While the band was careful not to definitively say that their now-concluded “Man Machine Poem” tour would be their last, the recent revelation that Downie is battling terminal brain cancer gave the hometown Kingston concert an aura that was both celebratory and sombre.
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The highly prolific Canadian band received a number of tributes from local businesses in the lead up to their final concert and some restaurants even altered their daily special chalkboards to pay homage to the fans of the group.
The Tragically Hip, which formed in Kingston, Ontario, has released 14 studio albums since their debut in 1984 – including one titled “Man Machine Poem” in June.
Vedder’s comments reflect many Hip fan’s feelings.
“We’re in good hands, folks, real good hands”.
Trudeau told the CBC that the concert represents a way to not only say farewell to Downie, but also celebrate the singer and celebrate Canada. “(But) we’re going to get it fixed and we got the guy to do it, to start, to help”.
In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Trudeau reminisced about how he used to enjoy the band’s music during his school and university years.
Thousands of fans – including prime minister Justin Trudeau – watched the final show at the Rogers K-Rock Centre.
The nearly three-hour show in Kingston, Ontario, featured music from throughout the Tragically Hip music catalog – including fan favorites like Nautical Disaster, Bobcaygeon and Ahead by a Century, CNN partner CBC News reported. Trudeau’s official photographer tweeted a photo of the prime minister and Downie embracing before the concert.
“There is a Canadianness that runs through them to the point where new citizens should be given a Tragically Hip CD after they take the oath”, said Alan Cross, a radio show host and music historian. They came back for three encores before finishing with From High Up Above and Ahead By A Century.
The band – rounded out by guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay – put down their instruments, stood arm-in-arm as the crowd screamed their goodbyes, and then walked off stage for good.
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Before performing the song Fiddler’s Green, Downie seemed to reference the outpouring of support from fans in the wake of his diagnosis.
