Posted by 
On November 10th, 2006 I drove an in-and-out mission to Montreal to see The Tragically Hip at Metropolis. The Hip were just getting back on their musical feet around 2006 after a bit of a creative lull so I wasn’t completely surprised when they announced a theatre/concert hall tour instead of their usual arena run, nor was I disappointed – I was pretty excited to see the band in what has become my favourite Montreal venue (since the Spectrum closed down).
I am a bit surprised that I only went to the second of two nights at Metropolis; I’m guessing I was trying to save a few bucks, on hotel as well as ticket price. Regardless, I was pumped when I walked into the room, opting for a good spot in the balcony where the bar was just a few steps from my perch near the front.
The band was killer; these guys were no longer resting on their laurels. They played like they were fighting for their careers, which, of course, they were. The set leaned very heavily on their new album World Container, and while nobody goes to a Tragically Hip concert screaming “play more new ones!” World Container is such a great album that the unfamiliar songs easily added to the night’s momentum.
Yer Not The Ocean, The Kids Don’t Get It, Lonely End Of The Rink…each new song was a future classic in waiting. And with a huge pile of monster hits like Little Bones, 38 Years Old, Long Time Running, Nautical Disaster, and Blow At High Dough everyone walked out happy, myself very much included.
And after another sweaty, wonderful night of fantastic music and great times inside Metropolis I drove my sober self and my small crew back to Ottawa, an experience I’ve had many times before and since, and one I hope the future holds in multitudes.
Todd Man Out 