Next weekend will mark a significant moment in Canadian music history. On Aug. 20 The Tragically Hip will play, in their hometown of Kingston, what will likely be their final live concert.
In late May, the Hip announced that lead singer Gord Downie, 52, has terminal brain cancer and also that the band would embark on a Canadian tour this summer to promote its 14th studio album.
Downie’s diagnosis was shocking. Yet true to his persona – at least off the stage – it wasn’t all about him. He did not speak at a press conference and has yet to speak publicly about it. Instead, the band released a statement proclaiming “the music will stand to answer all.”
For some reason, perhaps because it was assuaged by the prospect of a tour, the true magnitude of Downie’s diagnosis hadn’t yet sunk in for me … until this week. The summer has flown by and the final stop on the Hip’s tour is almost upon us.
But now is not the time for a premature eulogy for the band’s frontman. It is, however, the perfect opportunity to reflect on the importance of The Tragically Hip’s unprecedented contributions to Canadian pop culture.
From the release of their self-titled LP in 1987 (followed two years later by Up to Here, which truly marked the band’s explosion onto the Canadian rock scene) to this year’s Man Machine Poem, every single Hip offering delivered something truly special, if not transcendent.
Their music teems with profound and now-familiar touchstones of melodic yet distinct sounds, poignant and engaging lyrics, and phenomenal story telling. Personally, no other band has had a bigger influence on me. I grew up with the Hip.
In high school my friend Rob and I would take advantage of a connection at a local record shop and grab a copy of the latest Hip album a day or two before its official release. We’d find a place to ourselves and listen to it from start to finish, quietly basking in the realization – however exaggerated it may have been – that we were among the first in the country to soak in the band’s latest masterpiece.
Of course, there were also many concerts over the years. From Another Roadside Attraction festivals and other outdoor appearances to indoor venues in Canada and the U.S., the Tragically Hip never disappointed in concert – ever.
Like many in this country, by pure osmosis, their music became the soundtrack to my youth. But what truly endeared the band to Canadians is measured by much more than time and place.
The Hip never achieved success in the U.S. to the degree that other celebrated Canadian bands have, yet that just made us love them even more. Perhaps, on a subconscious level, the Hip’s relative obscurity south of the 49th parallel appealed to many Canadians’ desire to distinguish ourselves from Americans.
Whatever the reason, they were – and remain – Canada’s band.
They make powerful music about everything that is important to us: our people, our places, our moments, our history. Their catalogue of music is so deep and so intricately woven into the fabric of the Canadian identity that it’s difficult to mention specific works for fear of unintentionally downplaying the importance of others.
Debates will rage on over the Hip’s best song or greatest album, but their contributions to Canadian music and culture are undeniable.
The CBC paid homage to the Hip’s achievements when it announced the band’s final concert in Kingston on Aug. 20 will be broadcast and streamed live (and commercial free) on its television, radio and web platforms.
We implore readers, regardless of their personal music tastes or preferred genres, to do whatever they can to catch the performance next weekend, if only a couple songs.
Every Canadian should witness at least once – or once more – The Tragically Hip in concert.
It’s history in the making and the music “will stand to answer all.”
