Canada's own Tragically Hip played a sold out outdoor show at the stately Bessborough Gardens in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on July 18 to an appreciative crowd of about 3500 people. I believe it was the last performance of the Canadian leg of their current tour before playing a couple of summer festivals, and then going Stateside in the middle of August to continue the tour in support of their current album World Container.

And that's the way it will go down in the record books in plain ol' black & white. What it actually was is something else entirely. There's a very good chance that on that night, the Hip could lay claim to the title of best Rock and Roll Band that ever came out of Canada.

Not that I'm saying that they are (the best Rock and Roll Band to ever come out of Canada, that is), or that they would even say so themselves. But they're right up there with the elder Canadian rock gods that are often named as worthy of the throne — The Guess Who, Rush, Brian Adams — and about a half dozen others that you probably only know if you're a Canuck yourself.

But the Hip's show last Wednesday was one of a kind, with beautiful outdoor weather, a nice venue, and a band ready to cut loose before a well earned break.

Opening act the Sadies warmed up the crowd with their indie cowpunk sound — played tight and twangy. As the sun went lower in the sky, and the somewhat uncomfortable heat came down to a manageable level, the Hip wandered in from the side of the Gardens. They opened their set with the big single from their current album World Container, "Yer Not the Ocean." A nice, bouncy, uptempo rocker, I thought — good idea, played well, and with enthusiasm.

Singer Gord Downie greeted his audience: "Saskatoon, Bessbourough Gardens - you're not the ocean...yet!"

Ironically, Bess Gardens used to be a swimming pool — go fig. Decent enough I thought, but with the second song, "Grace, Too," something turned right there and the lighthearted start got real intense. The whole band got that look on their faces that you only get when you're deep in the zone, if you take my meaning.

Downie didn't bother singing the first verse, it was more shouted — like no version of "Grace, Too" I've ever heard. I've even seen the YouTube footage of "Grace, Too" from GM Place last week. Sorry, Vancouver, we got the REAL thing.