Trudeau on Tragically Hip: ‘Soundtrack of our lives’

A national applause rang out as Canadians watched the Tragically Hip’s final stop on their Man Machine Poem tour in their hometown of Kingston, Ont. Saturday night.

Gord Downie, who received his diagnosis past year, and The Tragically Hip rocked out for almost three hours in front of a sold-out crowd in Kingston, Ontario. Tickets had sold out within minutes.

Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and fans across Canada and overseas gathered at viewing parties to tune in and bid him farewell. Trudeau’s official photographer tweeted a photo of the prime minister and Downie embracing before the concert. His doctor James Perry said Downie had responded well to treatment, but the tumour was impossible to completely remove from his brain.

In the same announcement, they released their intentions to host one final tour for the summer.

Downie formed the legendary band with guitarist Rob Baker in 1984. Their well- known lyrics often make intrinsically Canadian references, such as to the 1972 hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union. “I love my idea of this country”.

He made the crowd work a little harder for the second encore, and by the third one, the audience’s cheers for more reached a new peak as people banged the arena seats and chanted his name.

The two-hour concert, which included numerous band’s hits through the years, was screened in Riverside Park at the Rotary Bandshell and at McDonald Park following Overlanders Day celebrations.

In an interview with the CBC, Trudeau reminisced about how he used to enjoy the band’s music during his high school and university years.

“There’s something going on up north of the border tonight, and it involves somebody that we can say is a family member. and I just want to send them our energy. and wish the best to Mr. Gord Downie. Forever in our hearts and playlists”, the PM wrote. He twice praised Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in attendance. And what’s going on up there ain’t good. Are you f*cking kidding me?!

CBC live-streamed the concert and similar viewing parties were held in other cities across Canada.

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 Hip then segued into songs from their latest album, Man Machine Poem, before running through their previous records.

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

It was one of a few moments that brought any number of Hip fans in the group of onlookers to tears.