jD

Big Thanks

To Tara Slone for being such a generous, brilliant guest. To every fan who submitted their Top 20. To the membersHIPwho kept this thing humming. And to Gord, Paul, Rob, Johnny, and Sinclair—for the soundtrack to our lives.

This isn’t goodbye—it’s a standing ovation that never ends.

Get Involved

💬 Join the membersHIP: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

🎥 Catch the Sunday Evening Jam: Every Sunday on YouTube

💪 Support the Cause: Proceeds from this event benefit the ALS Society of Canada in memory of Matt Rona.

Follow + Stream

• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Hashtags

#TheTragicallyHip #TTHTop40 #GordDownie #CanadianRock #HipFandom #TragicallyHipPodcast #GraceToo #TaraSlone #ALSbenefit #CanadianMusicHistory

Along the way, they share stories of fandom, discovery, and the strange joy of loving a band that’s become part of our DNA. It’s reverent, funny, and a little unhinged — just the way Gord would’ve wanted it.

Pull Quote:

“Every time I hear it, it feels like the first time all over again.”

Next Week

The moment we’ve all been waiting for — song number one, revealed live at A Celebration of The Hip for ALS.

Get Involved

💬 Join the conversation in our Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

🎧 Follow us on Instagram: @tthtop40

📧 Submit your Hipstory or feedback: tthtop40@gmail.com

🌐 Visit dewvre.com/tthtop40

Support & Stream

If you love the show, consider joining the membersHIP — every contribution helps support The ALS Society of Canada in memory of Matt Rona.

🎵 Stream The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SiriusXM Channel 757.

🔍 

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The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown – Episode 39: Will from Columbus on Song #2

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SEO Keywords:

Tragically Hip, The Hip, Gord Downie, Canadian music, Tragically Hip podcast, Hip fandom, Top 40 Countdown, Will from Columbus, A Celebration of The Hip for ALS, SiriusXM

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Meta Description (155 characters):

Will from Columbus joins jD to unpack song #2 in The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown — a deep dive into myth, memory, and musical devotion.

Sara J and I are diving into Song #4 the one with Richard from Bright’s Grove. We’ll also be dropping the full list of silent auction items and the website where you can start bidding on October 1st.

And of course, we’ll be talking about the big one — A Celebration of The Hip for ALS happening this Saturday, October 4th.

Join us live, hang out, and let’s get jammin’ 👉

We talk about restless youth, chance encounters that reshaped careers, and the strange way music keeps showing up right when you need it most. Mike shares stories from working life, his brush with CBC journalism, and how following the band’s trail across Canada opened him up to adventure. It’s less about nostalgia and more about recognizing how Gord and the boys kept nudging us to live a little bigger, a little braver.

This episode is a reminder that Hip fandom isn’t just about the music — it’s about where those songs take us. Sometimes that’s a sweaty Kingston bar, sometimes a mine in Northern Ontario, sometimes it’s right back home, realizing how much has changed and how much hasn’t.

“It was this sense of adventure — like Gord was off having all the fun, and I thought, maybe I need to find some of my own.”

About Our Guest

Mike is a Kingston native, longtime Hip fan, and veteran storyteller. His professional path wound through economics, CBC journalism, and documentary film — but the Hip have always been a compass point. His stories carry the grit, humour, and tenderness of someone who’s lived through the same soundtrack we all share.

Get Involved

We’re counting down to A Celebration of The Hip for ALS on October 4th at The Rec Room in Toronto. Silent auction, The Strictly Hip live, and the grand finale of this very countdown. Grab your tickets: bit.ly/TTHALSOct4th.

Follow + Stream

📲 Instagram: @tthtop40

📺 YouTube: @dewvre1974

🌐 Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

Support

Every ticket, every donation, every listen pushes us closer to raising money for the ALS Society of Canada in honour of our friend Matt Rona. Chip in, share, or just show up — it all matters.

Kingston’s own Mike shares his Hipstory with jD — a journey through music, work, and life shaped by The Tragically Hip.

Hey friends, jD here. I’m coming to you a little heavy today — because I’ve just put the final “regular” episode of the Countdown to bed. It’s all edited, all stitched together, and out of my hands now. And that’s a trip. When I started this whole thing last August with nothing more than a wild idea, an abacus, and a bunch of fan lists, I had no clue what it would become. Now we’re here — and damn, it feels equal parts surreal, emotional, and downright beautiful.

This episode isn’t just about ticking off another slot. It’s about reflecting on the journey, the people I’ve met, and the stories that have come pouring out along the way. Somewhere along the line, it stopped being about the rankings and started being about us. About the community. About the way these songs stitch into our lives and memories. That’s what’s really hit me in the gut as I wrapped this one up.

Next Week

Of course, this thing ain’t really done. We’ve still got the live finale waiting for us — October 4th at The Rec Room in Toronto. That night we find out what stands tall at number one. The Strictly Hip will be there to blow the roof off. Tara Slone will be there. Richard Beland will be there. And most importantly, you can be there too. I want to see you in the room, repping your pick, belting it out, celebrating the band we all love.

“Somewhere around episode two I realized — this was never really about the countdown at all. It was about the stories.”

About the Guest

This one’s a solo reflection, just me in your ears — but you’ll hear shoutouts to so many folks who’ve carried me through: Sara J, the membersHIP, the Discovering Downie crew, and everyone who’s shared their Hipstory along the way. You’re all part of this episode.

Get Involved

🎟️ Tickets for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS are going fast. Join us in Toronto on October 4th — all proceeds support the ALS Society of Canada. Get your tickets here.

🧠 Want to chip in but can’t make the show? Donations are open — every dollar helps us push closer to our goal.

🪙 And hey, the silent auction kicks off October 1st. Bid from anywhere, score some unreal Hip treasures, and make an impact.

Follow + Stream

📲 Instagram: @tthtop40

📘 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

🎧 Stream the Countdown and all our Hip podcasts: dewvre.com/tthtop40

Support

This show exists because of the community around it. If you’ve found meaning here, consider joining the membersHIP, sharing the podcast with friends, or just showing up October 4th and making it loud.

Richard takes us through his early days sneaking into pubs on a scratched-up license, the serendipitous connections that led him to London and Europe with a camera in hand, and the near-miss that almost kept his work out of the book and the doc. He shares the story behind his most iconic photograph of Gord Downie — the toque shot that’s since been tattooed on bodies, blasted on TSN, and memorialized in magazines. And yes, he tells us about the time Rob Baker rode shotgun on a milk crate while the band’s own song played on the radio. (Waffle butt confirmed.)

From the Grateful Dead to The Hip, from fish-eye lenses to stage risers, from Sudbury snowstorms to late-night alleyway portraits — Richard’s journey is a reminder of how music, photography, and fandom intersect to tell stories bigger than any one of us.

And then comes the big reveal: Song #4 on the Countdown. It’s a track that swells with atmosphere, memory, and melody — one Richard says feels like “warm water filling a cold glass.” It’s the song that can soundtrack both a snowy walk into Sudbury Arena and a lazy summer night at the cottage, arm around a friend, eyes to the stars. You know it. You love it. And now, you know where it landed.

This episode is loaded with Hip history, fan parallels to the Dead, and stories you’ve never heard before. And if you want even more, Richard will be joining us live on October 4th at A Celebration of The Hip for ALS at The Rec Room in Toronto, opening the night with a special photo presentation before The Strictly Hip take the stage.

Next Week

We head into the Top 3. One more regular episode before the live finale. Get ready.

Get Involved:

• 🎟 Tickets for Oct 4th – A Celebration of The Hip for ALS
• 🎧 Email your Hipstory or Top 20 list: tthtop40@gmail.com
• 🏒 Enter the Hockey Night in Canada Raffle: Leafs vs Oilers, Dec 13

Follow + Stream:

• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• YouTube: Dewvre1974
• Podcast feed: The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown
• 
  

Support:

This show is powered by community. Become part of the membersHIP, grab raffle squares, or bid in the silent auction. Together, we’re raising money for the ALS Society of Canada.

A big, buzzy night. We roll into the Top 5 of the Countdown, swap Hipstories, announce Tara Slone for the Oct 4 live finale, unveil fresh silent auction items, and crank up the Hockey Night in Canada Raffle. Plus: Sarah J’s cosmic patio moment, Jeff drops by, and the chat goes full feels.

Tonight’s Vibe

• “Bittersweet” as we near Song #1; the finale plans are locking in.
• Community energy is peaking—tickets are moving, and the auction list is getting spicy.

Big Announcements

• Finale Format (Oct 4 @ The Rec Room, 7pm ET): Live episode exactly like the pod—guest Hipstory → Song reveal.
• Special Guest: Tara Slone will join us on stage.
• Music: The Strictly Hip — two sets.
• Photography Feature: Richard Beland shares iconic Hip shots.
• Tickets: Limited capacity. Don’t wait.

Silent Auction — New Reveals

• Tragically Hip – CBGB RSD Pink Vinyl (hard-to-find gem)
• Artage Portrait Gift Certificate (~$3,000 value): pro sitting + 14” finished portrait
• Full auction runs Oct 1 – Oct 4 (11:30pm ET). Bid from anywhere.

Hockey Night in Canada Raffle (Leafs vs Oilers, Dec 13)

• Prize: 2 seats — Section 104, Row 29, Seats 24–25 (Scotiabank Arena)
• Odds: Only 100 spots
• Price: 1 for $35, 2 for $65, 4 for $100
• Proceeds to ALS Society of Canada. (U.S. friends: your exchange rate is your friend.)

Song #6 Talk (No Spoilers)

• Was it robbed? Jeff argues it’s his #1 live closer—“lights hit white, bass drops, crowd erupts.”
• Tribute-scene parallels to Deadhead culture: community, travel, jams, and those Gord rambles that turn songs into songs within songs.

Community Moments

• Sarah J’s ‘universe wink’: walking out of a show, hears “New Orleans Is Sinking” from a 3-piece on a patio—cosmic timing, mozzarella sticks, and goosebumps.
• Guest drop-ins: Jeff (hockey & live-show lore) and Adam from Tampa (rankings spice).
• Paper tickets nostalgia, binder flex, and a gentle call for karaoke + worst-misheard-lyrics showdown.

Calls to Action

• 🎟 Finale Tickets (Oct 4): Grab yours now—limited capacity.
• 🏒 Raffle Squares: Stack your odds for Leafs–Oilers.
• 🖼 Auction Preview: Start scouting; bidding opens Oct 1.
• 📨 Want to street-team in Toronto (Sept 20)? DM us to hand out flyers & hang.

Credits

Hosted by jD & Sara J • Brought to you by NorthStar Bets.

Special thanks to everyone in the live chat for the laughs, memories, and momentum.

Winnipeg to Worldwide

This week’s countdown takes us into the sacred territory of the Top 5, and who better to usher us in than Winnipeg’s own Chris Jericho? Yes — that Chris Jericho: wrestler, rock frontman, podcaster, and lifelong music obsessive.

Jericho drops by to share a Hipstory that winds through Winnipeg clubs, Red River Community College, college-gig security shifts, and even a chance backstage beer offer from a young Gord Downie. He recalls the moment someone predicted, “These guys are going to be Canada’s Rolling Stones,” and how right that turned out to be. From there, the stories spill — touring abroad, rediscovering the band after Gord’s illness, and parsing just what makes The Hip feel so distinctly Canadian no matter where you’re standing in the world .

From Prairie Bars to Packed Arenas

Together, we dig into how a song can hit like a cannonball — and how riff, lyric, and swagger combined to propel the band from campus bars to multi-night arena stands. Jericho marvels at the way Gord slipped surreal imagery into a rocker, at the joy of lyrics that morph each chorus, and at the Hip’s rare ability to stay intact as a five-piece gang from the first EP to the final tour .

There’s wrestling talk, there’s band-life talk, there’s even pool-hall humidity trivia. And threaded through it all is the sense that The Hip weren’t just a band — they were, and are, a measure of what Canadian rock could mean when it refused to be anything but itself.

Next Week

We’re down to #4. Think myths. Think shadows. Think of a song that reshaped the way we listen to The Hip forever.

“I met Gord in ’89 before they broke big. He was tall, skinny, and had this presence — even then. They offered me a beer, and I said I was working. Just regular guys. And then? Boom. A year later they’re everywhere.”

— Chris Jericho 

About Our Guest

Chris Jericho is a Winnipeg native, wrestling legend, and frontman of Fozzy. He’s also a music lifer whose fandom runs from Iron Maiden to The Hip, with stories that stretch from Prairie bars to sold-out New York clubs. He’s been called many things in his career — champion, showman, podcaster — but here, he’s simply a Canadian kid telling the truth about a band that mattered.

Get Involved

This countdown is by the fans, for the fans:

• 🎟 Tickets for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS (Oct 4 in Toronto): bit.ly/TTHALSOct4th
• 🏒 Hockey Night in Canada raffle: bit.ly/TTHHNIC
• 👑 Vote for your SuperFan: bit.ly/TTHUS_VOTE
• 
  

Follow + Stream

Subscribe to the pod wherever you listen.

Follow @tthtop40 on Instagram.

Hear The Hip 24/7 on SiriusXM Channel 757.

Support

Want to keep this rolling? Join the membersHIP. Pay what you can, get a few perks, and know you’re fueling something real. dewvre.com/tthtop40

Abacus tally this week:

a prairie beer rider, a pool-hall cue finger, and the ghost of Shockley himself.

So there’s that.

As we close in on the Top 5, the conversations get heavier, funnier, and more personal. This week, jD welcomes Keith from Calgary—drummer, GEDfest founder, and long-haul Hip fan—for a ride through the moments that shaped his fandom. From the spark of discovery, to sweaty live-show floors that move as one, to building something new for the community with GetFest, Keith’s stories capture the essence of what it means to belong to The Hip’s orbit.

About the Guest

Keith first stumbled into The Hip through a mix of MuchMusic, Columbia House roulette, and the kind of tapes that never left your Discman. Decades later, he’s still hooked—and now he’s part of the engine keeping the flame alive. As the founder of GEDfest, Keith has helped create a multi-city tribute festival raising funds for cancer charities, proving that fandom can ripple outward into real impact.

Why It Matters

What starts with one song, one show, one memory—becomes a community. Keith’s Hipstory is proof of how the band’s catalogue doesn’t just soundtrack our lives, but stitches them together with others. Whether it’s a packed bar, a festival stage, or a room full of fans swapping stories, it’s that shared electricity that keeps The Hip alive long after the amps are turned off.

Episode Highlights

• First sparks: the early singles and tapes that hooked a generation
• The magic of the live show: when the floor moves as one
• The community connection: parallels between Hip fans and Deadheads
• How GEDfest grew into a cross-Canada event with charitable impact
• The records and Gord solo cuts Keith is spinning right now

Pull Quote: “It’s not about us on stage—it’s about the music, the memories, and how it transports people back to their own golden ages.”

Closing

Big thanks to Keith from Calgary for the laughs, the memories, and the work he’s doing to keep the spirit of The Hip alive through GEDfest. We’re getting dangerously close to the Top 5—Song #5 drops next Monday. Got a Hipstory of your own? Send us a note or a voice memo—we’d love to share it on the show.

Promos / Crosslinks

• Sunday Evening Jam (Sundays 8pm ET): News, banter, and Hip chatter with Sara J & jD
• A Celebration of The Hip for ALS (Oct 4): Live finale + online silent auction supporting ALS Society of Canada
• Discovering Downie: A curated tour through Gord’s solo catalog

Connect with Us

Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

Instagram: @tthtop40

Email: tthtop40@gmail.com

Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Meta Description (SEO, 160 chars):

jD and Keith from Calgary unpack discovery, live-show magic, and building community through fandom—plus how GEDfest channels Hip love into real impact.

SEO Tags: Tragically Hip podcast, The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown, Gord Downie, Hip fandom, Canadian rock podcast, Tragically Hip fan stories, GEDfest

This week, jD welcomes Jeremy from Buffalo — frontman of The Strictly Hip — for a conversation that blends fandom, performance, and a lifetime spent studying Gord Downie’s words. From the band’s early days to their lasting legacy, Jeremy shares how The Hip became his passion, his career, and his way of connecting with audiences on both sides of the border.

Together, Jeremy and jD unpack what it means to live inside these songs, to carry them night after night on stage, and to explore the magic of The Hip’s catalogue from a fan’s and performer’s perspective.

About the Guest

Jeremy Hoyle is the lead singer of The Strictly Hip, the Buffalo-based tribute band that has been celebrating The Tragically Hip’s music for decades. With hundreds of performances under his belt — including symphonic collaborations and cross-border tours — Jeremy has built a career around keeping this music alive and vital for fans everywhere.

Why It Matters

This episode digs into what it means to be more than a fan — to be a steward of the songs. Jeremy reflects on his first encounters with The Hip, the spark that drew him in, and how he channels Gord’s spirit in performance while still making the music his own. It’s about memory, community, and the ways we keep the band’s voice resonating long after the final encore.

"These songs aren’t just something you play — they’re something you live inside of. Every night, they mean something new.”

Closing

A huge thanks to Jeremy from Buffalo for joining the Countdown and sharing his story. If The Tragically Hip have changed your life too, we want to hear your Hipstory. Send us a voice memo or a message — your story might make it onto a future episode.

We’ll be back next Monday with Song #6 and another unforgettable conversation with a fellow fan.

Connect with Us

• Join the TTH Top Forty Facebook Group
• Follow us on Instagram @tthtop40
• Email us: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Don’t Miss

• Sunday Evening Jam – live every Sunday night with jD & Sara J
• The Ultimate SuperFan Search – nominations open until Aug 25!
• Tickets for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS – Oct 4, Toronto
• 
  

Meta Description (SEO):

jD is joined by Jeremy from Buffalo, lead singer of The Strictly Hip, to talk fandom, performance, and the lifelong impact of The Tragically Hip’s music on both sides of the border.

Tags: Tragically Hip podcast, Gord Downie, Canadian rock podcast, Hip fandom, The Strictly Hip, Tragically Hip tribute band, Tragically Hip countdown.

What happens when a music video director with a front-row seat to Hip history joins the countdown? This week, jD is joined by Pete from Toronto — the filmmaker who, alongside his creative partner Sean, brought to life some of the most iconic visuals in The Hip’s career. Together, they revisit the magic, the chaos, and the sheer serendipity of making the video for this week’s #8 song. Expect stories of grain elevators, red turtlenecks, and the moment the band finally found their visual identity.

About the Guest

Pete from Toronto is a veteran music video and commercial director who cut his teeth at Revolver Films in the early ’90s. His Hipstory runs deep: from documenting the band on the road in the U.S. to co-directing a trio of pivotal videos, Pete’s camera helped define how the world saw Gord and the boys at their creative peak.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just another fan perspective — it’s an insider’s look at the band’s transition into a new era. Pete’s stories highlight Gord Downie’s creative restlessness, the band’s willingness to embrace vulnerability, and how a handful of videos helpped to shape their legacy. For fans, it’s a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes energy that matched the music note for note.

Big Thanks

Massive thanks to Pete for digging deep and sharing stories that remind us why this band mattered — not just in sound, but in vision. If this episode made you want to revisit those videos, tell us your memories at tthtop40@gmail.com. Next Monday, we’re back with song #7 and another special guest.

Connect with Us

• Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Promos & Crosslinks

🎥 Missed last night’s Sunday Evening Jam? Catch the replay on YouTube.

👑 Nominations are open for the Ultimate Hip SuperFan Search.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS — October 4th, 2025 in Toronto: Get Tickets.

What happens when one of Toronto’s most recognizable voices on Canadian culture sits down to talk about his favorite band of all time? This week, jD is joined by Mike from Toronto (you know him better as Toronto Mike) for a heartfelt countdown conversation. From first spins on Q107 to life-changing live shows, Mike opens up about what The Tragically Hip have meant to him — and why one song in particular brings him to tears every time.

Along the way, we revisit Road Apples, the magic of New Year’s Eve 1999 at the ACC, and the emotional weight of Gord Downie’s final performances. And in a moving moment, Mike shares how he processed the day Gord passed, sitting alone in his basement studio and pressing record. You can still hear that raw, unfiltered tribute, For Gord, right here: Toronto Mike on Gord’s passing.

About the Guest

Mike is the host of the long-running Toronto Mike’d podcast, where he’s interviewed hundreds of cultural figures, musicians, and storytellers. A lifelong Hip fan, his Hipstory began in 1989 with Blow at High Dough blasting from the Mighty Q — a one-two punch with New Orleans Is Sinking that sent him racing downtown to buy Up To Here. Since then, The Tragically Hip have been a constant through his life, from weddings to Y2K countdowns to the bittersweet goodbye of the Man Machine Poem tour.

Why It Matters

Every fan has that first song that changed everything. For Mike, it was Blow at High Dough on the radio. For countless others, it was another track, another moment, another show. This episode reminds us why The Tragically Hip aren’t just a band — they’re a soundtrack, a touchstone, and sometimes, a mirror for our deepest emotions.

Next Week

Big thanks to Mike for bringing his Toronto heart and Hip soul to the countdown. Next Monday, we’ll be back with song #8 and another fan whose Hipstory will keep this ride rolling.

Connect with Us

• 🎥 Join the Sunday Evening Jam live stream every Sunday at 8pm ET: Watch here
• 👑 Don’t miss the Ultimate SuperFan Search — voting is open now!
• 🎟 Support our live finale event, A Celebration of The Hip for ALS: dewvre.com/tthtop40

Follow + Stream

• Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Instagram: @tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com

Support

Want to join our inner circle? Become part of the membersHIP — where fans pull the same rope together in honour of Gord and Matt Rona. All proceeds go to the ALS Society of Canada. Any amount, any frequency. Join here.

Meta Description (SEO)

jD welcomes Toronto Mike to the Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown. Hear fan stories, Road Apples memories, and a moving tribute to Gord Downie.

We also touched on two standout fan perspectives from opposite ends of the map, proving that The Hip’s reach is just as strong in the sunshine as it is north of the 401. Somewhere in between, there was laughter, light heckling, and the kind of shared stories that make you wish the night wouldn’t end.

Pull Quote: “It’s not where you’re from, it’s who you sing along with.”

📺 Watch the replay: [YouTube link]

🎧 Catch past episodes: [Podcast feed link]

Follow + Stream

Instagram: [@tthtop40]

Facebook: [facebook.com/groups/tthtop40]

Website: [dewvre.com/tthtop40]

Support the membersHIP

Help us keep the Sunday Evening Jam going (and support the ALS Society of Canada) by joining our membersHIP here: [membersHIP link]

My guest? The self-confessed “fully incompletist” himself, Mark from Michigan. Mark takes us through his winding Hip origin story — from near-misses in the ’90s to the life-changing moment he dropped “At the Hundredth Meridian” into his car stereo and never looked back. We talk first concerts (State Theatre, 2007 — 10 feet from Gord), rowdy balcony encounters, and why Sarah Polley’s delicate Sweet Hereafter cover still gives him chills

Also in this episode: sash talk, honorary Canadian citizenships, and the usual abacus/Kia Sportage nonsense.

Pull Quote: “Sometimes courage comes, and sometimes it doesn’t. But you muddle through anyway.” – Mark from Michigan

Get Involved

Nominate yourself or someone else for The Tragically Hip’s Ultimate SuperFan Search! Details on our socials.

Follow + Stream

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube: @tthtop40

Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

Support the Show

Help us raise funds for the ALS Society of Canada in memory of Matt Rona: bit.ly/TTHTop40membersHIP

Hot takes. Cold stares. And the pure perfection that is The Tragically Hip.

Join Sara J, Shirene from Sacramento, Thomas from Belgium, and me, jD, as we rip through the bottom 30, call out the surprises, and make some bold, maybe reckless, predictions for the Top 10.

What happens when a kid from Belgium falls head over boots for The Tragically Hip? You get a story that spans continents, spreadsheets, and six-string worship. This week, jD welcomes Thomas from Belgium to the show as we hit #11 on the countdown. That’s right. Eleven. Which means we are officially in the thick of the top ten next week.

But first, this episode is a postcard from across the pond—where fandom took root in a French-speaking corner of Europe and grew into full-blown obsession. How did it happen? Crash Thompson videos, bootleg YouTube jams, spreadsheet colour coding, and a live version of New Orleans is Sinking that jammed so hard it contained a proto-Head by a Century. Yup. That one.

Episode Summary

jD is joined by Thomas from Belgium, a fan who discovered The Hip years after Gord’s passing and built his own connection through British Spotify gaps, YouTube live sets, and late-night park walks. Together, they explore track #11 and unpack how the band’s unmistakably Canadian spirit resonated across the Atlantic.

We also dive into Gord’s elliptical songwriting, Rob Baker’s underrated noodling, and the thrill of finding new meaning—on the 50th listen.

About the Guest

Thomas is a motorsports journalist who grew up in Belgium, lived in the UK, and found The Hip through a very Canadian set of internet coincidences. He’s got a soundcloud (with Hip covers), a YouTube channel, and a spreadsheet that could qualify as sacred text. He’s also got serious takes on In Between Evolution, respect for World Container, and love for the Fillmore 2000 gig.

Why It Matters

This episode reminds us that Hip fandom is bigger than borders—and that sometimes, all it takes is a friend, a nudge, and a bluesy guitar lick to spark a lifelong obsession. It also reminds us how beautifully The Hip’s songs lend themselves to interpretation, imagination, and personal mythmaking—whether you’re in Toronto or a kitchen in Belgium.

Big Thanks + What’s Next

Huge thanks to Thomas for bringing his curiosity, warmth, and accent (c’mon, it’s charming!) to the show. His journey into the fandom is proof that it’s never too late to fall in love with this band.

We’ll be back next week with the long-awaited start of the Top 10. It’s gonna get emotional. Get your tissues, get your beers, and get ready.

🎸 Promos & Crosslinks

• 🏆 Think you—or someone you know—is The Hip’s Ultimate SuperFan? Nominate them now. Finalists will be revealed August 29!
• 🎤 Catch up on our latest Sunday Evening Jam – we talked SuperFan Search, Hipstory, and SiriusXM.
• 🎧 Miss an episode? Start from the top.

🔗 Connect with Us

📍 Facebook Group

📸 Instagram: @tthtop40

📬 Email: tthtop40@gmail.com

🌐 Website

📺 YouTube

Hashtags:

#TragicallyHip #TTHtop40 #GordDownie #CanadianRock #HipFandom #TopTragicallyHipSongs #TragicallyHipPodcast

The Sunday Evening Jam – Live Stream

Originally aired: July 27, 2025

This week: Sara J and jD reunite and take a stroll down memory lane — specifically, jD’s very first live Tragically Hip experience. Spoiler: it was loud, sweaty, and life-changing.

From there, they round up what’s hot and happening in the Top Forty universe:

• 👑 The Ultimate SuperFan Search heats up as we near the nomination deadline
• 💥 membersHIP is climbing fast (but we’ve still got a goal to crush)
• 🎟️ Early Bird Tickets for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS are still available — but not for long

Come for the Hip talk. Stay for the tangents. Maybe even stick around for the community.

🧡 Let’s Get Fandom Right

This jam is part of our Let’s Get Fandom Right initiative — where love for The Hip meets real-world impact.

• Nominate your Ultimate SuperFan: https://bit.ly/tthultimatesuperfan
• Join the membersHIP: https://bit.ly/TTHTop40membersHIP
• Snag Early Bird tix for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS: https://bit.ly/HipForALS

🔔 Follow + Stream

Catch The Sunday Evening Jam LIVE every Sunday at 8PM ET on:

📺 YouTube → https://bit.ly/SEJYouTube

📘 Facebook → https://bit.ly/SEJFacebook

Or replay the audio right here, right now.

📦 Support the Show

This live stream (and everything else we do) is powered by Hip fans who want to make good things happen. If that’s you, consider tossing a few bucks into the open guitar case:

👉 https://bit.ly/TTHTop40membersHIP

What happens when you bond so hard with The Hip that they feel like your chosen family? This week, I’m joined by John Paul from Toronto—a lifelong fan who’s seen it all, from camping trips at Guelph Lake to getting kicked out of the Phoenix. We dig deep into Song 12 on the countdown and talk about the powerful, personal connections that make this band more than just music.

Episode Summary

We cover the full arc of John Paul’s fandom—from hearing those first singles on Toronto radio to buying Day for Nighton CD, obsessing over Phantom Power, and falling in love with the band’s live energy. We also swap stories about unforgettable Hip shows, camping mischief, and the heartbreak of being booted out before the third song.

About the Guest

John Paul is the quintessential Toronto Hip fan: thoughtful, passionate, and a little self-deprecating. He first fell for the band thanks to classic singles and videos on MuchMusic (shout out to Gord in the Bruins sweater), and over time found himself pulled in deeper with every album.

He’s been to half a dozen Hip gigs (plus a solo Gord show), but his fandom is built just as much on introspection—how the band offered him a sense of family, safety, and permission to see the world through Gord’s strange and beautiful eyes.

Why It Matters

This episode isn’t just about Song 12. It’s about how The Tragically Hip can be an anchor in your life. How they can make you feel at home, even when you’re homesick in Korea. How they become a mirror for your values, your memories, and your sense of who you want to be in the world.

It’s also about the messy side of fandom: the near-religious devotion, the gigs that changed you, the ones you missed, the ones you got kicked out of while pleading your case like a lawyer on fire.

If you’ve ever felt like The Hip knew you before you even knew yourself, this one’s going to hit close to home.

Closing

Huge thanks to John Paul from Toronto for bringing so much honesty, humour, and raw fandom to this week’s episode.

If this week’s track sparks a memory for you, share it with us! Drop a voice memo, send an email, or jump into the Facebook group and start a debate about your Top 10.

We’ll be back next Monday with Song 11 on the countdown. Don’t miss it.

So there’s that.

Connect with Us

🎥 Join us every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET for the Sunday Evening Jam – Live Stream

🔥 Nominate someone (or yourself) for The Tragically Hip’s Ultimate Superfan Search before August 25! Enter here

📣 Join our community & share your Hipstory:

• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Hashtags: #TragicallyHip #TTHtop40 #GordDownie #CanadianRock #HipFandom

Meta Description (SEO)

John Paul from Toronto joins jD to talk Song 12 on The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown—stories of fandom, family, and finding yourself in the music.

Optional Tags (SEO)

• Tragically Hip podcast
• Gord Downie fan stories
• Fully Completely
• Hip fandom community
• Canadian alt-rock history
• Canadian rock podcast
• Tragically Hip song rankings
• Gord Downie legacy

Let’s call this one The Glitch, The Gratitude, and The Grail.

We kicked things off with the usual tech chaos (muted mics, ghost intros, Instagram wizardry), but once we found the signal, damn did we find our groove.

👥 Big thanks to everyone who joined us live — Craig, Kirk, Jeff, and eventually the full fuckin’ Voltron crew. Special love to Sara J for being the MVP of the night (and for calling me out with kindness about memory loss, missed uploads, and the mental gymnastics of running 14 things at once).

🎧 We talked about:

• 🧠 My bonkers amnesia moment and the double-episode debacle (you will get two 28s — you’re welcome)
• 🧩 SuperFan Search shake-ups and abacus math
• 🧨 Phantom Power as a live show powerhouse (hello, Phantom Zone)
• 📼 The Woodstock ‘99 footage: who owns it, what’s missing, and what could still come
• 🛸 Our most-wanted Hip Grail items (Limelight, unreleased solo footage, full show archives, YOU NAME IT)
• 💬 A full-on roundtable of geeky, glorious Hip talk

🎥 Oh — and we went live on Instagram, Facebook, AND YouTube. At the same damn time. Still can’t believe we pulled that off.

If you missed it, we’ll be back next Sunday. Maybe with a topic. Maybe with functioning tech. Definitely with beers, laughs, and Hip talk.

📣 If you’ve got your own grail wish list, drop it in the comments. Or just tell Pete to get another tattoo.

🧡 Powered by NorthStar Bets

🎶 Fueled by fandom

🧠 Surviving by spreadsheet

What happens when your Hip fandom runs so deep you can rattle off setlists, sneak into soundchecks, and still get choked up thinking about the last Kingston show? This week, I’m joined by Andrew from sunny Tampa, Florida—who’s here to remind us what living for the live show really means as we crack open Song 13 on the countdown.

Episode Summary

We cover a lifetime of cross-border Hip fandom, the thrill of hearing the band test songs live before they were released, and how seeing Gord Downie sweat and snarl on stage changed everything. We also dig into this week’s track, exploring its hypnotic build, raw emotion, and how it turned every venue into a sweaty, bouncing mess of humanity.

About the Guest

Andrew grew up on the shores of Lake Ontario before moving to Florida, but the Hip was always there—on the radio, in the background, waiting to take over his life. He caught his first show in 2000 and was immediately hooked, going on to see 40+ gigs, sometimes three or four nights in a row.

He shares stories about sneaking into soundchecks back in the Wild West days of touring, building his calendar around Hip shows every summer, and collecting truly one-of-a-kind memorabilia—from a Gord Downey mic stand base to backstage tour books you can’t buy anywhere.

Why It Matters

This one’s for the die-hards. For anyone who’s built their year around Hip gigs, who’s stayed up late chasing setlists online, who’s made friends for life in the pit.

Andrew’s memories take us back to the gritty, real-life side of fandom—where you weren’t just listening to The Tragically Hip, you were living them. From the heartbreak of shows missed to the joy of watching Gord turn a song into something unrecognizable, this episode is a love letter to the messy, sweaty, unfiltered magic of live music.

If you’ve ever lost yourself in the push and pull of a Hip crowd, or felt Gord’s words cut straight through you—even when you didn’t know what the hell he meant—this one’s gonna hit home.

Closing

Huge thanks to Andrew from Tampa for dropping all his stories, honesty, and Hip history on us this week.

If this week’s episode brings back memories, tell us about it. Send us your Hipstory, drop us a voice memo, or come argue your Top 10 in the Facebook group.

We’ll be back next Monday with Song 12 on the countdown—don’t miss it.

So there’s that.

Connect with Us

🎥 Check out the Sunday Evening Jam – Live Stream every Sunday at 8pm ET.

🔥 Nominate someone for The Tragically Hip’s Ultimate Superfan Search before August 25! Enter here.

📣 Join our community & share your Hipstory:

• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Hashtags: #TragicallyHip #TTHtop40 #GordDownie #CanadianRock #HipFandom

Meta Description (SEO)

Andrew from Tampa joins jD for Song 13 on The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown—sharing deep fan stories, live show memories, and the sweaty magic of Hip fandom.

Optional Tags (SEO)

• Tragically Hip podcast
• Gord Downie fan stories
• Fully Completely
• Hip fandom community
• Canadian alt-rock history
• Canadian rock podcast
• Tragically Hip song rankings
• Gord Downie legacy

What happens when a Hip fan from Buffalo finds himself explaining Canadian starlight, family road trips, and Gord’s cosmic madness to his kids? This week, I’m joined by Brad from Buffalo to talk all things fandom, cross-border connections, and a song that—like the band itself—never gives up all its secrets.

Episode Summary

We dive into Brad’s deep roots with The Tragically Hip—from his first time hearing a certain hockey-tinged track in a car ride home from college to years of road trips across Ontario. We talk about the vibe of the music, the strangeness that makes it magic, and why this countdown track is the very definition of a grower.

About the Guest

Brad is a dyed-in-the-wool Hip superfan from Buffalo, New York—a city where the band’s legend looms nearly as large as it does here at home. He first fell in love with The Tragically Hip during long drives back from college, hitting play on Fully Completely and never looking back.

Brad has stories about hearing Day for Night the day it came out, seeing the band live 20+ times, and making pilgrimages to Ontario lakes where Gord’s lyrics come alive one star at a time. He’s the kind of fan who didn’t just listen—he felt it, and he’s spent decades trying to share that feeling with family and friends (including his very opinionated 12-year-old).

Why It Matters

This episode is about more than Song 13. It’s about Hip fandom as a kind of shared citizenship—a borderless, lifelong, deeply personal thing. Brad’s memories of being on a dock in Ontario, watching the stars reveal themselves one by one, tie him forever to the band’s most poetic imagery.

It’s also a love letter to the mystery at the heart of The Tragically Hip. Brad talks about why he never wants their songs explained, why Gord Downie seemed part alien, part shaman, and how the confusion and chaos is exactly what makes these songs worth obsessing over.

If you’ve ever argued with friends about the best Tragically Hip songs, shared your fandom with your kids, or caught yourself crying at lyrics you don’t even fully understand—this one’s for you.

Closing

Huge thanks to Brad from Buffalo for bringing the full Hip fandom energy to this week’s episode. If this track has ever messed with your head in the best way possible, tell us about it! Send us your Hipstory, leave a voice memo, or come argue your top 5 in the Facebook group.

We’ll be back next Monday with Song 12 on the countdown. Don’t miss it.

So there’s that.

Connect with Us

🎥 Catch the latest Sunday Evening Jam – Live Stream on YouTube

🔥 Nominate someone (or yourself!) for The Tragically Hip’s Ultimate Superfan Search – entries close August 25! Enter here

📣 Join our community & share your Hipstory:

• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Hashtags: #TragicallyHip #TTHtop40 #GordDownie #CanadianRock #HipFandom

Meta Description (SEO)

Brad from Buffalo joins jD for Song 13 on The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown—fandom stories, cross-border memories, and the strange magic of the Hip’s most cryptic tracks.

This week, jD hits pause on the usual countdown to come clean about a scheduling snafu that resulted in two episodes for song #13. In true TTHTop40 fashion, he turns a mess into a moment—with a behind-the-scenes confessional, a little hard truth, and a lot of heart.

🎙️ Episode Summary

In this special audio missive, jD explains how a mix of mental health treatment, a love of cannabis, and memory loss led to a full-on podwreck: two different guests, two different recordings, both labeled Episode 13. So rather than let one hit the cutting room floor, he’s giving you both. Double drop, baby.

He also reflects on the highs and lows of managing a major year-long podcast project while living with mental illness, shares where we’re at in the countdown, and reassures listeners that the train is still on the tracks—just maybe with a few weed cookies in the conductor’s pouch.

🧠 Why It Matters

This isn’t just an “oops.” It’s a look into what it really takes to make a podcast like this happen—especially when you’re fighting your own brain just to keep going. It’s vulnerable, funny, and a little chaotic (like most good Hip shows), and it proves that even when things go sideways, the countdown rolls on.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed, spaced out, or just straight-up forgot what day it is, this one’s for you.

💌 Thanks & What’s Next

Thanks to everyone for their patience and kindness. If you’re Brad from Buffalo... seriously, get in touch, dude. We don’t even have your email. And if you're Andrew from Florida—not Tampa, maybe Orlando—thank you for your grace and understanding.

Next Monday, we return to the regularly scheduled programming with song #12. You won’t want to miss it.

🔥 Bonus Drop Details

You’ll get two episodes tomorrow:

• 🎧 Episode 28a: Andrew from Florida
• 🎧 Episode 28b: Brad from Buffalo (???)

Why? Because jD fucked up. So there’s that.

🎟️ Tickets & Campaigns

⏰ Early Bird Tickets for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS end August 4:

Get yours here

👑 Nominate someone for The Ultimate Hip SuperFan Search before August 15:

Submit your nomination

🤝 Connect with Us

📩 Email: tthtop40@gmail.com

📸 Instagram: @tthtop40

📘 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

🌐 Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Search Tags:

Tragically Hip podcast, Gord Downie stories, Fully Completely, Hip fandom community, Canadian alt-rock history

Meta Description:

jD owns his memory lapse and drops two episodes for song #13. A raw, funny, heartfelt update from The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown.

What happens when a song sits at the strange intersection of post-hardcore drumming, Gord’s ghostly poetry, and full-on studio alchemy? This week, I’m joined by Vish from Edmonton—longtime Hip-head, writer, broadcaster, and host of Kreative Kontrol—to wrestle with what makes this entry in the Top Forty so haunting and so essential.

Episode Overview

We dig into the power of The Hip’s studio experimentation, Vish’s personal memories of the band, and why this song stands out even among the weirdest, most ambitious corners of Phantom Power.

About the Guest

Vish Khanna is a staple in Canadian music media. He’s a writer, interviewer, and the voice behind the Kreative Kontrol podcast. But beyond the mic, he’s a lifelong Hip fan who’s seen it all—from the Kumbaya Festival broadcast live on MuchMusic to the raw power of Another Roadside Attraction at 15 years old.

Vish shares deeply personal stories of meeting Gord Downie in tiny clubs, trading emails, and even jamming on stage with members of the Country of Miracles at Hillside. This isn’t just fandom—it’s a lifelong relationship with the music, the people, and the community they built.

Closing

Huge thanks to Vish for his time, his honesty, and his endless Hip-lore. If this track hits you in the gut like it does for us, share your own Hipstory. Leave us a voice memo, send an email, or come argue your rankings in the Facebook group.

We’ll be back next Monday with Song 13 on the countdown—don’t miss it.

So there’s that.

Connect with Us

🎥 Watch the Sunday Evening Jam – Live Stream every week on YouTube

💥 Nominate someone for The Tragically Hip’s Ultimate Superfan Search – entries close August 25! Details here

📣 Join the community & share your Hipstory:

• Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40
• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Email: tthtop40@gmail.com
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40
• YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Hashtags: #TragicallyHip #TTHtop40 #GordDownie #CanadianRock #HipFandom

Meta Description (SEO)

Vish from Guelph joins jD to talk Song 14 on The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown—Hip fandom, Gord Downie memories, and why this track hits so hard.

Optional Tags (for site or SEO)

• Tragically Hip podcast
• Gord Downie fan stories
• Fully Completely
• Hip fandom community
• Canadian alt-rock history

We’re talking all things The Hip, Top Forty news, and whatever other trouble we can stir up while on the road. Don’t miss it—come hang with us, toss your thoughts in the chat, and keep the Sunday vibe rolling.

We’re talking all things The Hip, Top Forty news, and whatever other trouble we can stir up while on the road. Don’t miss it—come hang with us, toss your thoughts in the chat, and keep the Sunday vibe rolling.

We’re talking all things The Hip, Top Forty news, and whatever other trouble we can stir up while on the road. Don’t miss it—come hang with us, toss your thoughts in the chat, and keep the Sunday vibe rolling.

We’re talking all things The Hip, Top Forty news, and whatever other trouble we can stir up while on the road. Don’t miss it—come hang with us, toss your thoughts in the chat, and keep the Sunday vibe rolling.

We’re talking all things The Hip, Top Forty news, and whatever other trouble we can stir up while on the road. Don’t miss it—come hang with us, toss your thoughts in the chat, and keep the Sunday vibe rolling.

Ever wonder what it means to be demographically blessed when it comes to loving The Hip? This week, jD is joined by Sarah J from Buffalo as we count down song #15 on your list of essential Tragically Hip tracks. Get ready for a cross-border conversation that’s equal parts memory lane and rock-fan confessional.

💥 Episode Summary

This episode dives deep into the shared language of Hip fandom—those little details that make you realize you’re talking to your people. We talk live show memories, late-’90s Buffalo radio, and how one perfect rain-soaked gig can live forever in your Top 5.

👤 About the Guest

Sarah J is a lifelong music obsessive who got her first taste of The Tragically Hip at 13 thanks to Buffalo’s 103.3 The Fox. From there, it’s been a story of trips over the border for shenanigans, discovering Hip history in old flyers, and diving headlong into the full discography—because “it’s like a book, and you want to start at the beginning.” She’s the kind of fan who can talk for hours about hearing Johnny Faye in the pocket and Sinclair’s lines sliding under the radar.

❤️ Why It Matters

This is the kind of episode that makes you grateful you found The Hip. It’s about the weird magic of fandom—the friend whose license plate says “Grace Too,” the bachelorette party that turns into a setlist deep-dive, the single live show that becomes a life-long memory because Gord got drenched in the rain with the crowd. If you’ve ever been that person at a party talking Hip trivia while everyone else rolls their eyes—this one’s for you.

✨ Ultimate Superfan Promo

🔥 Hey superfans—this is your time to shine. Think you (or someone you know) is the Ultimate Hip Fan? Nominate them now in the Ultimate Superfan Search. Tell us their Hipstory, share the passion, and help us celebrate the people who made this band a way of life. There are prizes, bragging rights, and the chance to be part of something bigger than yourself. Nominate today!

👉 Nominate Here

🙏 Thanks & Next Week

Big thanks to Sarah J for bringing Buffalo’s Hip energy to the countdown. If this week’s story made you nod along, share your Hipstory with us. We’ll be back next week with song #14 and another incredible guest, keeping this countdown rolling like Gord’s notebook across the dashboard.

🌐 Connect with Us

✅ Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

✅ Instagram: @tthtop40

✅ Email: tthtop40@gmail.com

✅ Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

✅ YouTube: youtube.com/@dewvre1974

Settle in, bring your favourite drink, and connect with fellow fans for a Sunday evening of great tunes and good company. 🎶✨

Episode 25 – Song 16: Brent in Bakersfield

🎙 Hosted by jD

📅 Released June 30, 2025

“It just hit, brother. It was one of those magical days where everything clicked — the band, the crowd, the kiss, the fucking moment.” — Brent in Bakersfield

You ever fall in love with a band in slow motion?

Hey, it’s jD here — your faithful Hip tour guide, poetic shit disturber, and abacus enthusiast. And this week on The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown, we’re rolling into song #16, joined by none other than Brent from Bakersfield — a western Canadian transplant with a heart full of Hip and a knack for storytelling.

Brent’s Hipstory is the long burn kind. Not a lightning bolt. A simmer. We trace it from AM-radio farmland in Saskatchewan to a soul-bending first concert in ‘97 at Another Roadside Attraction — Sheryl Crow, Las Lobos, Wilco, the works — and then right into a Wheat Kings kiss that could soundtrack any coming-of-age movie worth its salt. And I mean, c’mon… that’s how you become a fan for life.

Brent’s seen them 11 times, and nearly every time came with a divine little moment. The kind you can still feel decades later. We dive deep into all of it, including the night he thought he wouldn’t make the gig… until a rig worker named Spud said the five greatest words a Hip fan can hear: “Fuck yeah, let’s go.”

NEXT WEEK:

We’re into the Top 15. If you’ve been following since We Want to Be It landed at #40, thank you. If you’re just joining us — it’s time to catch up, friend. Things are getting legendary.

About Our Guest

Brent in Bakersfield

Born in Saskatchewan. Schooled in Hip by a roommate from Toronto. Baptized in fandom at Another Roadside Attraction in Saskatoon. Currently rocking out in California but carrying the Great Canadian Songbook in his blood. A true believer. Also: possibly kissed someone at a Hip concert in front of 20,000 people. Legend status.

Get Involved

Where do your Hip memories take you? Want to be a guest on a future episode, or just scream into the fan-mail void about rankings, bootlegs, or your college roommate named Bacon?

📧 Email me: tthtop40@gmail.com

🌐 More info: dewvre.com/tthtop40

📱 Instagram: @tthtop40

💬 Join the convo on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

Follow + Stream

Don’t miss a single countdown moment. Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you get your Tragically Hip podcasts.

▶️ Listen to the Countdown

Support the Show

If this show makes your Mondays better — consider supporting it. We’ve raised over $20,000 for charity, and we’re just getting started. You can make a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the abacus humming and the stories flowing. All supporters are part of the membersHIP.

💸 Support Us Here

Sara J and jD are back with another round of Hip chatter and everything in between — from Claire from Ann Arbor’s killer episode on the Countdown to the scoop on the Ultimate SuperFan Search. You gotta check this one out.

👉 Catch it live every Sunday at 8PM ET on YouTube @dewvre1974

This week, we’re slipping you a special long weekend treat: a bonus episode featuring Dante from Toronto—a longtime Hip fan, proud Canadian, and the VP of Marketing at our brand new title sponsor, NorthStar Bets.

In this conversation, jD and Dante break that big fucking news, revisit a couple of Hip tracks, and dig deep into Dante’s Hipstory—from campfire singalongs to missed concerts turned magical memories. They even discover a wild twist of fate: this episode drops on the exact anniversary of the Hip’s Big Music Fest show in Dante’s beloved Wiarton.

“You can be a superfan without fitting the traditional criteria… If it resonates with you, that’s enough.” — Dante

We also talk about our upcoming live event, A Celebration of The Hip for ALS, happening October 4th and presented by NorthStar Bets. This partnership helps us honour Gord, support ALS Canada in memory of Matt Rona, and ensure the show fucking goes on.

Conversation Highlights

Jillian shares personal stories that trace her life through Hip albums and live shows—from small-town house parties to big amphitheatre gigs, from heartbreaks to healing. She unpacks how certain songs surfaced at pivotal moments, guiding her through grief, reconciliation, motherhood, and joy. Her insights are full of warmth, humour, and a genuine love for what this band means to her and so many others.

About Our Guest

Gillian’s journey with The Hip began in rebellion against her twin brother’s music taste, blossomed through hard-won independence, and became the emotional backbone of her adult life. From dancing onstage with a banana shaker to naming her Jeep Cordelia, she lives and breathes Hip fandom. She’s a primary teacher, a deep thinker, and a proud member of what she beautifully calls the Church of Gord.

Next Week

We’re staying in classic territory with a big one. Tune in to hear who joins us for song #16 as we edge closer to the top ten. It’s about to get real.

Pull Quote

"I credit my love of The Hip with helping me reconcile with my brother. One song—‘Are We Family?’—played at just the right time. I don’t know if that’s the universe, but I call it the Church of Gord."

Get Involved

🔥 Let’s Get Fandom Right kicks off June 15th — nominate yourself or someone you love to be crowned The Tragically Hip SuperFan of 2025: bit.ly/tthfandom2025

📩 Submit your Hipstory or fan quote: tthtop40@gmail.com

👕 Grab merch and join the membersHIP: dewvre.com/tthtop40

Follow + Stream

📱 Instagram & Facebook: @tthtop40

🔗 Listen, follow, and review on your podcast app of choice: kite.link/Song17

Support the Show

If this show means something to you, please consider supporting our ongoing work and fundraiser for ALS in memory of Matt Rona. Your support keeps the countdown rolling and the legacy alive.

So there’s that.

Hey, it’s jD. And welcome to the wide open middle of the countdown — that beautiful, feral terrain where deep cuts go to become legends and personal faves start to collide with consensus picks.

This week on The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown, I’m joined by one of our most thoughtful and eloquent membersHIPers: Claire from Ann Arbor. We talk about discovering The Hip as a millennial from the U.S., falling hard thanks to Hockey Night in Canada, and how a steady diet of CBC and her dad’s hockey tapes led her straight to 50 Mission Cap. (That’s right — before she even knew the song, she knew the legend of Bill Barilko. That’s parenting done right.)

But what really makes this one hit different? Claire’s lived experience as a disabled fan navigating concerts, fandom, and feeling safe in the crowd. Her reflections on inclusivity, identity, and finding community through The Hip are honest, funny, moving, and — in true TTHTop40 fashion — a little nerdy in the best possible way.

We’re not just counting down songs here. We’re collecting stories. Claire’s is one you’ll be glad you heard.

🧠 This week’s guest brings:

• A first Hip show in Detroit (2007, World Container tour — “life-changing” in her words)
• A wheelchair user’s perspective on what makes Hip crowds feel safer than punk pits
• Some spicy (but respectful) Bob Rock-era takes
• Love for lyrics, cadence, and that one time Gord used “countervailing” in a fucking rock song
• A once-in-a-lifetime moment: sitting down with all four remaining band members after the Massey Hall event

💬 Episode Quote

“I felt like Hip shows were the first place where I found my people. I always felt safe, welcome — like I belonged. That changed everything.”

👋 About Our Guest

Claire from Ann Arbor is a librarian, lyric nerd, and longtime Hip fan who’s seen the band live nearly a dozen times across the Midwest and Ontario. She’s got great taste, a sharp eye for storytelling, and a high-level appreciation for both In View and It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken. We love her for all of that.

📬 Got a Story to Share?

Join the countdown. Leave a voice memo at castfeedback.com/tthtop40 or email us a tale at tthtop40@gmail.com. The best ones get airtime — and bonus points for emotional devastation, nerdy detail, or full-on Hip hijinks.

📡 Listen & Subscribe:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube: @dewvre1974
• Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

📲 Follow Along:

• Instagram: @tthtop40
• Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/tthtop40

💥 Support the Show:

Join the membersHIP over at buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40. No perks, no pressure — just passion. Every dollar goes to keeping this passion project alive and raising funds for ALS Canada.

Transcript:

Track 2:

[0:02] Hey, it's JD here, and you're probably tired of podcasts asking you for money. I get it, so I'm

not going to ask. I am, however, going to strongly suggest, with love, that you give me money. This

isn't about exclusive perks or gated content, though those exist. It's about supporting something

you believe in. If you've been enjoying the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown, If it's made you laugh,

think, feel something, or reconnect with a band that means the world to you, this is your chance to

give back. I make this show because I love the hip, I love this community, and I believe in telling

stories that matter. But it all takes time, energy, and of course, your support. By joining the

membership, you're not just helping to keep the show running, you're also helping to raise money

for the ALS Society of Canada. No minimum, no catch, no problem. BuyMeACoffee.com forward

slash TTH Top 40. Membership. Support the show. Support the cause. Support what you love.

Track 1:

[1:13] A member of the DATC Media family.

Track 2:

[1:16] Previously on the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown.

Track 1:

[1:20] Jeff from Belville, what did you think of Cordelia the first time you remember hearing it? Yeah,

Jamie, you know, I kind of described in the first part, the first time I heard it, which is back in 91 up

in the coach house and, you know, would have been the third song by the hip that I had heard. And

I think at that time we were, you know, closely paying attention to the first few songs. And I can't,

you know, say exactly what I felt in that moment, but it stopped me in my.

Track 3:

file:///Users/jd/Desktop/TTHTop40%20-%20623.html

Page 1 of 11The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown

2025-05-23, 5:21 PM

[1:58] Hey, it's JD here, and welcome to the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown. It is my pleasure to

be with you here week over week, counting down the 40 essential songs by the hip that you

selected with your very own top 20 ballads. I then tabulated the results using an abacus and S, B,

and Lonely Boy, XOXO. How will your favorite songs fare in the rankings? You'll need to tune in

every week to find out. So there's that. This week I'm joined by TTH superfan Claire from Ann

Arbor. How the hell are you doing on this hip-tastic day, Claire from Ann Arbor? I'm doing very well.

Thank you for having me. Oh, it's my pleasure. You guys do all the work in these episodes. I just sit

here and listen to your experiences and sit in awe. You know, it's real cool. Mm-hmm. Well, happy

to, really happy to be here with you. Awesome. Well, let's get right into things. Let's not beat around

the bush. Let's get right into things and get into your hip origin story.

Track 3:

[3:09] Right well this is going back pretty far but um maybe not quite as far as some other hip fans

being more of a millennial myself i um was in high school probably about 14 years old when i think i

first heard the hip and found out about the hip um i think my memories Because maybe I'm not

quite remembering everything exactly the way it happened, but I want to say... We rarely do.

Exactly. I want to say that back in the early to mid-2000s, again, when I was a lovely, pretty angsty

teenager.

Track 3:

[3:58] I was very into definitely music. I loved music, but I also just really loved hockey so much. So

growing up in the Metro Detroit area, of course, I'm a Red Wings fan, but we're lucky here in the

Metro Detroit area that we get CBC, Channel 9, and we are able to watch Hockey Night in Canada,

which again and in those days um was just such a fun experience saturday night hockey night in

canada um my my dad kind of got me into you know watching coach's corner and uh ron mcclain

and don cherry and um the maple leafs so yeah i.

Track 3:

[4:54] I think watching CBC really opened up a lot of that Canadian culture to me. Not just hockey.

Yeah, for sure. And, like, I really just enjoyed the content on CBC. It was just a little different than

kind of the American media at the time. And then I want to say that either maybe the first hip song

was part of a Hockey Night in Canada montage. I know I remember 50 Mission Cap pretty well as

kind of stopping me in my, you know, watching whatever I was watching or probably listening to or

watching a hockey game and hearing it. That was like, oh my gosh, I've heard the Bill Barocco

story from my dad and his hockey fans. And I'm like, a band is actually singing about this. You

knew the Bill Berilco story prior to hearing 50 Mission Cats? So thanks to my dad, because... That's

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so cool. He definitely had me on a steady diet of like, like hockey, like old hockey videos and

knowing like old leaf players. So that was interesting that they definitely.

Track 3:

[6:19] Made me a fan with that but then I do also remember the That Night in Toronto DVD from

their live show I believe playing on CBC because that also really solidified being a huge fan I just

felt like their recordings are one thing but then the live.

Track 3:

[6:48] Show was just a whole other realm of, being impressed and kind of like stunned by their just

the way they were on stage and then the type of music they were playing and.

Track 3:

[7:09] I mean, absolutely. It's an incredible thing to watch this band live. And I was just talking with

somebody earlier today, in fact, about seeing them live. And if you were lucky enough to see them

live, and I'm going to ask you next whether you did or not, it really cements how great they are. It

underscores. It's like the records are dynamite, but holy crap, like you said, it's a whole other

dimension. Yeah, no, it was, yeah, it was great timing in a way. Again, looking back at this time of

their kind of band arc in the mid-2000s, it was when I first saw them, got to see them, because

again, I was kind of just a teenager and getting into different music. So I sort of wish I got to see

them in more like the 90s era, but I was too young at that time. But I looked up old tour dates to

refresh my memory, and I believe the first one, the first live show, was at the State Theater, which is

now the Fillmore, in Detroit in 07, in April of 2007.

Track 3:

[8:36] And after that again being very lucky to continue to see them I believe seven or eight

additional times so definitely all the Detroit shows, Windsor shows as well as, Cleveland and

London, Ontario after that so I got Wow you've traveled a little bit yeah it's been like kind of a.

Track 3:

[9:05] They're just.

Track 3:

[9:07] Pulled me in so much that, and again, with my dad being kind of my fan buddy, I got him into

them, just like he got me into hockey. So it was really nice because we did some good traveling,

good bonding experiences to see hip shows. Oh, that is so cool.

Track 3:

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[9:31] Yeah, I wish I had been able to get my dad into the hip. Wasn't gonna ever happen though

never you have like oh sorry how many times have you seen them live i i need to go through i don't

have ticket stubs anymore which really sucks i moved too many times to keep them and there's a

lot of people listening right now saying fuck you you keep them no matter what and you're right i'm

sorry it doesn't make sense but uh i do have i do have uh an account on um setlist.fm and i've went

through that a few times and looked at the shows i've been to and i want to say it's 17 to answer

your question in a really long-winded way that's amazing you know but i had a i had a real gap i

was from a small town so i had like a three-year gap off the top and then i sort of went on a hiatus

from inviolate like.

Track 3:

[10:38] After inviolate light all the way through to man machine palm so i didn't see them i saw them

on the fully completely reissue or not the reissue the the anniversary tour i saw them on that and

then i saw them on the man machine palm tour but i didn't see them in the 2000s really oh i'm

jealous I'm envious of you, you know, having now discovered these records and really listened to

them thoroughly. Wow, they're so good. What's your go-to at this point?

Track 3:

[11:13] Album-wise? Sure. Yeah. Oh, gosh. Well, yeah, I think just seeing that World Container tour

as my first tour was pretty life-changing, not to be too overdramatic. You're in the right room to say

that. Yeah, they were really just top of their game. Although I have to say, like, like watching old

videos, it's not like they were ever not at the top in a way, but the World Container album was.

Track 3:

[11:56] I felt like it was just right place at the right time in a way because a lot of the music that I was

a big fan of at the time, I was sort of one of those sort of like warp tour emo kids in a way and punk

that was maybe like trendy at the time, sort of pop punk. So I liked how there were sort of elements.

I mean, you could argue, I'd love to hear others', thoughts on this, like, if it had somewhat of a pop-

punk angle on some of the songs, but still staying true to their true sound, I just think that it was

easy to get into World Container, some of those songs, and, of course, again, live, they were so

much fun. And I think in view was always, I felt like the fans just really responded to every time they

played in view. I know there were some controversial, I don't know, I feel like viewpoints on World

Container maybe at the time, or like that it was too far from what people thought they would sound

like.

Track 3:

[13:17] I think there's a lot of people that just have issues with Bob Rock, ultimately. And some of

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those people that have issues with Bob Rock were...

Track 3:

[13:30] What word am I looking for? Validated, I suppose, with the docuseries, finding out that the

band didn't really enjoy those records. Well, they did say they felt recharged with World Container

in the documentary. And it's like, okay, yeah, that's cool.

Track 3:

[13:47] Right. And then it kind of, as it progressed, which is interesting. I mean, good on them for

kind of letting us in, which makes it very... Very interesting to think about those days.

Track 3:

[14:02] But, yeah, I kind of wrote down that I remember that hip show and then the following hip

shows as feeling— so this is kind of like a tangent, but I felt very safe at those concerts, which

sounds weird. But again, with being into maybe the bands at the time, which were maybe more

punk shows, kind of more places where people would mosh or like be very aggressive in the crowd,

hip shows kind of opened up other types of music for me that I felt. And then ultimately i got away

from kind of those more punk bands because being so i'm in a i use a power wheelchair and i'm a

disabled um music fan which can be a little tricky being in a wheelchair at a show with with a bunch

of people yes in in a crowd and of course um.

Track 3:

[15:18] It just felt different. It felt safer at hip shows. The fans, I always felt, I don't know, just very at

home. Again, it's kind of a hard, it's not a tangible thing. But yeah, like I felt like hip fans were

always so inclusive and like welcoming and that sometimes I felt pretty different growing up and

pretty like not like the others. But yeah, I feel like I felt like I was with my people kind of at hip

shows. You found your people. Yeah. For sure.

Track 3:

[15:57] They definitely are. um i know that you know obviously gord has the microphone but i'm sure

all the other fellows too are very cognizant of um smaller people differently abled people

unfortunately females in general um in the front near the front where they can see it that you know

they're always on the audience to, like, hey, chill the fuck out, you know? I think they mentioned

that a little bit in the documentary sort of at their maybe earlier shows. There was maybe some... It

was a little more rowdy. Yeah. Yeah, no, and I mean, I think maybe the most rowdy show was in

London, which was an outdoor festival. Oh, wow. I forget the exact name of the park in London,

Ontario, but that was more on the rowdy side. So maybe people...

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Track 3:

[16:53] Let it all out at more of the outdoor shows versus like the indoor and especially for the Detroit

shows felt more kind of like an intimate or did you ever see them in an arena?

Track 3:

[17:11] So, no, that's the interest. I am jealous that you got to go to the last tour because that would

have been an amazing experience to see an arena show. But the biggest venue was the Caesars

Casino in Windsor. In Windsor. Okay. Okay. Yeah, I know that. No, the reason I ask was because

you've seen them in a small venue, and you've seen them outside. If you had seen them in an

arena, you've got the trifecta there. But I'm glad you got to see them outside, because there's

something magical about the Tragically Hip outside, to me. Oh, yeah. Did you feel that? I think so.

So, I mean, yeah, I think, again, looking at or kind of watching how maybe 90s tours went through.

Track 3:

[18:09] Outdoor tours, and, again, would have loved to have seen them in that era. I think it's called,

is it like another roadside attraction? That's right, yes. Yeah. Those were great fun. That sounds like

quite the experience. It was definitely, I'd say, just more rowdy from what I can remember at the

London show. But yeah, I think it felt like a celebration of kind of like summer too, right? I don't

know what you think. like yeah oh no totally did you feel like it was kind of a summer um tradition at

all like kind of maybe seeing them oh for sure like from may 24 on you know um through the labor

day if you got a chance to see them it was wonderful outside and hey for all you people listening in

london Simmer down a little, Simmer down But um Claire what do you think Should we uh Listen to

the song of the week Let's do it Alright we'll be back right after this.

Track 2:

[19:27] Hey this is Paul Langlois from the Tragically Hip Saying hello Now on with the countdown.

Track 1:

[19:33] Eighteen, And life And life.

Track 3:

[23:59] Right before we recorded this, I checked my Apple Music count, and in 2024, I listened to It's

a Good Life If You Don't Weaken 97 times. I fucking adore this track. Claire from Ann Arbor, tell me

about your feelings where this song is concerned. Well, that is an impressive number of listens, and

I completely agree with you. I'll never tire of this song can listen to it over and over and over and I

come back to the song a lot for different moods different feelings and it is it's just pretty flawless.

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Track 3:

[24:50] 100% with you 100% and it's it's I shudder to use this word, but it's very simple. It's one

verse and a chorus, and then you repeat that first verse, and then the bridge is lyrics from the first

verse just sung in a different way, and then you go out. And it's beautiful in its simplicity, you know?

Now, this is the magic trick, is it's beautiful when a magician makes a lion disappear, but there's a

thousand things going on in the background to make that lion disappear, you know? And I think that

the hip make things look easier than they are sometimes.

Track 3:

[25:40] I think, yeah, you hit it at the nail on the head. But it is simple and it's just, I feel like it's

almost something I would play to maybe someone who hasn't heard the hip, but kind of as an intro.

But I know there are other songs that I could argue would be the same. But what do you think?

Would you maybe play it for a new? I don't know how many people would say it's their favorite. I

feel like there's a lot of people who would say it's high-ranking, but I know it's my wife's favorite,

and, you know, she knows the Hips catalog pretty well, and it would be her favorite. I don't, yeah, I

don't know if I would play it right off the bat. I feel like it's a next-tier song.

Track 3:

[26:36] Right, right. I can see that. Yeah, it's, um, I feel like appreciating the way the lyrics work. Lay

over the guitar and the music of the song is, I definitely appreciate it as a huge hip fan, but I think if

I remember correctly, hearing it for the first time also was pretty.

Track 3:

[27:12] I really knew that it would be one that I wouldn't hire of and that I would always come back to

because it's so... I feel like it's a unique song. I don't know if it's a ballad. I mean, it definitely builds

up, but I like how there's... I don't know how you feel about this, but there's sort of a dichotomy

within the song, too, Like, kind of, the music is somewhat sad-sounding, but I think the lyrics

become so hopeful, and there's a sense of hope in it, and just the dichotomy of, like, the title and

the lyrics, the good life if you don't weaken, but Gord's saying it's a good life if you weaken and find

somewhere to go.

Track 3:

[28:12] So that's always, it's always been kind of just like a, it's a thinker. Oh, you just need my, you

know how sometimes you're, you get like the neck hair standing up, you know, that's happening to

me right now. Like just thinking about that song, the way you described it. Yeah. I, I, uh, I've never

thought about it that way. Um, I'm, you know, I'm not a real, I love lyrics.

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Track 3:

[28:43] But I love them almost rhythmically, and Gord is really rewarding in that regard, too.

Specifically, later period Gord really does some interesting things with his phrasing and his

cadence, I think. And this is, you know, sort of a precursor to that, I feel. Definitely. I think the poetry

is, it is a poem, almost a poem in a song form. I feel like that too, how you said kind of the phrasing

and the cadence. And my being an English major in college and eventually becoming a librarian

myself. I definitely, going back into what this band means to me, is that literature and poetry has

always been pretty important. So Gord was particularly skilled in being a poet. and the storytelling.

Track 3:

[30:04] Yeah, it's just a gift that keeps on giving, kind of. And yeah, I think his using the word

countervailing, I mean, the song has a lot of great phrases and words, but that one sticks with me,

kind of. I don't know. It's like a very interesting word that he uses. Well, you were at that Massey

Hall event, and I think it's in the book as well, them talking about Gord challenging himself by

putting songs that had never been in songs before. And I wonder now if that was in Violet Light that

that happened with. And, you know, he just was like, I'm going to put Countervaill in this fucking

song. I'm going to make it work. Exactly. I thought of that, too. i'm glad you mentioned that so if you

have a stab at what you think this is about you've got some ideas and some phrases that you you

that you've looked at and i like your idea of the you know sort of opposition in the song as well the

pull and push of you know your the dichotomy that you mentioned um is there any is there any.

Track 3:

[31:22] Anything else that sort of jumps out at you? Yes, I've read through kind of message boards

and hipmuseum.com, which is a good resource if you really want to dig into some of the lyrical

meanings and references, because Gord obviously makes a lot of references throughout his song.

So I've been a fan of Hit Museum, and I'm not sure who runs that, but hat tip to them because... Big

hat tip, and I should know who runs that. Same on me.

Track 3:

[32:05] Yeah, it's been up a long time. There has. It has, yeah, just a very pretty comprehensive

listing of meanings, but I know it may reference a graphic novel or some references to that phrase,

it's a good life if you don't weaken, or it's a great life if you don't weaken. and I've heard both. So

yeah, look it up, I think, for fans to look that particular phrase up and see what comes up. But it

seems like it dates back, the phrase. And it might be somewhat along the lines of maybe a more

recent phrase or mantra, like something like stay calm and carry on or keep calm and carry on with

one of those memes. So maybe that's sort of the vibe it gives. What do you think?

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Track 3:

[33:12] Ooh, the actual title or the entirety of the song? Yeah, I mean, there's a difference there,

right? Yeah. I think I'm kind of, the entirety of the song is like, maybe needs a whole podcast series

devoted to. So I'm kind of focusing on just the title, maybe, just to not make this a two-hour long.

Sure. No, I appreciate that. Yeah, It's a Good Life If You Don't Weekend. I don't know. Again,

rhythmically, it really works, and it shouldn't, because if you look at it on the page, it looks clumsy.

But it really works, the way he says it and the way now we all say it, even though we're just reading

it like normal, I suppose. Mm-hmm.

Track 3:

[34:03] You don't often hear, and here goes the dichotomy again, you don't often hear, you know,

good and weaken in the same utterance, you know? So there's this sort of push and pull or yin and

yang right in the title right there. And I don't know if that's supposed to be something that, you

know, gives it away, but it doesn't to me. It doesn't give it away. But it certainly could be something.

I like that aspect, too, how the connotation is sort of strong equals good and weak equals bad in a

very simplistic way. Um, so, again, sort of a, this is probably just in my experience, but, yeah, I like,

I like how.

Track 3:

[35:05] Again, as a physically disabled fan, that you think about things like this when you listen to

the Tragically Hip, like, what's the connotation of being weak? Is it necessarily a bad thing or could

it be a good thing right yeah if you find somewhere to go exactly and go somewhere where go

somewhere you're needed that's right oh the vocals in that part are great right like the paul vocals

isn't that fantastic yeah that was always just a huge treat um hearing that live it's actually gourd too

sorry i should say it's gourd sinclair as well Now that I say that. But, Paul, you hear much more.

And the COVID era version with Feist, like how fucking incredible was that? That was so cool. I

don't know how many times you've watched that, or if you have the statistics on. I don't have those

numbers available. The accountant is on a break right now. I think mine's pretty high up there on

that YouTube video, just that's a...

Track 3:

[36:24] That was a trait, too, that they recorded. Yeah, sure was. Just to see them playing and

smiling. And that's, again, that Massey Hall event. To see them laughing after watching the

documentary and having it be so heavy, you know, to see them in person and hear them sort of

share anecdotes and then laugh was so great. What was your experience of that event like? Like, I

know you have something that you can share with us about that event. I do. I do. I kind of saved it

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for the end. There's just a lot.

Track 3:

[37:02] But that, yeah, so I saw that they announced it, like, not too long before the actual event in

Toronto. So I kind of a little bit went back and forth, like, how realistic is it to travel from, of course,

Michigan? But you know luckily not too far to get to Toronto and yeah decided to just go for it

because again I was I think sounds like you too that the documentary and book released really um

brought up all those fan feelings again like up to the up to the surface and um yeah good timing

from them to do that event while we're all thinking about the documentary. So I was kind of so

inspired that actually a whole full-fledged like fan letter came to mind that I wrote out and sent them

a piece of fan mail. So making myself sort of sound like a.

Track 3:

[38:15] I don't know, Backstreet Boys or like Hanson fan or something that like sends out fan mail.

But yeah, it was just kind of like, okay, I have lots of thoughts to send. And it was pretty amazing

because they responded and were just kind enough. And generous with their time that before the

show, I got to sit down with Paul, Rob, Johnny, and Gord Sinclair, and it still feels, well, definitely

like a blur. So I can't tell you too many details other than I was just in on cloud nine, for sure.

Absolutely, rightly so. And, yeah, it was an amazing, a really amazing talk that they did. I mean, I

think we were all in that room feeling like it was almost cathartic in a way, like being back at sort of

a hip event again after so long. Yeah.

Track 3:

[39:42] And just being together and then, yeah, like you said, just hearing how much joy they have

when they talk about their experience and their lives, their amazing lives and how they've shared it

and how we've all shared in it as fans. So that memory will stick with me for a very, very, very long

time. Well, I feel fortunate that I get to sit in this seat and listen to people's experiences about this

wonderful band and how they've been touched and moved emotionally and sonically by this band

for 40 years now. And it's just fucking tremendous. So, Claire from Ann Arbor, I really want to thank

you for stopping by today. I wonder if you have anything you'd like to plug. Well, thanks so much,

JD. I don't, not particularly. Okay. But, yeah, I'm just so grateful to be on this Top 40 podcast.

Thanks for the chat. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Take care. Of course. Pick up your

shit.

Track 2:

[41:08] Thanks for listening to the tragically hip top 40 countdown to email us send an email to tth

top 40 at gmail.com we're social find us on all the socials at tth top 40, Doovra! Podcasts and such.

The Tragically Hip Ultimate SuperFan Search 2025 is a fan-powered showdown celebrating passion, nostalgia, and pure Gord-fuelled devotion. Nominate your Hip-crazed friends — or yourself — and follow along as the countdown to crowning the ultimate fan unfolds.

Stories, rivalries, and all the Hip love you can handle.

What happens when wildfire smoke, dogwood fluff, and satellite Hip hits collide? You get a very Sunday kind of chaos — and the perfect atmosphere for another live episode of The Sunday Evening Jam with jD and Sara J.

This week’s theme? Misheard lyrics. But before we got to mondegreens and grandma’s weed, we shared updates on ALS fundraising, reflected on Music @ Work’s 25th, and shouted out Discovering Downie’s anniversary coverage of The Grand Bounce. There was laughter, love, live show memories, and at least three Jeffs. Maybe more. Hard to say.

And then… we got wacky.

Episode Summary

• 🧠 Discovering Downie gets some well-earned praise and podcast crossplay
• 🎤 Reflections on the Music @ Work Podumentary + its “summer release” theory
• 💿 Gord’s The Grand Bounce turns 15 (already??)
• 🔥 Wildfires rage in Manitoba; The Hip drop a shirt to support evacuees
• 📺 Listener poll: Do you watch podumentaries or listen?
• 🤯 Mondegreens, personal mishears, and Puffy Lips nostalgia
• 🎙️ Guest drop-in from Jeff from Vaughan with some serious Hip photography stories
• 🎧 SiriusXM exclusives, Robbie radio recaps, and live show memories
• 🏒 “50 Mission Cap” live show lore and the Barilko banner debate
• 🎁 Auction preview: A rare photo donation from longtime Hip photographer Richard Beland
• 🧠 Mental health check-ins, tribute notes to Matty, and a community that gives a damn

Why It Matters

This was one of those Jams that meandered — in the best possible way. From wildfire fundraisers to family shout-outs, from lyrical “wtf”s to emotional Hip history, the show stayed rooted in what matters most: the people. The fandom. The stories. The songs.

Sara J and jD held it down with heart and humour, and once again proved why Sunday nights feel like home for Hip fans across the country (and around the world).

Prefer to watch? Catch the Replay!

👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube

Get Involved

💬 Got a favourite misheard lyric?

🎧 Wanna share a Hipstory of your own?

📬 Hit us up: tthtop40@gmail.com

And if you haven’t yet:

🎟️ Get your early bird tickets for A Celebration of The Hip for ALS — happening October 4th, 2025.

Follow + Stream

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💻 Website: dewvre.com/tthtop40

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📺 YouTube: @dewvre1974

Meta Description:

Live from smoky Toronto, jD and Sara J tackle misheard lyrics, Hip anniversaries, ALS fundraising updates, and surprise fan stories on this week’s Sunday Evening Jam.

Tags:

#TheTragicallyHip #TTHTop40 #HipFandom #GordDownie #CanadianRock #MisheardLyrics #MusicAtWork #DiscoveringDownie #ALSBenefit #FullyCompletelyPodcast #HipFanStories

Welcome back, Hip faithful. This week on the Countdown, I’m joined by one of our most beloved Sunday Evening Jam regulars — the witty, wise, and wonderfully loquacious Jeff from Belleville. You know him. You love him. And if you’ve ever caught a live stream where he was in the comments, you’ve probably laughed out loud.

But today? Today, we go deeper.

Jeff takes us back to his teenage years, up in a century-old Belleville coach house where Road Apples first took hold and never let go. From bootleg tapes and roadside attractions to mosh pits, surprise shows, and backstage encounters — Jeff’s Hipstory spans 31 shows and countless life moments tied to the soundtrack of this band.

Along the way, we talk memory, meaning, and mortality — including the two cardiac arrests Jeff survived (yes, you read that right), and the unexpected video message he received from Paul Langlois while recovering. This episode reminds us why we do this show in the first place: for the love, for the connection, for the community.

We even get a bonus English Lit breakdown of King Lear — and how defiance, irony, and Shakespearean tragedy might be woven into one of the Hip’s most poetic tracks. (And yeah, we manage to keep the actual title of that track on the DL. You’re welcome.)

👀 NEXT WEEK: We’re off to Ann Arbor for a conversation with Claire — a longtime listener with a gift for lyrical insight and a wild story about hearing the Hip in a cornfield. Trust me, you’re gonna love her.

🎧 BONUS: Early access to upcoming episodes is always waiting for you in the membersHIP folder. And if you haven’t joined the membersHIP yet? Now’s the time. You help keep the lights on, the pods rollin’, and the fundraiser rollin’ toward our $25K goal for ALS Canada.

✍️ GET INVOLVED:

• Submit your hot take or love letter for the Music @ Work podumentary right here.
• Nominate someone for the Let’s Get Fandom Right SuperFan contest! Find the one-pager in the membersHIP folder.

🧠 CLOSING THOUGHT:

If grief really is love with nowhere to go, maybe this show is one of the places it can go. Thanks to Jeff — and to all of you — for helping us build that space.

🎤 Listen wherever you get yer podcasts.

📨 Feedback? Stories? Drop us a line at tthtop40@gmail.com

📱 Follow along: @tthtop40 on Instagram and Facebook

🌐 All roads lead to dewvre.com/tthtop40

Transcript included below.

(And yes, it’s unabridged. Because that’s how we do.)

Track 2:

[0:02] Hey, it's JD here, and you're probably tired of podcasts asking you for money. I get it, so I'm

not going to ask. I am, however, going to strongly suggest, with love, that you give me money. This

isn't about exclusive perks or gated content, though those exist. It's about supporting something

you believe in. If you've been enjoying the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown, If it's made you laugh,

think, feel something, or reconnect with a band that means the world to you, this is your chance to

give back. I make this show because I love the hip, I love this community, and I believe in telling

stories that matter. But it all takes time, energy, and of course, your support. By joining the

membership, you're not just helping to keep the show running, you're also helping to raise money

for the ALS Society of Canada. No minimum, no catch, no problem. BuyMeACoffee.com forward

slash TTH Top 40. Membership. Support the show. Support the cause. Support what you love.

Track 1:

[1:12] A member of the DATC Media family.

Track 2:

[1:16] Previously on the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown.

Track 1:

[1:19] Neil from Arroyo Grande, what kind of memories does 50 Mission Cap conjure for you? 50

Mission Cap is actually one of the first songs that I got into, first song being the darkest one. And I

was doing some hip research because I was fairly new to the hip at the time. And I just looked up a

list of what are top 10 hockey songs? And 50 Mission Cap came up. And I'm like, 50 mission cap?

What does this have to do with hockey?

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[1:58] Hey, it's J.D. here, and welcome back to the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown. It is my

pleasure to be here with you every Monday as we spend some time sharing stories and

experiences while counting down 40 essential tracks by the Tragically Hip that you chose with your

very own Top 20 Ballots. I simply tabulated the results using an abacus and a pair of salad tongs I

found under my bed, wrapped in burlap and bound in a macrame-like twine? Was it a signal? And if

so, from who? How have your favorite songs fared in the rankings? Let me know at tthtop40 at

gmail.com. This week, I'm joined by one of our favorite guests on the Sunday Evening Jam. It's Jeff

from Belleville. Jeff from Belleville, tell me, how the fuck is it going with you on this hip-tastic day?

Track 4:

[2:54] Jamie, absolutely delightful, buddy. I'm absolutely pleased to be here with you. It's a beautiful

day. And I, you know, listening to your intros, it's like when you'd watch the Muppets and Gonzo

would blow the horn and something different would happen. I always look forward to your intros.

Track 3:

[3:12] Oh, thanks, dude.

Track 4:

[3:14] Yeah. Amazing.

Track 3:

[3:16] Yeah, I have fun writing those.

Track 4:

[3:19] Oh, no doubt.

Track 3:

[3:20] Well, let's get right into this. Let's get right into this. And let's get right into your Tragically Hip

origin story. I'm curious. And full disclosure, I shouldn't be curious because we have recorded this

before, but Jeff Tucker is the lost file. Then I've recorded many of these. I've recorded almost 40 of

these. I've never lost anything, but I lost one and we're going to do it again. And I think he's got a

great story and we're going to share it and you'll get to hear it this time because it won't be lost. and

it's going to be fucking great. So Jeff... Kick it off.

Track 4:

[4:00] Here we go. Yeah. JD, you know what? I, the last time we did this, I started with a thank you

and I want to do that again. I just want to say thanks to you for creating these podcasts and this hip

community. Uh, I've been listening since back in 2018 when I discovered fully and completely,

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completely by accident, I actually just stumbled on it. I put in a search in Apple I podcast for

tragically hip and lo and behold, I found your podcast that you did with Greg. So it's been

phenomenal and uh you know yeah absolutely the tth top 40 uh requests that you put out for your

listeners to to share stories was uh something amazing and um i wanted to be a part of that

because i'd listened so many times you know before you know on the other end listening you know

saying things or you know having comments so you provided that opportunity to your listeners

which is great and the sunday evening jam was another really cool opportunity for myself and the

community at large. And I think he took the community piece to another level by creating those two

particular pieces.

Track 4:

[5:10] The membership was a no-brainer for me. I'd been listening to all your phenomenal content

about Tragically Hip, so to pay a few bucks in order to be a part of it was a no-brainer. And, you

know, the stories that we've been hearing from fans and people who are part of the community are

phenomenal. They're stories, you know, of admiration, adoration, great respect, appreciation.

Track 4:

[5:35] And grief, you know, not just for Gord, because Gord's gone, but for the tragically hip as a

collective, as a band, because they're not that unit anymore without Gord. And as another artist that

I listen to sings, grief is only love that's got no place to go. And, you know, you have created a place

for that love to go. So kudos to you.

Track 3:

[5:55] Beautiful, dude.

Track 4:

[5:56] And many, many thanks. So I just want to get that out of the way first and foremost.

Track 3:

[6:01] Where did that lyric come from?

Track 4:

[6:03] Um an artist named steven wilson jr he's a relatively new artist he's kind of a country-ish guy

sure um but uh yeah real cool lyric i believe that's the title of a song and a great song he's got many

great songs so yeah well.

Track 3:

[6:21] Thank you so much.

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Track 4:

[6:22] Yes that.

Track 3:

[6:23] Means a great deal.

Track 4:

[6:23] Yeah good it should because i think we all feel this way and and you know i think everybody

tries to express sit in somewhere or another, but, uh, I think it's important to take the time and make

you aware that, uh, that those vibes are out there and that you're appreciated. So, Hey, I don't want

to, you know, Hey, let's keep this going on.

Track 3:

[6:46] This is good news.

Track 4:

[6:48] Yes. So, uh, yeah, my hipsterie began back in 1991 when I was in grade 11. Uh I grew up in

Belleville and uh I was fortunate enough to grow up in a century home and we had a coach house

which uh you know the horse and buggies back in the day uh modern garage is what we call it now

but uh.

Track 3:

[7:28] My father-in-law just came in, and I'm just scared that he's going to walk in. No, he's gone

now. Okay, so start with, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a sentry home.

Track 4:

[7:43] So yeah, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a sentry home, and sentry homes in the area

of Belleville I lived in, many of them had coach houses. Modern day people call them garages but

uh you know they were some buggy back in the day my parents had it restored uh so about grade

11 i made it my bedroom and i was a little bit like mike sievers from growing pains if oh badass yes

total badass uh so that's where my friends and i congregated many many weekends uh to stay out

of trouble in the community or maybe get into trouble up in the coach house. But yeah, it was great.

I had a couch, a stereo, a TV, and of course my bed and my desk were up there. Anyway, this was

our place of congregation all through high school. And one of my good buddies in my high school

group, Daryl McGrath, came over one night with a new cassette. It was Road Apples by the

Tragically Hip. And he told our group that his brother Paul, older brother Paul, who we call Ralphie,

gave it to him and said it was an amazing band that he had to check out and that he and his

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buddies would love it and we always listen to music when we were up in the coach house having

drinks and watching hockey and about the only time music would stop is when Don Cherry and

Ron McLean would do their intermission yeah yeah so um so he put it on and uh you know Little

Bones.

Track 4:

[9:12] Twist My Arm, Cordelia you know the first three tracks and and this is when everyone was

pretty focused on it before we went back to our conversations but uh you know i think it's a sign of a

good band if you don't have someone in a group of seven or eight that says come on turn this off

put the other stuff back on so we had acceptance right away but uh it had to grow as as the hip

songs and albums do uh but it continued to play all through the night and every weekend and it just

sort of started to seep in to our myself and my peer group you know and it took hold um and it's

funny because you know you'd be socializing and music's always in the background there's

conversations going on and, The times that I really remember it sinking in is, you know, I didn't

have a bathroom up in the coach. I was like, maybe Mike Sievers did. We actually had to go

downstairs outside and take a squirt in the backyard. So you'd be out there and the noise of the

conversations would be gone, but the blare of the music, you could hear outside still. And I can

remember, you know, being out there with a bit of a buzz on, looking up at the stars, draining my

bladder. and like just thinking this music is awesome this rocks and that is so incongruent.

Track 3:

[10:33] But i love it.

Track 4:

[10:36] So uh you know it wasn't it wasn't long uh after we were introduced to road apples that you

know i purchased up to here in the ep and it just became sort of a soundtrack for everything that we

did uh weekends up there weekends at the cottage parties we went to because the hip started to

take off all across Belleville among our age group, you know, and above and below, you know, in

the car traveling, you know, with our buddies on weekends.

Track 4:

[11:04] And yeah, it just seemed we were always listening to the hip from that point on. And, you

know, the next year was July, it was 92. And on July 1st, the hip were playing up at Molson Park in

Barrie. And so, yeah, we decided to, a few of us, venture up for this endeavor and see our now

favorite band live for the first time ever. And so myself, Daryl McGrath, who was the buddy who

brought the tape, you know, for the first time to the group, another buddy, Eric Colson, and another

one, Jay Ritchie, we piled into a vehicle. And on this fateful day, we headed up to Molson Park. And

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it was something like I'd never experienced before, not just the show, but the journey up there, you

know, traveling West. Yeah. West down the 401. Uh, and as we started to get, you know, close to

the GTA, uh, ready to go North on the 400 to Barry traffic just started to bog right down.

Track 4:

[12:12] It was nuts. It was all traffic heading up to Molson park and to see all these cars in stop and

go with with other kids in our age group who were ready to go for a full day outdoor event on a

beautiful day. People had signs in their vehicle, hip or bust. We had a cooler of pops to drink when

we got up there for the tailgate because I think doors opened at 10 that day and we were up trying

to get up there super early to partake in some tailgating. The tailgate party started, on the highway

before people got up there. Like I remember people, you know, sliding over van doors, sliding open

their mini van doors, pulling up beside another car and people handing beer across, you know, from

one vehicle to another. Oh yeah. Girls flashing, people pulling over the side of the road, take a piss.

Track 4:

[13:10] It was debauchery, but it was so cool. You know, like I've never experienced, you know, I am,

I'm, 18 or 19 at this point uh 18 i think and you know i just never been apart or experienced

something like this and uh it was cool like our we pulled over on the 400 for a few of us to jump out

and take a squirt and the last guy to get back into the vehicle was jay ritchie and while he was still

draining it we decided to drive away and that was extremely comical to watch him scamper along

the 400 with thousands of other people, you know, viewing this.

Track 3:

[13:46] Uh, you know, pulling up his drawers. Oh yeah.

Track 4:

[13:50] Trying to catch up to the vehicles. We sped away and us laughing uncontrollably in the

vehicle. Um, but, uh, yeah, it was, uh, it was a cool event and, um, you know, we get up there and

they, they had a pretty cool lineup. Uh, that was, that was the event where the hip played in

vancouver earlier and then flew to molson park uh to play or vice versa um and.

Track 3:

[14:15] Then they played in the east coast as well they played they played in the east coast.

Track 4:

[14:18] That day as well it's crazy yeah yeah it was it was a very cool thing uh but you know when

the the hit came out um towards towards the end of that day my group of friends and i we were sort

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of standing just on the outskirts of the mosh pit about in front of Bobby Baker and Gord Sinclair and

uh it was amazing I was mesmerized I had you know you have visions of what your favorite band or

these rock stars as you perceive them to be are going to look like and how they're going to behave

and you know I was mesmerized by the band I pictured these rock stars in like leather pants and

stage clothes that's not what you get it all you know like they came out and these guys were in

cowboy boots they were in jeans you know short sleeve button-ups and golf shirts pretty normal

haircuts a little shaggy you know but uh they were just regular dudes and uh I thought, I thought

that these guys are just regular dudes. This is so fucking awesome. They're amazing. They played

Road Apples tunes and a few Fully Completely tunes, which fully completely hadn't been released

yet.

Track 3:

[15:34] Oh, that's awesome.

Track 4:

[15:36] Yeah. So that was it. I was hooked. I was hooked for life right from that moment and still am

and always will be. Oh, that's great. It was really phenomenal. It was a great experience. That was

the first of 31 shows that I ended up attending.

Track 3:

[15:52] 31.

Track 4:

[15:53] Yeah.

Track 3:

[15:53] Nice number.

Track 4:

[15:54] Yeah. Yeah. I think, uh, you know, obviously they're EP and up to here. I didn't get to see

because I didn't, you know, tune into them until Rhode apples. But I think now for plan a was

perhaps the only tour that he didn't cash them on, uh, which was kidding me. Yeah. Yeah. That

was, that one was in 2012.

Track 3:

[16:12] Following them all the way through.

Track 4:

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[16:14] All the way. Yeah. Yeah. my boys were born in 2011 and 2013 so that 2012 tour was uh it

was a busy time for me little tough little tough yeah yeah but uh you know i i know uh in listening to

the podcast many people have kind of drifted from the band at certain times um was i a little more

intense on them in the earlier years definitely but uh but i always got their albums you know within

the first week they were released as time went on and and listened and listened and you know got

to the shows and stuff so, But it just built from there. And I went off to university. I was up at

Carleton in Ottawa. And the internet was just emerging in those years, 93 to 96. And I remember

going to the computer lab. And this is back when web pages were text only. There was no visuals

on the internet. and uh yeah i uh i managed to find a tragically hip site um where you could trade

bootlegs and i began you know compiling a bit of a bootleg collection i think i ended up with 14 or

16 bootleg tapes by the hip but a few of the highlight ones were uh you know the album that they've

released is it called a night at a roxy yeah from back in 90 no night roxy.

Track 3:

[17:43] Is the movie yeah it's just roxy.

Track 4:

[17:44] Just roxy yeah it was a 90 91 show uh that was a bootleg i had back in those days which as

we all know is a phenomenal bootleg oh my god double suicide highway girls on there sorry killer

whale tank is on there or one of the two or both they.

Track 3:

[18:00] Both are yeah.

Track 4:

[18:00] Both are okay uh misty moon that misty moon concert that you had that back then too i had

that bootleg back then and that's been released in one of their deluxe editions now uh had a an

outtake demo tape which is was my all-time favorite back then i listened to it all the time in my sony

walkman writing to and from classes but it had a handful of songs that are on saskadelfia and still

some that are unreleased and that was a phenomenal tape so that just added to you know my love

for the band and intensified uh, you know, my love for the hip, but, uh, yeah. And then just, just live

shows over the years. Um, I'll sandwich it with a couple interactions with the band and throwing a

few in between, but, uh, I'll go through them quickly. Cause I just, they're not all epic stories, but

things that for some reason stuck in my mind, I clearly going to any hip show was phenomenal and

it's an experience in its own. And I could dissect every single one, you know, and talk to nausea.

Uh, As I've heard you say. Yeah, so I think, you know, just a couple of highlight shows. In 98, I saw

them at the Iron Horse Saloon, which is in Kingston. And that was one of those surprise release

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secret shows.

Track 3:

[19:17] Holy shit, Jeff from Belleville. That's amazing.

Track 4:

[19:20] It was. My buddy Eric Colson, he was residing in Kingston at that time. And he had found out

about it. Got an inside tip somehow. So he dialed me up. And I made it up when we got into the

show, which was Dynamite. Uh 95 uh markham fairgrounds another roadside attraction yeah that

show yeah i.

Track 3:

[19:41] Was 93 and 95 yeah.

Track 4:

[19:43] Okay but you know i don't think i did either it was uh but that was you know again an epic

event you know these are roadside attract the roadside attractions or another roadside.

Track 4:

[19:56] Attraction they were all epic i was.

Track 4: