"Looking for a place to happen, making stops along the way," The Tragically Hip (Looking for a Place to Happen)

Welcome to my favorite band page. I was brought up in a family that appreciated music and it seems like it has been a part of my life since I was born. You will go through a quick history, and yes some of it is very embarrassing, of who my favorite bands are.

Where do I start?

I guess there is no time like the present. For those who know me, and even those that don't, know that the Tragically Hip is my favorite band. They are a group of five Canadians from Kingston, Ontario headed by Gord Downie on vocals. They have two guitarists, Bobby Baker and Paul Langois, a bassist, Gord Sinclair, and a kick-ass drummer, Johnny Fay. I was first introduced to the band during the winter of 1994 when a bunch of my Canadian friends and I hung out in one of their dorm rooms, drinking Molson Canadian of course, and listening to Fully Completely. Since then I have listed them among my favorite bands, and it doesn't seem like they will ever leave my list.

The groups first album, self-titled, was released in 1987. In 1989 they released their second album, Up To Here which featured the concert staple New Orleans is Sinking. It also features great songs such as Blow at High Dough, 38 Years Old, and Every Time You Go.

The year turned to 1991, and it was time for another Hip album to be released, this time titled Road Apples. Some great songs such as Little Bones, Twist My Arm, and On the Verge were released on this CD, but the best was yet to come for these Canadian rockers.

In my opinion, the best Tragically Hip record was released in 1992, Fully Completely. As mentioned before, this was the CD that exposed me to the group for the first time. The first song I was ever exposed to was Wheat Kings, a song about a man who was wrongly convicted of a crime, but was eventually released once they discovered it was not he who was the offender. Another great song, and my favorite Hip tune of all-time, is At the 100th Meridian. This is a song about the Great Plains, and just has a catchy and rocking beat. Another great song that I would recommend from that album is Fifty-Mission Cap (A song about Bill Barilko, the Maple Leaf who scored the game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup finals in 1951 and died while on a fishing trip. They did not find his body until 1962, the next year the Leafs would win the cup.), Pigeon Camera, and We'll Go Too. Check this CD out. It is one to get.

The band toured the next year, and in 1994 released Day for Night. This CD features Grace, Too (a song they performed on Saturday Night Live), Scared, Daredevil, and the sad story known as Nautical Disaster. Trouble at the Henhouse was the next release by the Hip, in 1996. Gift Shop, which includes the great lyrics "We're forced to bed, but we're free to dream" is the lead-off song on this compilation of great Hip songs. Ahead by a Century, Put it Off, and of course Springtime in Vienna are also featured on this CD. This release also has a special place in my heart because I saw them in concert for the first time at Club Benet in New Jersey in support of the album. What a great show, one I will never forget.

In 1997, the year I graduated from Elmira College, they released their first, and only, live CD titled Live Between Us. It was recorded at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. If someone is looking to get into the Hip, this is a great compilation of older songs like Twist My Arm and Blow at High Dough, and includes some of their latest hits to the point such as Gift Shop and Don't Wake Daddy. I remember getting this CD the day before graduation and putting it on repeat all night long. What a great CD.

Their latest release was during the summer of 1998, it actually came out the day before I moved most of my stuff to Alfred from Boston, titled Phantom Power. Much of the CD was written in Canada during the horrible ice storms of 1997. Another great collection of songs. My favorite off the album has to be Fireworks, a song that starts off about hockey and Bobby Orr, and continues to describe the American recording industry. The verse "Fireworks exploding in the distance, temporary towers sore. Fireworks emulating heaven, till there are no stars any more. Fireworks aiming straight at heaven, till there are no stars shining up in heaven anymore." seems to be the most powerful message on the whole CD. In my interpretation it is about the one-hit wonders with no artistic ability at all (ex. Backstreet Boys) who get the fame and fortune, and the ones who pride themselves on making quality music get pushed into the background, but stay with it because the have a loyal following and love to make music. Other songs I just can't get enough of on the CD are Emperor Penguin, The Rules, Vapour Trails, Chagrin Falls, Bobcaygeon, and Escape is at Hand for the Traveling Man. I also had the opportunity to see them tour in support of this album, July 24, 1998 at Wetlands in New York City.

So where now with the Hip? The latest rumor I heard, off their official website, is that they are riding around in an old train writing songs to put on their next album. It should be around the summertime again in 2000. One can only hope. (Thank you to the Hip's website for the great background.)

Click here to read about my favorite bands of yester-year and some more current favorites