The Tragically Hip, Canada's BEST rock band ever. #14; final tour! Going?!

Lead singer, guitarist, mad genius-poet Gordon Downie has terminal brain cancer forcing The Hip to confine their tour to a few cities in Canada between July 22nd in Victoria, B.C., and August 20th, their final show in the band's hometown of Kingston, ON. Broadcast live across the great nation of Canada!

I just received my Enhanced DL for WA which allows me entry into Canada once again. It's been a long, long time. I can't wait to see the Machine in action.

I've had the utter privilege of seeing TTH play in 1,000 seat or less venues in the U.S. Excepting the one show in Marymoor Park (Redmond, WA) where there were upwards of 2,000 or more thanks to WOMAD '96. (? Going from memory here)

Canadians get their Hip on 70,000 at a time or so. This will be new for me to a degree. There was the Monsters of Rock (Spokane, '84) way back when.

Man Machine Poem, album #14, released 6/20/16; all done before Gord even knew he was essentially a dead man walking.

9 of 13 albums went to #1 in Canada (not counting #14 which hasn't been tallied obviously). :rock:All 14 contain 10 songs minimum. 150+ not including live versions or bonus tracks. Gord can't write a bad song to save his life.

Are you going? I'm planning to visit the first 4 stops. All starting a week from Friday...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px3WsQ_XdF8

Bar none - my favorite Hip song. Great band! Seen em in Kingston a few times. Toronto once.

Have fun!! Watch out for the canucks!

I remember not liking the hip way back when I was in high school. It seem to grow on me over the years and I can honestly say they don't have a song I dislike.
Damn shame that Gordon is sick. https://youtu.be/aGRNEJiD3PY

It's all over the radio up here, and if you don't already have tickets to any of the shows, you better consider what some of the die hards up here would pay. I've heard the ticket prices are past ridiculous.

Colin, funny you say this. It was the same for me in high school. The older kids (my Sisters friends) all had a raging "bon air" for them. I was to into the grunge music. Pearl Jam, STP, Sound Garden, Silverchair, Nirvana..... To name a few.

Our family cottage is in Bobcageon, and I had the privilege of being at the 2011 show at Pigeon Lake.
Truly a talented band that will be missed. Funny though how when I was younger I thought Gord was copying Joe Cocker with his moves and didn't like them for that alone..
Ahh to be young and stupid again instead of just stupid.
Lol.

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Originally Posted by MikeB52

Our family cottage is in Bobcageon, and I had the privilege of being at the 2011 show at Pigeon Lake.
Truly a talented band that will be missed. Funny though how when I was younger I thought Gord was copying Joe Cocker with his moves and didn't like them for that alone..
Ahh to be young and stupid again instead of just stupid.
Lol.

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Bobcaygeon is my favorite song by them...saw them at the Molson Amp theatre ages and ages ago.....and of course that little town is just soul wrenching in its beauty, spent some great times there, in both summer and winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6QDjDPRF5c

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Originally Posted by Speedster

Are you going? I'm planning to visit the first 4 stops. All starting a week from Friday...

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Four pairs of tickets, and I've even begged a few people, offered 'em up for free....
...not a single taker! Stunning.

Looks like I may set off a stampede getting some money for them up in Canada in less than 2 weeks.

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Originally Posted by earcutter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px3WsQ_XdF8

Bar none - my favorite Hip song. Great band! Seen em in Kingston a few times. Toronto once.

Have fun!! Watch out for the canucks!

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That's their veyr first song played up here in Spokane...or rather DOWN here in Spokane. Sorry, I do forget "The North" is all very relative, and you Canadians win!

"New Orleans is Sinking", and their playing style had me convinced they were from Louisiana or thereabouts. Boy, I was ever wrong about that. All 5 from Kingston, ON.

Sorry, random tangential thought about this band before clsoing:

What are the odds of a 3-man band forming in a single city?

How many times greater would odds be for a 5-man band all from the same town?

Sure is something to think about. Miraculous indeed if you ask me!

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Originally Posted by MikeB52

Our family cottage is in Bobcageon, and I had the privilege of being at the 2011 show at Pigeon Lake.
Truly a talented band that will be missed. Funny though how when I was younger I thought Gord was copying Joe Cocker with his moves and didn't like them for that alone..
Ahh to be young and stupid again instead of just stupid.
Lol.

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Go listen to "In Sarnia," another ode to a great Canadian city up until this song I had never, ever heard of before Gordon worked his typical magic.

This man is virtually on fire when he's up on stage. For the price of admission, you get to see one of the great frontmen ever to sing give it his all, one hundred percent, no more, and no less that's for sure.

Sweat flying, and dancing like he was on LSD that first time I saw him sing, "FIght."

He's dancing like nobody is watching. He could give a flying "____" about anyone's opinions. A true artist to be reckoned with.

My favorites tracks:

Hot Mic
Tired as "F-cubed!" (Stupid SRP Policy precludes the use of the actual word)
Machine
A World Possessed by the Human Mind
Ocean Next
What Blue
Great Soul

Of course, I as per usual love/adore/dig the entire album, front to back, for the 14th time, durr, go figure!

Gord's crew produces some fine aural magic. One massive biker-type friend who really is a mad-dog C++ programmer, singer, and karaoke enthusist had this most-awesome thing to say about my favorite band of all times:

<<>> "They are a WALL OF SOUND!" <<>> Bet your *!)#*$' ass!

I absolutely cannot wait for my four-city mini-tour of Western British Colombia and Alberta (a first!!) to kick-off here in a few short days.

Cheers fellas!

You are not going to have a problem AT ALL unloading the tickets when you get up there brother. I hear they are going for a pretty penny!!


FML!! When did life get so complex that I couldn't pack up and go see the Hip?

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Originally Posted by earcutter

You are not going to have a problem AT ALL unloading the tickets when you get up there brother. I hear they are going for a pretty penny!!


FML!! When did life get so complex that I couldn't pack up and go see the Hip?

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Yup, if you have tickets, they're as good as gold. I was priced out of the market in about 30 seconds when all the tickets were snapped up and started being flipped by the re-sellers. I hate the ticket systems we have to deal with these days. But I'll nip that rant in the bud... :)

How much do the Hip mean to Canada? CBC will be broadcasting the last show of this tour live. [EDIT: just noticed you already mentioned that...] They'll be blowing the doors of the arena in their hometown Kingston. BTW, the name of the road that runs in front of that arena? Tragically Hip Way.

I've been lucky enough to see them live several times (I've been a fan since the first time I heard Highway Girl in about '87 or '88), so I'm not too bummed about missing them this time around. I feel bad though for some of my friends who never quite got to see them and who don't have tickets for this summer.

Speedster: enjoy the show Brother!

David: if you like NOIS, you might like this. It's my favourite version, and in terms of Gord's mid-song rants, it's up there with the double suicide version of Highway Girl. :)

I give you: Killerwhaletank!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWlDxHnjg8

EPIC!!

Thanks Cangooner - for real!


PS - this is making me so homesick its not funny lol!

Since I mentioned it, I figured I might as well share it. :)

OK. Enough thread highjacking for one night...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4GAlI4C_Q

classic lol!!

The hip certainly has a nice catalog of music and I'm a fan of a bunch of their songs. Gordon Downie's unfortunate health condition is certainly the worst news for him, his family & friends. I wish him a peaceful passing. I've lost family members to this insidious disease. It's never pretty. Also all due respect to the OP and other fans of the hip ............... but...........


(let the flaming begin)
:overkill:

hardly Canada's BEST rock band ever ...... just saying .......... now stepping down off my :soapbox:
I wish all here an enjoyable concert experience. :beer1:

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Originally Posted by Brenngun

The hip certainly has a nice catalog of music and I'm a fan of a bunch of their songs. Gordon Downie's unfortunate health condition is certainly the worst news for him, his family & friends. I wish him a peaceful passing. I've lost family members to this insidious disease. It's never pretty. Also all due respect to the OP and other fans of the hip ............... but...........


(let the flaming begin)
:overkill:

hardly Canada's BEST rock band ever ...... just saying .......... now stepping down off my :soapbox:
I wish all here an enjoyable concert experience. :beer1:

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Canada's best rock band...I agree, great, but not the greatest.

In my opinion, I'd be hard pressed not to say Robbie Robertson and the classic group, "The Band" is our best, certainly one of my all time favourites, The Guess Who, April Wine, Rush, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell...and if you like Classical Music, the guy who grew up in my neighborhood and whose house was two streets over from mine, Glenn Gould...he was a crazy mofo, but he could play that piano...:D

Canada's best rock band. If that's all we've got to offer the world I am ashamed. The hip suck. They are only getting attention now because of the lead singers cancer. Which of course is unfortunate. I don't wish that on anyone but there music is crappy. Alexisonfire, Rush, Threedays grace > the tragically hip. If Gord Downie wasn't sick they would be out of the headlines just as they were before they broke the news..

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Canada's best rock band...I agree, great, but not the greatest.

In my opinion, I'd be hard pressed not to say Robbie Robertson and the classic group, "The Band" is our best, certainly one of my all time favourites, The Guess Who, April Wine, Rush, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell...and if you like Classical Music, the guy who grew up in my neighborhood and whose house was two streets over from mine, Glenn Gould...he was a crazy mofo, but he could play that piano...:D

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In any other forum, I would be expected to say something along the lines of this:

Everyone's got an opinion, much like an output oriifice. I sure as Heck don't need yours. One is plenty over here! :). Toodles!

Ha! That was fun. Off the cuff!

However, we are on SRP, a gentleman's forum, so we lovingly and respectfully say something more like this...

You know what, fine dude, ahem, sir? But this is one of those YMMV things. Unless of course you are a calc freak like me. Then the machine kicks in and figures that if this band produced 14 albums, each of which has 10 songs at least, then you have well over 150 songs not including live versions.

Due to some legal shenanigans or conspiracy anyone, I bet my life on this, this band also had nearly zero popularly across the border with the biggest music market on the plenty, the turds dubbing themselves the United States of America!

:). Hee hee. Sorry, it's an election year, so I'm gruff way moreso than per usual. You can all confirm this later on with Glendog, aka, GSSixPack! ;)

Where was I again? Oh, yes, the whole YMMV angle and my working theory that The Hip are never going to be outdone by anyone, previously or in the future I am afraid unless we get yet another miracle...

I still cannot believe they have 9 #1 albums in Canada not even counting their last which guaranteed will go #1 durr. So that is 10/14, quite the batting average down here. I"m sure it's quite a hockey stat up there!

Ok. Done. Your turn, kind sir! :deadhorse::deadhorse:

Oh, Woops, forgot to mention also that NONE of their songs is unpopular.

I also neglected to mention the quality of his lyrics like "your spiderweb alphabet" or my favorite one, "I was a 1th Century Conquistador I think!"

I think I was also a 16th century conquistador I think....

Meaning, I love me some blades, all around STEEL IS REAL. I have do desire to own a gun....but I really do enjoy target shooting with friends who do! The last time this occurred was more than a decade ago. I guess I need to pop a cap in someone's ass swoon! Er, mean a target sheet of course.

Forgive me. Forgot my place for a minute there. Hee hee. What bands, who exactly were you talking about again?! I normally go with a relativity angle but the genius calculus of The Tragically Hip is something that has been orchestrating my life ever since I heard that first song 25 years ago.

That is a "baker's double dozen" by the way. No need for a third dead horse, that would be cruel and unusual punishment I'm afraid. No need to drop that H-bomb. ;)

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Originally Posted by Speedster

In any other forum, I would be expected to say something along the lines of this:

Everyone's got an opinion, much like an output oriifice. I sure as Heck don't need yours. One is plenty over here! :). Toodles!

Ha! That was fun. Off the cuff!

However, we are on SRP, a gentleman's forum, so we lovingly and respectfully say something more like this...

You know what, fine dude, ahem, sir? But this is one of those YMMV things. Unless of course you are a calc freak like me. Then the machine kicks in and figures that if this band produced 14 albums, each of which has 10 songs at least, then you have well over 150 songs not including live versions.

Due to some legal shenanigans or conspiracy anyone, I bet my life on this, this band also had nearly zero popularly across the border with the biggest music market on the plenty, the turds dubbing themselves the United States of America!

:). Hee hee. Sorry, it's an election year, so I'm gruff way moreso than per usual. You can all confirm this later on with Glendog, aka, GSSixPack! ;)

Where was I again? Oh, yes, the whole YMMV angle and my working theory that The Hip are never going to be outdone by anyone, previously or in the future I am afraid unless we get yet another miracle...

I still cannot believe they have 9 #1 albums in Canada not even counting their last which guaranteed will go #1 durr. So that is 10/14, quite the batting average down here. I"m sure it's quite a hockey stat up there!

Ok. Done. Your turn, kind sir! :deadhorse::deadhorse:

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I love the Hip, saw them more than a decade ago at the Molson Amp...great show...and I agree that they'r lyrics are superb, historically, and have captured some great event.

They are a great band, I wouldn't say Canada's greatest, but YMMV as you say....whatever floats yer boat.

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Originally Posted by Phrank

They are a great band, I wouldn't say Canada's greatest, but YMMV as you say....whatever floats yer boat.

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Tit for tat, Phrank. Nobody said you had to play, history will prove me out and you wrong but whatever floats your boat.

I have three! How many boats do have? NEVERMIND. I don't care about you anymore.

Cheerio, brother! I even saved my best blades in case you did want to continue playing. Thanks for allowing me the courtesy of not wasting my best weaponry on you!

:deadhorse::chop::whipped:

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Originally Posted by S0LITARYS0LDIER

Canada's best rock band. If that's all we've got to offer the world I am ashamed. The hip suck. They are only getting attention now because of the lead singers cancer. Which of course is unfortunate. I don't wish that on anyone but there music is crappy. Alexisonfire, Rush, Threedays grace > the tragically hip. If Gord Downie wasn't sick they would be out of the headlines just as they were before they broke the news..

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I broke in my Sony Walkman on Rush cassettes, so I know for a fact that TTH will eclipse the band you hold so dearly.

I am not even Canadian, so I really have no horse in this either, brother. So, enjoy ur 3DazeGracie and whatever!

I'm in the U.S. We get nary a Gord headline of any sort from any Gord, gourd or whatever else rhymes with that fine word! It's a popular nome de plume in your fine country after all.

I'm done arguing with you pea-brains. Get a life already. I was only here to share something positive and you had to go shit on it.

Hope your bowel movement was an enjoyable one. At least it's all here for posterity sake.

Sure smells like so much turd....

:tameshigiri:

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Originally Posted by Speedster

I broke in my Sony Walkman on Rush cassettes, so I know for a fact that TTH will eclipse the band you hold so dearly.

I am not even Canadian, so I really have no horse in this either, brother. So, enjoy ur 3DazeGracie and whatever!

I'm in the U.S. We get nary a Gord headline of any sort from any Gord, gourd or whatever else rhymes with that fine word! It's a popular nome de plume in your fine country after all.

I'm done arguing with you pea-brains. Get a life already. I was only here to share something positive and you had to go shit on it.

Hope your bowel movement was an enjoyable one. At least it's all here for posterity sake.

Sure smells like so much turd....

:tameshigiri:

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Dude, you're taking this way to personal.

No one is running the Hip down here except Solitarysoldier whose comments I disagree with. Everyone has a favorite but you stated in your original post "Canada's BEST rock band ever". You claim to be a "Calc freak" which I assume means you like to look at the numbers to measure the credibility of your claim. OK so let's do that:

Neil Young - 42 albums, 35 Juno nominations, 7 Juno awards, 24 Grammy nominations, 4 Grammy awards, countless #1 albums and songs both in Canada and globally, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee ............... oh did I forget to mention these stats are just his own band.

What do you think happens when you add in his Buffalo Springfield and CSN&Y numbers.

OK dude your turn ...... what do you got ????? :roflmao

Good luck with the number crunching, b'ys!

IMHO any attempt to quantify art is doomed to failure, especially when attempting to present an either/or question. While I love the Hip I also worship at the altar of Neil. There is plenty of room for both, or indeed for neither if such is your taste.

Enjoy the music you enjoy. Don't worry about the stuff you don't.

I will however note the shocking omission of the Rheostatics and Skydiggers from this discussion...

:rofl2:

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Originally Posted by Cangooner

Good luck with the number crunching, b'ys!

IMHO any attempt to quantify art is doomed to failure, especially when attempting to present an either/or question. While I love the Hip I also worship at the altar of Neil. There is plenty of room for both, or indeed for neither if such is your taste.

Enjoy the music you enjoy. Don't worry about the stuff you don't.

I will however note the shocking omission of the Rheostatics and Skydiggers from this discussion...

:rofl2:

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Totally agree. I've never been a big fan of awards or even music charts. As the old saying goes "art is in the eye of the beholder". Not familiar with Rheostatics of Skydiggers but rock on ....... :rock::rock::rock:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cangooner

Good luck with the number crunching, b'ys!

IMHO any attempt to quantify art is doomed to failure, especially when attempting to present an either/or question. While I love the Hip I also worship at the altar of Neil. There is plenty of room for both, or indeed for neither if such is your taste.

Enjoy the music you enjoy. Don't worry about the stuff you don't.

I will however note the shocking omission of the Rheostatics and Skydiggers from this discussion...

:rofl2:

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"I know it when I see ... uh, hear it. :)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_know_it_when_I_see_it

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Originally Posted by Speedster

I broke in my Sony Walkman on Rush cassettes, so I know for a fact that TTH will eclipse the band you hold so dearly.

I am not even Canadian, so I really have no horse in this either, brother. So, enjoy ur 3DazeGracie and whatever!

I'm in the U.S. We get nary a Gord headline of any sort from any Gord, gourd or whatever else rhymes with that fine word! It's a popular nome de plume in your fine country after all.

I'm done arguing with you pea-brains. Get a life already. I was only here to share something positive and you had to go shit on it.

Hope your bowel movement was an enjoyable one. At least it's all here for posterity sake.

Sure smells like so much turd....

:tameshigiri:

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Butthurt.com/speedster.

If you can't handle someone saying they don't enjoy your favourite band and that they suck you've got some issues fanboy #1.

Secondly pea brain is just offensive to me and the other pea brains you've mentioned.

Your comments remind me of what a 14 year old girl would say if I said that Justin Bieber sucked.

We don't all have the same taste in music. Fact of life.

The hip suck??? I feel like I'm back in high school freezing my butt off in the smoking compound all over. Sounds a lot like a comment one of my stoner friends would have said, with a poop eating grin just to piss me off. My comment back would have been, You suck buddy!! Except it wouldn't have been The hip, it would have been a comment about Weezer.......... back when they were good...... the blue album........ oh man that was a good album.

I think you got what you wanted with that comment Scott. :)

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Originally Posted by HARRYWALLY

I think you got what you wanted with that comment Scott. :)

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I have a giant spoon...

I like to stir things.

I'm thinking this thread is going nowhere - :( - fast.


Sigh ...

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Originally Posted by earcutter

I'm thinking this thread is going nowhere - :( - fast.


Sigh ...

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No were done messing around with him now. Speedster is entitled to enjoy a band without it getting "shit on" as he so gently put it. Just as I would enjoy going to see a Metallica concert or ACDC he's going to enjoy seeing the hip and that's all that matters is that he's happy and will enjoy himself and he's sharing his thoughts with us. Can't give a guy flak for doing that.

Maybe he's just ahead by a century?

:rock: :rock:

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Originally Posted by MikeB52

Maybe he's just ahead by a century?

:rock: :rock:

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LOL!! Good one.

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Originally Posted by MikeB52

Maybe he's just ahead by a century?

:rock: :rock:

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I just hope he doesn't feel so hard done by and has the wherewithal, courage, and grace, too, to realize he's on the verge of seeing the poets in person. He won't have to twist my arm, break any little bones or even pull three pistols to convince me that he'll have a blast. Whether or not he's 38 years old, there's no reason to be scared or to fight and he should fully completely avoid being locked in the trunk of a car at the hundredth meridian and start looking for a place to happen. Like boots or hearts, this riff is really starting to fall apart...

Mike, what have you started? :)

We watched the concert from Kingston last night on CBC. What a final farewell to a fantastic band.
Gord has given the world the gift of musical poetry. I sincerely hope that he is able to do, now all the things he dreams as his journey comes to its end. He and the rest of the HIP will be sadly missed but their legend will live on in the music.

Mike

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Originally Posted by Mcbladescar

Gord has given the world the gift of musical poetry. I sincerely hope that he is able to do, now all the things he dreams as his journey comes to its end. He and the rest of the HIP will be sadly missed but their legend will live on in the music.

Mike

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+1 to that. Was a great show.

Yup, we watched it to, was fantastic.


Just curious, am I suppose to give kisses on the lips to my close friends? Or is it just when I'm wearing glittery clothes?

Sent from my LG-K121 using Tapatalk

I'll settle for a handshake Andrew :)

I watched it too. Damn near bawling during Fiddler's Green. :(

Those b'ys will be missed, but I'm so happy that Gord made it to the end and had a chance to make his farewell in his hometown.

I like the Hip a hell of a lot, but I am just going to leave this little road apple here for y'all . . .

Rush has released 24 gold records and 14 platinum records (including 3 multi-platinum), placing them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum studio albums by a rock band.

RUSH is, by any standard of measurement you care to go by, the greatest rock act to come from this country. Period, end of sentence.