The Tragically Hip
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The Tragically Hip is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario.
The Tragically Hip — often referred to simply as The Hip — consist of Bobby Baker (guitar), Gordon Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar), and Gord Sinclair (bass). Formed in 1983, they took their name from a skit in the movie Elephant Parts by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.
They were signed by MCA in 1987 when Bruce Dickinson saw them perform live at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario. Later that year they released the EP The Tragically Hip, though they were largely unrecognized until 1989's Up To Here. Up To Here established them as one of the best and most influential bands in Canada. In 1992 they created the Another Roadside Attraction festival, which tours Canada to promote small, unknown bands.
The band is immensely popular in Canada. They have never found success in the United States, but have never specifically sought it. When touring in Canada they typically play to sold-out arenas; when touring in the United States they will play smaller venues and clubs. Performances abroad are usually attended by Canadian expatriates. The tone and content of their music is a paean to the Canadian experience and touches on small-town life, geography, and hockey.
However, the live album Live Between Us was recorded in Detroit, Michigan in 1996, and they have a small following mostly along the border in Michigan and New York. They also performed at Woodstock 1999. In 1996, the Hip also released a new record, Trouble at the Henhouse.
Singer Gord Downie has released two solo albums, in 2001 and 2003, called Coke Machine Glow and The Battle of the Nudes, respectively.
The Tragically Hip's most recent album is In Between Evolution, which was released on June 29th, 2004. This marked a return to their classic sound, after some of the experiments made on their last 2 records.
In 2005 they made a cameo appearance in an episode of the sitcom, Corner Gas. They have a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame and on April 3, 2005 were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2005 Juno Awards.
In 2005, a band containing Bobby Baker and others formed and realeased their self-titled album: Stripper's Union Local 518.
Discography
- 1987 The Tragically Hip EP
- 1989 Up to Here
- 1991 Road Apples
- 1992 Fully Completely
- 1994 Day for Night
- 1996 Trouble at the Henhouse
- 1997 Live Between Us
- 1998 Phantom Power
- 2000 Music At Work
- 2002 In Violet Light
- 2004 In Between Evolution
External links
- Official website (http://www.thehip.com)
- A Museum After Dark - Fansite about songs and their meanings (http://www.geocities.com/stephendame)