Glass Tiger takes crowd way back

By Kirk Avery

I didn’t really know what to expect when I arrived at the Wave on Saturday, because at first I thought the band would have been halfway through their set, but it turned out that I was just in time. As I made my way to a prime viewing spot, I couldn’t help but notice that the crowd was a little older than what you would com- monly see at the Wave, but it was a really nice change of pace.

The best part of the show was ©

_ reliving a bit of my childhood, and

even though I was only a toddler when the band was at its peak, I can still remember being a bit older and hearing Glass Tiger’s songs all over the radio.

I didn’t realize that I knew as much of their music as I did, because when I heard songs like “Diamond Sun,” “My Town” and “My Song” I was immediately brought back.Other songs that really stood out were “I Will Be There,” “I’m Still Searching,” and

ABOVE: Canadian 80’s rock band, Glass Tiger, who recently performed at the Wave to much enjoyment of the crowd, poses in a group photo. Both new and old fans of the band may have an interest in such songs as

Don’t Forget Me when I’m Gone.

BELOW: Canadian-rock favourites, The Tragically Hip’s new album World Container, featuring singles such as Yer Not the Ocean and In View, which as has received positive reviews. The Hip recently per-

formed in a show for an ecstatic Charlottetown crowd at the

Charlottetown Civic Centre.

easily their two biggest hits “Someday,” and “Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone,” the latter being the one number that everyone couldn’t wait to hear, and when they did they showed their appre- ciation by singing the words at the top of their lungs. When you actu- ally look back at that list of songs, its pretty impressive to note how much Glass Tiger has contributed to the world of music.

In hindsight, it was really cool seeing a band that was so big at one point, and had collaborated

with other giant artists like Rod Stewart and Bryan Adams. When I thought about the other possibili- ties that night, Glass Tiger was definitely the hottest ticket in town. Lead singer Alan Frew seemed to genuinely enjoy the crowd, and did a great job getting a few laughs in the process. The night ended up exceeding my expectations, and listening to their songs after has just reinforced my pride in the band being one of the premier acts to ever come out of Canada.

That night in Charlottetown

By Adam W. Morrison

I really gained an interest in the music of the Tragically Hip after seeing them perform as the final opening act for The Rolling Stones in Moncton two years ago. Since then, I’ve listened to their music on daily basis. Checking out some of their music videos on YouTube back in June, I visited their web- site and found out they would be playing the Charlottetown Civic Centre in September. Perfect tim- ing, I thought, as I would be back on the Island attending classes at UPEI.

I immediately bought tickets online, and forked over the extra cash for the best seats. So, the con- cert was held Saturday, Sept. 15. Was it worth the summer’s wait and money? Abso-fucking-lutely!

If I did have any concerns about heading to the concern, it was finding a place to park. This didn’t prove a problem, as I easily found a spot over at the Racing/Casino parking lot, which is besides the civic centre. The Sadies, originally from Toronto, were the opening act. I never heard of them before they played, but I was really quite impressed. A four-man band, they exhibited a unique sound. That sound has been described as indie rock/alternative country. Much of their music was purely instrumen- tal. Don’t take that as a criticism, for Iam as much as fan of purely instrumental rock as vocal rock (one of the best examples I can think of is YYZ by Rush, off their 1981 album, Moving Pictures). Once the Sadies finished, there was the obligatory wait for the main event. This wait just builds the anticipation. But, as they say, patience is a virtue.

When the Hip did walk on stage, the crowd went wild. They opened with Yer Not the Ocean, one of the tracks from Word Container, their latest album. Going back to their

performance in Moncton two years ago, what I remembered most was the energy lead singer Gord Downie displayed. It was on full effect here. He bounced across the stage, and brandished his micro- phone stand like a spear. His danc- ing reminded me of Mick Jagger’s onstage moves. The other songs performed consisted mostly of their better known titles, including Grace, Too, Bobcaygeon, Escape is at Hand for the Traveling Man, Ahead by a Century (which Gord dedicated to the women in the audience), Courage, and At the Hundreth Meridian. During the playing of At the Hundreth Meridian, Downie decided to sit on stage and lean up against the microphone while covering his face with a white cloth. While doing this, he reached his arms out as if he was having some kind of vision. After a while, I was won- dering what was going on. But, he soon jumped to his feet and belted out the rest of the song.

It was no surprise The Hip didn’t play New Orleans is Sinking in Moncton two years ago. This was a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina actually put New Orleans underwater. Even though the song was released on their 1989 album, Up to Here, radio stations stopped playing the song for the time being. It’s my favorite song of theirs and was relieved when they did play it this time around. As for material on World Container, they also played The Drop-Off and The Lonely End of the Rink, while quite good, probably won’t end up my favourites list. When The Hip stopped playing and walked off stage, it wasn’t the end of the music. Within minutes (I suppose after taking a breather), they came back for an encore performing World Container and the sensation- al Little Bones. When it was all said and done, I left the civic cen- tre exhilarated.

And that’s that.