Brigadoon Weekend = Global Street Smarts
April 24, 2021
The Tragically Hip
I am nearly Canadian.
Being born and living in the border town of Detroit much of my life and spending many summer days of my youth at a cottage in Ontario is just the start.
I learned the game of hockey by watching CBC and Don Cherry. I worked at Roots for a spell. But my most Canadian pursuit was my fully completely embrace of The Tragically Hip.
The band never reached epic heights in the States. But in Detroit and Buffalo, the group would routinely sell out arenas and sing to a crowd of 20,000. The fact that the band never reached a Pearl Jam or REM status made them even more special for me.
Like I was fabulously rich. Like I came from downtown. Like I was in on some secret that my fellow Americans had missed.
It's been nearly four years since Gord Downie, the lead singer for this beloved alt-rock band, moved to the lonely end of the rink. His passing was sad but peaceful. Grace, too.
Just 53. The cause was terminal brain cancer.
The group gigged around Canada throughout the 80s and eventually earned a record contract after then-MCA president Bruce Dickinson caught them live in Toronto.
"Gord Downie is definitely in the tradition of great Canadian poets," Dickinson told the National Post in 2016. "There can be a certain darkness in the lyrics, in some ways that reminded me of reading and listening to Leonard Cohen or Robertson Davies. I think that's all part of what appeals to Canadian fans. They're five Canadian guys who go up on stage, and they look like their audience. I think that everyman quality matters."
As the poet laureate of Canadian rock, Downie spent three decades as the voice of Canada and provided much of the soundtrack of my life.
From helping me grow up, appreciate the broader world to getting over girlfriends.
The Hip is still on the web, and I can carry their music on my iPod Classic, but the world is a little less magical without Downie.
His mastery of language and ability to craft colorful lyrics served as a guidebook. Knowing it takes more than another caller with a bachelor degree to grasp what is happening.
Maybe more Americans will discover his work and come to embrace The Tragically Hip.
But probably not.
So let's raise a glass of milk to the end of another day.
This band was ahead by a century and knew life is no dress rehearsal.
Speaking with The New York Times around the band's final show, Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew summed up the Tragically Hip's influence: "We're a country that hasn't really embraced its history just yet. We're still trying to figure out what makes us Canadian, and we have one of the loudest neighbors in the world, so this band helped a country, and Gord helped people lyrically, slowly start to try to define themselves."
THE TRAGICALLY HIP DEEP DIVE
The Tragically Hip: Often referred to simply as The Hip, were a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of lead frontman Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay. They released 13 studio albums, two live albums, one EP, and 54 singles over a 33-year career. Nine of their albums have reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts. They have received numerous Canadian music awards, including 16 Juno Awards.
Discogs
25 things you didn't know about The Tragically Hip
CBC
The Tragically Hip: 10 essential songs
Rolling Stone
The most Canadian song lyric belongs to the Tragically Hip ... or does it? The Tragically Hip may sing the definitive Canadian song lyric. Then again, maybe not.
CBC
Gord Downie's final album is a gift
NPR
"Songs are only half-finished when they are recorded, you have to perform them to finish them." -- Gord Downie
BRIGADOON WATCHES | VIDEOS ON THE TRAGICALLY HIP
The Tragically Hip's final show: On Aug. 20, 2016, in the band's hometown of Kingston in front of 6,700 people in the K-Rock Centre and 25,000 in Springer Market Square around the corner; at least 11.7 million Canadians watched the CBC broadcast of the concert.
The Tragically Hip's last song rings out across Canada: Thousands of fans from Halifax to Vancouver sang the Tragically Hip’s last song, ‘Ahead By A Century.’
Long Time Running: Released on September 13th, 2017 as a Bell Media original documentary on CTV, the Tragically Hip went on one final cross-country tour in 2016 before they heard some bad news about their lead singer and Canadian frontman, Gord Downie, who was diagnosed with brain cancer.
What is it about The Tragically Hip? How did five guys playing the bars of Kingston, Ontario go on to sell out arenas across Canada, and produce hit after hit over the past 30 years? A look at the captivating music of the beloved Hip.
Gord Downie on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight: Full interview
The Tragically Hip's Gord Downie on Q TV: Gord Downie, the vocalist and corner stone for the iconic Canadian band The Tragically Hip sat down with CBC Q host Jian Ghomeshi to look back on the bands incredible career.
Gord Downie on The National: "I've been so lucky." In this 2016 interview, Gord Downie reflects on family, having an incurable brain cancer, his recent cross-country tour, and why he's focusing on First Nations issues.
BRIGADOON READS | THE TRAGICALLY HIP DEEP DIVE
The Never-Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip - Michael Barclay
Hard Canadian: A Completist's Guide to Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip - Corey Ross Cole
Tragically Hip, Twisted: Illustrated Stories Inspired by Hip Songs - David Sachs
Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995 - Michael Barclay
Escape is at Hand: Tales of a Boy and a Band - Joshua Kloke
50 Mission Cap - Adrian Brijbassi
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Brigadoon June Call | Adventures with Fiat Pandas + Autogrills + Negronis
Matt Hranek | Founder + Editor @ Wm Brown Magazine
June 16, 2021
More details and passes - click here.
Thanks for supporting Brigadoon. See you next week.
-Marc
Curation + commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder + Chief Curator @ Brigadoon
Brigadoon is always powerpoint free and conversation-driven for better insights and connections.
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