The Tragically Hip: Saturday Night Live

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The Tragically Hip
Saturday Night Live
Studio 8H
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY
1995/03/25

Have you watched Saturday Night Live lately? My wife loves it and as such I end up watching it with her. We don't usually catch it 'Live', but rather we will watch it from their website sometime during the week when we have the time. It's been so good lately - except for the musical acts... This current cast is very talented and they've been together for a while which helps. SNL has always went through highs & lows. They are definitely in a High right now. Comedy-wise anyway.

Musically, it's a different story. It's just a record promo these days. Or a singles promo, right? WTF was that Lana Del Rey performance from earlier this year? The next episode airs on April 7, 2012 and features 'One Direction'. Who? I know, I know. I had to look them up. On this legendary stage that has been home to such performers as Jimmy Cliff, Gordon Lightfoot, The Band, Brian Wilson, Santana, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Talking Heads, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Prince, The Allman Brothers Band, Elton John, Queen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Neville Brothers, George Clinton, Run-DMC, Roy Orbison, Sting, Elvis Costello, Little Feat, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, R.E.M., Public Enemy, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Garth Brooks, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Morrissey, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Green Day, Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Rod Stewart, Foo Fighters, Blues Traveler, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Metallica, Sarah McLachlan, Mariah Carey, Luciano Pavarotti, The Roots, Eminem, Radiohead, U2, Phish, Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Arcade Fire and of course The Tragically Hip.

'One Direction' has been around since 2010. Yep. I guess they have a new single out and need some good face-time with the public. Look, I know that The Hip weren't the biggest thing going in the US when they were featured and getting them on the show probably never would have happened without the influence of their friend Danny Aykroyd, but at least they had a track record before they got there. They were arguably the number 1 act in Canada despite going head-to-head with the likes of Rush, Bryan Adams, etc... They had put out 4 solid albums front to back. I know that The Hip deserved this honour much more than 'One Direction' & most of this year's line-up have. It really used to mean something to make it up there on that stage. Now it's Money for Nothin'...

So, let me take you back to March 25, 1995. I was so excited to see the boys on this great show. John Goodman was the host, but Dan Aykroyd was there and so too was George Wendt (Norm from Cheers). They reprised the "Da Bears' skit... The Hip performed Grace, too and Nautical Disaster off of their recently released album Day for Night. Gord had hair. I had hair.

This was the origin of the "Tragically Hip' lyric being inserted into Grace, too's opening line. Gord had his mind on giving he nephew a signal for his 11th birthday with 2 fingers and well, you can check it out for yourself...

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