From the perspective of a guy from Buffalo at a Tragically Hip concert in San Francisco

This story is from the perspective of a guy from Buffalo at a Tragically Hip concert in San Francisco.

Really...the only way to see these guys is in a small (and famous) music club in San Francisco and not in a giant arena in Calgary. Don't get me wrong...I love 'em...but they are better suited to the smaller room. This is, by far, the most concentrated collection of Canadians in San Francisco tonight -- maybe the most all year?

In the bathroom between the opening band and The Hip, a voice calls out "Who's from Vancouver, eh?" -- this is answered by "Go Canucks!" from the opposite corner and, slightly overlapping in timing, "Go Leafs, Go" from right next to me in a clear combative tone. A couple more Crown and Coke's and I would have added in my own $0.02 and screamed something clever like "Buffalo rules...wooo". The 'wooo' is pretty standard really...seems trite, but how can you leave it out. C'mon.

The Canadian national anthem was 'sung' outside the club afterwards by competing packs of drunks waiting for their friends. It was beautiful...I wanted to pull the sweater over this guy's head next to me and start beating the crap out of him...but in a fun and friendly way. The kind of fun fight where the involved parties make sure to take care of their eyeglasses beforehand and do so with a giant and somewhat maniacal smile on their face. Although I never did find my friends -- the guys who flew down from Calgary just for this show -- and they now have my coat from the coat check, dammit.

Even though they didn't play 'Naughtical Disaster'...the Sabres have clinched a playoff berth. All is well.


once in a while...I stray from geo topics...no worries, it's just a random post