REVIEW BY: Mike McEwen
Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON
Thursday, December 21, 2000

I am stunned... It could be the fact I could hardly eat anything all day or more likely the fact that I just spent my day backstage, in front of the stage and on the stage!!

Where to begin? Ross found us standing in the ticket sales area around 4:30, from there things got surreal. We began with a quick tour of Ross's bus and then went into the depths of Copp's and went into his office, to prepare for videotaping and taking pictures. Shortly after this we went and watched the sound check. The band just slowly came on stage and just jammed together for awhile, not playing anything in particular, then they graced us with Lake Fever and Membership. After sound check I ran into my first member of The Hip: Paul Langlois was just standing chatting to some friends, as we passed he gladly turned around and shook our hands, things are now becoming really surreal. Eventually we went and had dinner. As we walked in Gord Sinclair was playing ping-pong with his children. Dinner was great, I didn't eat much, but Ross and my girlfriend enjoyed it!

Anyway, enough of that, now to the show. It started off with a powerful rendition of My Music at Work and the energy in the place was unbelievable. Some highlights for me personally were Titanic Terrarium, Sherpa, Opiated and an amazing version of Flamenco. It's the second time I've seen Gord and Kate sing this song in a duet, however, it still blew me off my feet! Definitely the crowd favourite!

So after yelling my lungs out, bursting my ears, and blinding my eyes with the spotlights, I am still in one piece and can not wait to leave this room and go mingle! Yes mingle!!

But, before I go, I'd like to thank Ross Walton, The Tragically Hip and everyone here, for an amazing day my girlfriend and I will never forget.

Mike McEwen

HIP FANS@WORK CONTEST RESUME!!

MIKE MCEWEN PETERBOROUGH OR GUELPH BORN 1979

EDUCATION-1994-PRESENT: EP, Up To Here, Road Apples, Fully Completely, Trouble at the Henhouse, Day for Night, Live Between Us, Phantom Power, Music @ Work. (Minoring in Gord Ramblings a.k.a. "Gordisms")

QUALIFICATIONS: 1994: Discovered The Hip. Was blown away by 'scared' when Day for Night was first released 1997: Took in my first hip show. Another Roadside Attraction! 1998: Became Internet connected and a member of the hips mailing list 1998: Created my Tragically Hip web page. On the web ring or www.geocities.com/mike_mcewen/thehip.html 1998: Took in my second hip show, Camp Trillium Benefit Concert in Peterborough. Special bonus points for being first in line after a 13 hour wait. 1999: Discovered the 'henhouse': the hip's unofficial mailing list. 1999: Took in my third and fourth hip shows at The Corel Center and Copps Colliseum 1999-2000: Took in my fifth Hip show at the ACC New Years Eve!!! 2000: Missed my biggest chance at ever meeting the band, when I never made it to Toronto for the Music@Work video shoot. 2000: Stood out in the pouring rain at muchmusic to watch the band perform their I&I

HIP COLLECTION AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS: 9 official release cd's. 4 unofficial releases 1 european release of Day for Night Many, many Gord ramblings, including the infamous 'killer whale tank' and 'double suicide monologue' 7 HIP Posters 1 Tragically Hip Wallpaper 1 Tragically Hip Screensaver 1 Phantom Power Dog Tags 1 Another Roadside Attraction T-Shirt 1 Live Between Us T-Shirt 1 Day for Night T-Shirt 1 Hip Sweatshirt (fancy logo!) 1 Trouble at the Henhouse sticker 1 phantom power tab book 1 tragically hip web site 1 membership to hip mailing list 1 membership to henhouse mailing list 1 life-long dream of meeting the band

References:

Girlfriend, Mom, my friends, and anyone else I may have affected with my psycho-hip syndrome!!

Here's a little song I wrote. Funny enough, the tune is identical to Grace Too!!!

I love THE TRAGICALLY HIP!! C'mon pick me so... I kinda cross my fingers... That I'll get to go to the show... But I can guarantee... That no one wants this more... I'm a total pro (with a camera) and that's why I'm here for (you)... I'll come from Guelph... Born ready for this... Armed with psycho hip fan syndrome... And if I win...bli---iss...

My dream of this engagement... Is up to you to endorse... When the appearance of my face... Meets the appearance of Gord's... But I can guarantee... I won't pass out on the floor... I'm a total pro (with a camera)... That's why I'm here for (you)... I'll walk from Guelph... Just to meet the band... Armed with will and determination... And my lifelong dream in hand...

-- Mike McEwen