This week’s ride on the Countdown takes us straight back to Kingston, where the Hip story really begins. I’m joined by Mike — a fan whose Hip journey stretches from pub shows in the band’s early days to the heavy resonance of their final bow. Mike’s got a gift for tying his own life’s turning points to the music, and our conversation goes places both unexpected and deeply familiar to anyone who’s ever carried a Hip song in their bones.

We talk about restless youth, chance encounters that reshaped careers, and the strange way music keeps showing up right when you need it most. Mike shares stories from working life, his brush with CBC journalism, and how following the band’s trail across Canada opened him up to adventure. It’s less about nostalgia and more about recognizing how Gord and the boys kept nudging us to live a little bigger, a little braver.

This episode is a reminder that Hip fandom isn’t just about the music — it’s about where those songs take us. Sometimes that’s a sweaty Kingston bar, sometimes a mine in Northern Ontario, sometimes it’s right back home, realizing how much has changed and how much hasn’t.

“It was this sense of adventure — like Gord was off having all the fun, and I thought, maybe I need to find some of my own.”

About Our Guest

Mike is a Kingston native, longtime Hip fan, and veteran storyteller. His professional path wound through economics, CBC journalism, and documentary film — but the Hip have always been a compass point. His stories carry the grit, humour, and tenderness of someone who’s lived through the same soundtrack we all share.

Get Involved

We’re counting down to A Celebration of The Hip for ALS on October 4th at The Rec Room in Toronto. Silent auction, The Strictly Hip live, and the grand finale of this very countdown. Grab your tickets: bit.ly/TTHALSOct4th.

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Every ticket, every donation, every listen pushes us closer to raising money for the ALS Society of Canada in honour of our friend Matt Rona. Chip in, share, or just show up — it all matters.

Kingston’s own Mike shares his Hipstory with jD — a journey through music, work, and life shaped by The Tragically Hip.

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