Downie-sans-Hip
      and
      Opener
     
     
      Wave
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nathan
      Wiley
      Rock
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      was
      a
      different
      vibe
     
     
      when
      I
      first
      walked
      into
      The
      Wave
     
     
      at
      10:00
      for
      the
      Gord
      Downie
      con-
     
     
      cert.
      As
      opposed
      to
      the
      previous
     
     
      week
      at
      The
      Theory
      of
      A
      Deadmen
     
     
      concert,
      where
      there
      were
      seven-
     
     
      teen/eighteen
      year
      olds
      every-
     
     
      where,
      here,
      there
      were
      people
     
     
      ranging
      in
      ages
      from
      25-40,
      but
      ,
     
     
      seemingly
      fewer
      college
      students.
     
    

    
     
      Yeah,
      it
      was
      only
      10,
      but
     
     
      the
      thought
      crossed
      my
      mind,
     
     
      "Man,
      is
      nobody
      going
      to
      show
      up
     
     
      for
      Downie?"
     
    

    
     
      I
      had
      bought
      my
      ticket
      the
     
     
      week
      before,
      and
      only
      220
      had
     
     
      been
      sold
      at
      the
      time.
      "No
      prob-
     
     
      lem,"
      I
      thought.
      "They'll
      be
      gone
     
     
      by
      the
      end
      of
      the
      week."
     
    

    
     
      But
      still
      they
      weren't
      selling
     
     
      like
      hot
      cakes,
      and
      as
      of
      the
      Friday
     
     
      before
      the
      concert,
      there
      were
      still
     
     
      many
      left.
      This
      was
      Downie's
      last
     
     
      night
      on
      tour
      and
      for
      it
      not
      to
      be
     
     
      sold
      out
      would
      suck.
     
    

    
     
      But
      again
      I
      thought,
      "The
     
     
      hell
      with
      it,
      seeing
      Gord
      Downie
      in
     
     
      an
      intimate
      setting
      with
      200
      people
     
     
      is
      alright
      with
      me"—
      pretty
      damn
     
     
      good,
      actually.
      As
      the
      lead
      singer
     
     
      of
      The
      Tragically
      Hip,
      Downie
      and
     
     
      the
      boys
      have
      released
      great
     
     
      records
      like
      Road
      Apples,
      Fully
     
     
      Completely,
      Music
      at
      Work
      and
      In
     
     
      Violet
      Light,
      and
      are
      known
      for
     
     
      their
      wicked
      live
      performances.
      If
     
     
      you've
      ever
      seen
      Downie
      in
      concert
     
     
      before,
      he's
      known
      to
      go
      into
      a
     
     
      trance-like
      state
      on
      stage
      and
      spout
     
     
      out
      weird
      lyrics
      in
      the
      middle
      of
     
     
      his
      songs—
      it's
      great!
      So
      regard-
     
     
      less,
      that
      the
      Hip
      weren't
      with
      him,
     
     
      and
      the
      fact
      that
      I
      didn't
      know
     
     
      .:page
      [4]
      September
      29,
      2003:.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      m
      material
      (I'm
      not
     
     
      sure
      if
      anybody
      did),
      this
      was
      a
     
     
      show
      not
      to
      be
      missed.
     
    

    
     
      Opening
      for
      Downie,
      was
     
     
      2003
      ECMA
      winner
      for
      Alternative
     
     
      Artist
      Of
      The
      Year,
      P.E.I's
      own
     
     
      Nathan
      Wiley.
      The
      25
      year-old
     
     
      Wiley
      only
      played
      a
      short
      set,
     
     
      (maybe
      five-six
      songs)
      but
      he
      def-
     
     
      initely
      left
      an
      impression
      as
      songs
     
     
      like
      ‘Bottom
      Dollar
      Baby'
      got
     
     
      everybody
      up
      and
      dancing.
      It's
      too
     
     
      bad,
      there
      wasn't
      a
      bigger
      crowd
     
     
      during
      his
      set,
      because
      Wiley
      and
     
     
      his
      bandmates
      had
      a
      lot
      of
      energy
     
     
      going
      on
      stage
      and
      I
      wouldn't
      mind
     
     
      seeing
      them
      again.
     
    

    
     
      By
      the
      time
      Wiley
      walked
     
     
      off
      the
      stage
      around
      11:10,
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wave
      started
      filling
      up
      and
      antici-
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pation
      started
      building.
      About
     
     
      11:30,
      the
      lights
      went
      down
      and
     
     
      Gord
      Downie
      and
      The
      Country
     
     
      Miracles
      hit
      the
      stage.
     
    

    
     
      Downie,
      in
      a
      sweater
      and
     
     
      jeans
      acknowledged
      the
      crowd,
     
     
      smiled
      and
      started
      into
      the
      set,
     
     
      doing
      songs
      off
      his
      two
      solo
     
     
      albums,
      Coke
      Machine
      Glow
      and
     
     
      Battle
      of
      The
      Nudes.
      It's
      hard
      to
     
     
      say
      if
      the
      crowd
      knew
      any
      of
     
     
      Downie's
      solo
      stuff,
      but
      if
      they
      did-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      n't,
      no
      one
      showed
      it
      as
      everybody
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      was
      rocking
      back
      and
      fourth
      to
      the
     
     
      music.
      Downie
      sounded
      great,
      and
     
     
      his
      band,
      The
      Country
      Miracles
     
     
      backed
      him
      up
      admirably.
      When
     
     
      Downie
      finally
      broke
      into
      a
      tune
     
     
      everybody
      knew,
      the
      catchy
     
     
      ‘Pascal's
      Submarine’
      everyone
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      singing
      the
      chorus,
      "Nah,
      Nah,
     
     
      Nah,
      Naaaaaaah,"
      at
      the
      top
      of
     
     
      their
      lungs!
      And
      when
      Downie
     
     
      acknowledged
      Johnny
      Cash's
      death
     
     
      by
      playing
      a
      Cash
      tune,
      everyone
     
     
      cheered
      approvingly.
     
    

    
     
      Downie
      played
      for
      an
      hour
     
     
      and
      a
      half,
      much
      longer
      than
      the
     
     
      last
      couple
      of
      bands
      to
      hit
      the
     
     
      Wave
      (I'm
      Talkin'
      To
      You
      Swollen
     
     
      Members)
      and
      despite
      a
      few
      fights
     
     
      in
      front
      of
      the
      stage
      and
      me
      getting
     
     
      hit
      on
      the
      shoulder
      with
      an
      empty
     
     
      beer
      pitcher,(Ya
      bastards!)
      the
     
     
      show
      was
      great.
      Sure
      there
      was
      no
     
     
      Hip
      tunes,
      but
      Downie
      proved
      he
     
     
      could
      still
      get
      people
      up
      on
      their
     
     
      feet
      without
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      Hip
     
     
      behind
      him.
      We
      all
      hope
      he
      comes
     
     
      back
      soon.