I am nearly Canadian.
Being born and living in the border town of Detroit for much of my life, and spending many summer days of my youth at a cottage in Ontario, is just the start.
I learned 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 routinely sold out arenas and sang 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 nine 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 Canada's voice and provided much of the soundtrack of my life.
From helping me grow up and appreciate the broader world to helping me get 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."
Enjoy the ride + Plan accordingly.
-Marc
