Episode Details

The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown: Song Thirty-Three — Greg from Toronto

Hey, it’s jD, and this week I’m joined by Greg from Toronto — an American-born, Canadian-claimed Hiphead who had the great misfortune of missing way too many concerts thanks to a bartending career and some tragically timed shift work. (But when he did finally catch them live? Oh baby. Worth the wait.)

Greg’s Hipstory is proof that sometimes all it takes is one red cassette and a stack of free promos to rewire your musical DNA. We talk about the sweaty brilliance of Road Apples, the plasticky glory of early ’90s merch, and how the Hip’s lyrics helped decode a country he was trying to call home. He tells us about seeing the band for the first (and only) time during the In Violet Light tour, and how that single show blew the roof off everything he thought he knew about live performance.

There’s a healthy dose of nerding out over Day for Night (obviously), praise for the always-slept-on Now for Plan A, and even a sidebar about walking past the El Mocambo just in time to catch Limblifter soundcheck Ariel vs. Lotus. (You can’t make this shit up.)

🎙️ Next week: We hit the jackpot with none other than Hawksley Workman — a JUNO-winning, genre-hopping legend from Huntsville who’s bringing a Phantom Power track and some surreal stories along for the ride.

💬 Pull Quote

“Road Apples was like a red cassette full of sweaty enthusiasm. It wasn’t just good — it helped me understand this country. It showed me Canada through someone else’s eyes.”

👤 About Our Guest

Greg from Toronto is a podcaster, bartender-turned-culture sponge, and longtime collaborator in jD’s Hip universe. He co-hosted Fully & Completely, where he helped take the piss and plant the flag on many a Hip album. His deep dives into lyrics, love for Canadian music, and Midwestern-in-Canada charm make him the kind of guest who drops a Pearl Jam and Neil Young anecdote one minute and a nod to Johnnie Fay’s Instagram page the next.

He’s seen a lot of bands. Only one changed how he saw himself in the world.

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💸 Support ALS Canada

We’re raising $25,000 in honour of Matt Rona — a fan, a friend, and a force. Every donation supports the ALS Society of Canada and keeps the spirit of community alive. Chip in if you can: buymeacoffee.com/tthtop40

📜 Transcript Follows Below

TTHTop40 608

2025-05-23, 6:13 PM

TTHTop40 608

Transcript

[0:00] On Friday, May 26th, Podlist 6 is coming to you from the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown.

Hey, it's JD here, and I am fucking pumped to be filling you in on the latest Podlist. What is a

Podlist, you ask? It's a podcast playlist. In this case, it's a playlist full of Tragically Hip cover songs

by our talented listeners. Here's the deal this year. You can only choos