Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip holds final show

Tickets had sold out within minutes.

Loplops also held a live screening downtown.

In an emotionally charged final concert in Kingston, Ont., Tragically Hip singer Gord Down paused the show to address the audience, the country, and specifically, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The band’s last hometown show last Saturday in Kingston, Ontario, was billed as a national celebration.

There were cheers at Mike’s Pub when lead singer Gord Downie, who is suffering from terminal brain cancer, stepped onto the stage.

In the same announcement, they released their intentions to host one final tour for the summer. “So we’re going to dig deep and try to make this our best tour yet”.

Downie formed the legendary band with guitarist Rob Baker in 1984.

They started as a college band working the local circuit and then took off, but their success across 14 albums was mostly confined to within Canada. Far from a sorrowful event, however, it seemed more to be a lesson in national pride in much the same way as the Super Bowl or the Olympics.

Downie’s lyrics are peppered with references to Canada’s history and geography, from the explorer Jacques Cartier to the Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey team. “I love my idea of this country”.

Downie singled out Trudeau for special thanks, telling him his presence, “really means a lot to us”.

“There’s something going on north of the border tonight and it involves somebody who we consider a family member just because he’s part of the group of touring musicians that we’ve met over the years”.

Trudeau reminisced in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. about how he enjoyed the band’s music during high school and college, and said the band remains uniquely Canadian. Forever in our hearts and playlists.

“He’s going to be looking good for about at least 12 more years”. The Tragically Hip is “our Stones, our Hendrix, our Zeppelin, our Bob Dylan, all wrapped up in one awesome band”, fan Wes Guidry told The New York Times. “I’ve been here longer than I lived in Kingston now”, Downie tells the Star.

On Twitter, Indigenous leaders, artists and thinkers shared thanks for lending visibility, but also questioned Trudeau’s ability to deliver.

The “Hip played three encores and finished the concert off with ‘Ahead by a Century”.

The band followed up “50 Mission Cap” with two more songs from the fan-favourite album “Fully Completely:” “Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)” and “Wheat Kings”.

Shawn Stevenson was one of those fans and he said this final show was a big deal.

They then hugged, stood arm-in-arm as the crowd roared – and walked off-stage for good.

During the performance of Grace Too during the second encore, Gord appeared to break down in tears before dropping his microphone to the floor in a poignant moment that left fans teary-eyed themselves.