In this episode of School of Hip Chaz and Heath welcome – from the Paris of the Prairies – writer, documentarian, film critic, and the director of operations at Saskatoon’s Rawlco Radio, Craig Silliphant. Craig’s latest book is a collection of humourous essays entitled Bunnyhug Cynic which includes a must-read reflection on the final Tragically Hip concert, from their hometown of Kingston, Ontario on Aug. 20, 2016.
Broadcast live on the CBC, the concert was watched by 11.7 million people, roughly a quarter of Canada’s population. This was Canada’s farewell to their beloved icon and poet laureate, Hip frontman Gord Downie, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was a funeral hosted by the dying man himself, says Silliphant and we talk about his excellent essay, The Man Who Walks Among the Stars (after first schooling Chaz on what the hell is a bunnyhug! Gotta love that Saskie slang!)
Then it’s on to Side A of Phantom Power wherein even Hip cynic Silliphant acknowledges the brilliance and depth of Bobcaygeon. Other phantom powered topics include the influence of producer Steve Berlin (from Los Lobos), the bare-breasted lawnmowing ladies of Poets, the great Quebec ice storm of ’98, which inspires Something On, and is that a flute we hear on Save the Planet? And Gord, is that a nickel stack in your pocket or are you just happy to see that bad ass Thompson Girl?
Whether you’re a lifelong Hip fan or just curious about what makes this band so iconic in Canada, School of Hip is your guide to the sounds and the story of the Tragically Hip, one album side per episode. Episodes drop every two weeks.
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Also:
The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip by Michael Barclay.
Chaz Charles is the founder of the Boneless Podcasting Network, currently hosting five fantastic shows (and appearing in many more!)
Heath McCoy is the author of Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling, available on Amazon.ca and at ECW Press. He appears in the award winning documentary Singhs in the Ring on Crave TV.
And once again, to all you rock n’ roll podcast lovers .... GO BONELESS!