(NOTE: Apparently, somebody in cyberspace doesn't like the photos I took of the Tragically Hip show, because they vanished).
On Wednesday, L. and I went down to see The Tragically Hip at the Fillmore (formerly the State Theater) in Detroit. As I've gone on ad infinitum in this blog, I am a huge fan of The Hip, so I was giddy for this show.
Unlike the last time I recounted a concert experience in this blog (our aborted attempt to see Meat Puppets last November) we actually saw the band we intended on seeing. The Hip had no opening act and hit the stage at about 8:15 PM.
Negotiating the freeways in Detroit always leaves me a little frazzled, so I was a bit dazed when we finally parked the car in the structure across the street from the Fillmore. We went from one confusing line outside the theater (guys strapping paper wrist bands on those who intended to drink alcohol) to several take-no-shit security people in the theater who were way more intense than any airport security I've ever encountered. (Unbeknownst to me, rock shows must be prone to terrorist attack or something). Anyway, we finally were able to get our tickets scanned, bought our overpriced 24-ounce Budweisers, and ambled up to find seats in the general admission balcony.
The Fillmore (as it was renamed in 2007--for many, many years it was the State Theater) is one of the very best concert venues anywhere. It was originally built in the 1920's as a motion picture palace, and it features ornate Renaissance revival ornamentation and motifs. Its beauty, now a bit faded and threadbare, harkens back to a time when Detroit was known as "the Paris of the Midwest" and seeing a movie or play was an event, as this was one of the few forms of entertainment available at the time. The Fillmore is truly one of those places that makes me want to get into the Wayback Machine and experience the theater in its Jazz Age heyday.
The show itself was great. The Tragically Hip are one of the most energetic and flat-out smoking live bands I've ever seen. I still cannot believe they have never gained more popularity in the United States. They played for probably about 2 1/2 hours and their set list drew equally from their popular (in Canada) hits and deeper album cuts. I was particularly thrilled that they played three of my favorite Hip tunes, "Thugs", "At the Hundredth Meridian", and "Fifty-Mission Cap."
I always enjoy people watching at rock concerts. The crowd for The Hip is, to put it blunt, very middle-aged and very white--so I fit right in. Maybe there were some younger people on the main floor, but the folks in the balcony probably averaged about 45 years old...maybe even older. One guy sitting in front of me was particularly fun to watch. He was a tall, neat, short-haired 40-something dude in a blue sweater, and was doing some sort of seated interpretive dance moves to every song, but it was clear that since he was sitting with his buddies, he didn't want to go too crazy--probably felt a little too self-conscious. He looked to be a middle school math teacher by day who was cutting loose just a little tiny bit at the Hip show, but still trying to maintain a degree of "decorum."
As is the case with many concerts, there is always at least one unhinged wackjob. In this case, it was a spikey-haired blonde woman, probably somewhere in her late 30s/early 40s, in a sleeveless print dress. For whatever reason (drunk as a skunk?) she was in a foul mood and was offending everyone in her vicinity. After the Hip had finished their second song ("Grace, Too"), it was clear to me that the beer I'd pounded--along with the super-size coffee I drank on the drive to Detroit--had gone right through me and I had to find the restroom. Upon my return to our seats, I found the foul-tempered woman sitting alone in our row on the aisle. I said "Excuse me" and, initially, she didn't appear to have any intention of moving. Finally, after a few seconds, she stood up and bumped into me as if she was a hockey player trying to check me into the boards. I wasn't expecting it and darned near fell over in the aisle. I caught myself, though, and pushed past her to my seat. Moments later, security removed her from the premises (probably due to what she'd done earlier and not related to her practically knocking me on my ass). I pondered why she had bothered to spend $30 for a ticket only to act like an ass and get kicked out of the concert hall, or whether she had come with someone, gotten into a spat with him or her, and was now taking out her drunken rage on anyone nearby.
The rest of the show went by without incident. The Hip were fully energized, performing 24 songs in all. The crowd was abuzz as they left the theater, and we made it home safely.
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