In today’s episode I speak former musician and good friend Gregg Tilston. Back on Episode #7we chatted about Gregg’s career to date. Today, Gregg and I discuss the recently completed Man Machine Poem Tour.
Gregg has a unique perspective on Canada’s favourite band, The Tragically Hip. In the mid to late-80s Gregg was in a new wave pop band called International Boundaries (INB). The management company they signed with also had a new band from Kingston on their roster: The Tragically Hip.
Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Also features music by The Tragically Hip: Last American Exit and Ahead By A Century.
Earlier this month all eyes were on Rio, Brazil as the best athletes competed in the latest edition of the Summer Games. In a few episodes I’m going to speak with Georgia Sapounas. Georgia is the digital team lead for Team Canada and was my guest on Episode #28. When Georgia comes back from her vacation after the Olympics she’ll be joining me in studio to chat about Team Canada’s athletes.
Today I speak with the award-winning writer from the Toronto Star, Morgan Campbell. Morgan is a returning guest of the podcast. He made his first appearance on Episode #18.
Today, instead of talking about how Canada fared against the world’s best, we talk about how the media covered these games.
All week long, Samsung has been hosting a pop-up activation in downtown Toronto ahead of its latest Galaxy release. I happened to walk by the location yesterday after leaving the Blue Jays game a bit early. You wouldn’t believe what happened next! I literally bumped into Toronto’s own Skratch Bastid playing in front of a small and intimate crowd.
Everyone loves the Olympics. Even the harshest critics among us can find a feel good human story once in a while. As we all experience the Olympics I’ll attempt to share a favourite moment.
Speed walking usually earns some snickering and double takes. However, these are amazing athletes just like many others in Rio, Brazil. Canada’s Evan Dunfee is one of our elite athletes. And he is also a leader in the speed walking community.
Everyone loves the Olympics. Even the harshest critics among us can find a feel good human story once in a while. As we all experience the Olympics I’ll attempt to share a favourite moment.
Erica Wiebe went from never winning a point in university wrestling to winning a Gold Medal in freestyle wrestling at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil. Congratulations Erica!
Everyone loves the Olympics. Even the harshest critics among us can find a feel good human story once in a while. As we all experience the Olympics I’ll attempt to share a favourite moment.
Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D’Agostino are both middle distance runners competing in Brazil this summer. During their 5000 metre qualifying race Nikki and Abbey collided with Abbey bearing the brunt of the collision. What followed was what we all hope for (deep down at least). They showed what we like to call “Olympic spirit”.
Last night we attended The Tragically Hip’s final Toronto date on their “farewell” Man Machine Poem Tour. It was also the second live rock concert that our (now 10 years old) son, Kahzmir, attended. The first one was on his 8th birthday to see Arcade Fire in Toronto.
Attending The Hip with me are: Aneez, Vanessa, Minaz and Kahzmir
It was also the second time (that I can remember) attending the same concert with my brother, Aneez. The first concert was on New Year’s Eve 1985 to see OMD and Thompson Twins at Toronto’s old Maple Leaf Gardens.
The Tragically Hip were never my favourite band. At least not that I can remember. However, they have always been part of my musical appetite since I had my first portable FM radio player. I had purchased this player on Air Canada (or maybe it was WardAir?) coming back from England in the summer of 1989 and would walk to and from Sir John A Macdonald high school in Scarborough. It was a 10 minute walk. And it was on 102.1 and/or 107.1 that I started hearing songs like Blow At High Dough, New Orleans Is Sinking, 38 Years Old, Boots Or Hearts and Trickle Down.
I didn’t know it at the time but Up To Here was most likely the album that made me appreciate the mix of poetry and rock that I came to later appreciate in all of Neil Young’s incarnations.
Since then, the Tragically Hip have always just been there. I never noticed them. I just came to expect them. They were part of rock and roll. They were (and still are) part of Canada.
Although I’ve since “misplaced” my Hip CDs and cassettes, Road Apples was my first Hip album. My favourite tune from that album is Cordelia. I have no clue what the song is about. I love the lyrics and the pulsing beat that overlay the amazing lead and rhythm guitars in Cordelia.
Fully Completely is filled with hit singles. As many as U2’s The Joshua Tree. In my opinion. The next album, Day for Night contains my favourite Hip song, Nautical Disaster. I had the lyrics of this song taped to my desk in my room. And this was before the album was ever released.
It was listening to one of these albums that got me through a serious breakup in university. Thanks for the company, boys.
I’ve been to plenty of big events and concerts. I was in attendance at the Skydome when Canada played the US in World Cup of Baseball. I saw Halladay pitch against Burnett. I’ve been to Metallica and AC/DC concerts. Nothing can compare to the level of noise that the crowd in attendance last night created. NOTHING. It was deafening.
See my photos and videos from my view at the concert HERE.
I played air guitar, fist pumped to songs like Three Pistols and Little Bones, and generally caused Minaz and Kahzmir to look at me and shake their heads. I sang loudly to the hits. I smiled in glee then continued to rock out to songs long forgotten but still tattooed in my internal radio station.
When the show ended with Grace, Too I was caught off guard. There was no warning it was over. I wasn’t ready to say thank you. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
Last night’s concert was not goodbye for me. Music and songs live forever. We know Gord Downie will leave this world sooner rather than later. But the music that he created with his best friends will live on forever.
I’m thankful for the music. I always will be. I’ll always enjoy the music.
I’m thankful for Sunday August 14, 2016.
I’ll see you folks on down the road somewhere – Gord Downie
Here’s the set list from The Tragically Hip’s last show in Toronto:
Everyone loves the Olympics. Even the harshest critics among us can find a feel good human story once in a while. As we all experience the Olympics I’ll attempt to share a favourite moment.
Adam van Koeverden is one of Canada’s most popular Olympic athletes. He’s also been able to transcend his sport. We don’t just remember Adam every four years. He has remained in our consciousness since he arrived on the kayaking scene years ago.
Recently, he wrote a piece about sexism/feminism in sports. You can read it here.
Everyone loves the Olympics. Even the harshest critics among us can find a feel good human story once in a while. As we all experience the Olympics I’ll attempt to share a favourite moment.
Even before last night, Penny Oleksiak was the odds on favourite to carry the Canadian Flag into the Closing Ceremonies in Rio. And now, the first time Olympian, who was unsure she would even be on the swim team in Rio, has won Gold. Apparently she is the first Gold Medalist at these Games born in the 2000s.
The city of Philadelphia has an amazing mural arts program. According to their website,
For 30 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts engages communities in 50–100 public art projects each year, and maintains its growing collection through a restoration initiative. Core Mural Arts programs such as Art Education, Restorative Justice, and Porch Light yield unique, project-based learning opportunities for thousands of youth and adults.
Recently, we took a road trip that included Philadelphia.
