The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown

Episode 25 – Song 16: Brent in Bakersfield

🎙 Hosted by jD

📅 Released June 30, 2025

“It just hit, brother. It was one of those magical days where everything clicked — the band, the crowd, the kiss, the fucking moment.” — Brent in Bakersfield

Hey, it’s jD here — your faithful Hip tour guide, poetic shit disturber, and abacus enthusiast. And this week on The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown, we’re rolling into song #16, joined by none other than Brent from Bakersfield — a western Canadian transplant with a heart full of Hip and a knack for storytelling.

Brent’s Hipstory is the long burn kind. Not a lightning bolt. A simmer. We trace it from AM-radio farmland in Saskatchewan to a soul-bending first concert in ‘97 at Another Roadside Attraction — Sheryl Crow, Las Lobos, Wilco, the works — and then right into a Wheat Kings kiss that could soundtrack any coming-of-age movie worth its salt. And I mean, c’mon… that’s how you become a fan for life.

Brent’s seen them 11 times, and nearly every time came with a divine little moment. The kind you can still feel decades later. We dive deep into all of it, including the night he thought he wouldn’t make the gig… until a rig worker named Spud said the five greatest words a Hip fan can hear: “Fuck yeah, let’s go.”

We’re into the Top 15. If you’ve been following since We Want to Be It landed at #40, thank you. If you’re just joining us — it’s time to catch up, friend. Things are getting legendary.

Brent in Bakersfield

Born in Saskatchewan. Schooled in Hip by a roommate from Toronto. Baptized in fandom at Another Roadside Attraction in Saskatoon. Currently rocking out in California but carrying the Great Canadian Songbook in his blood. A true believer. Also: possibly kissed someone at a Hip concert in front of 20,000 people. Legend status.

Where do your Hip memories take you? Want to be a guest on a future episode, or just scream into the fan-mail void about rankings, bootlegs, or your college roommate named Bacon?

📧 Email me: tthtop40@gmail.com

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The Hip’s In Between Evolution turns 21 on Sunday, June 29—and we’re heading back to Greg and jD’s Fully & Completely episode to revisit this misunderstood monster. Produced by Adam Kasper, this 9th studio record deserves a fresh listen. Tune in and give it the birthday spin it deserves.

Sunday Evening Jam – June 22

Sara J and jD are back with another round of Hip chatter and everything in between — from Claire from Ann Arbor’s killer episode on the Countdown to the scoop on the Ultimate SuperFan Search. You gotta check this one out.

👉 Catch it live every Sunday at 8PM ET on YouTube @dewvre1974