Gord Downie…

 

You know you get those Game Changer Life Moments that make an impact on you that you will probably never forget.
The passing of Gord Downie is another one of those moments that many of us will never forget where or what we were doing when we heard the news.
I was on my coffee break early Tuesday morning when my wife Suzi texted me that ‘Gord Downie had died” I was and wasn’t shocked.

We all knew this day was coming but it was one of those you really hope that day doesn’t come. It did and many of my friends posted including myself a bunch of tributes, comments just basically how the music of The Hip had an effect on all us on different levels.

I know it impacted my pal Tbone hard. After all I think it would as it must have been something to be at any of those last shows that the Hip played across Canada(last summer) at which T was at the Winnipeg show. I mean knowing but not wanting to believe that this was going to be the last time ever to see these guys I dunno how  my thinking would have been.  You know myself along with  everybody was hoping that ‘Yeah they will be back!” But…..

If you’re a reader of this blog you know that me and Tbone caught these guys early on here in Tbay.(1988) The second time was March of 1990 at our University. This was a show I can recall a lot better than the one previously as Up To Here was selling like hot cakes but the band that night with a bearded long-haired Gordie rocked the joint. Me and T must have been about 10 feet directly in front of Gordie and man when these guys hit the stage at 12 midnight all bets were off!

Hip were not afraid to take chances early on as how many bands do you know would open a show with an unreleased track that I believe is still unreleased “Crack My Spine Like A Whip” plus only having the E.P and Up To Here album to draw from The Hip would also preview songs that we wouldn’t hear until a year later(1991) on the classic Road Apples album.

Thanks for the Music Gord!