I just secured my tickets to see one of my favorite bands, Canada's The Tragically Hip, on October 7 here in San Francisco. I caught them for the first time during their 2002 tour supporting their excellent CD In Violet Light and, if anything, I'm even more excited this time around; partially because they are without a doubt one of the most exciting live bands I've ever seen but also because I love their new work, the raw, fiery In Between Evolution even more than their previous effort. The songs from this CD will absolutely incinerate in a live setting and I personally can't wait to hear them.

Gord Downie, in addition to posessing a truely unique vocal style, is a fantastic lyricist and an absolute sensation on stage. My wife, who is not really much of a Hip fan, even made a point to comment on Gord's commanding stage presence when we caught them last time. The band mixes up the set list every night so that each show is an individual experience. That there are few better places to see live music in the country than the Fillmore is icing on the cake.

Long live Das Hip!