RIP Gord Downie (Tragically Hip)

[chuckrh]

Not unexpected but still sad. He was an unique performer & will be missed!

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tragically-hips-gord-downie-dead-at-53-w504219

[Mr. Lynch]

It was the Hip that introduced me to Wilco, back in 1997. Wilco was on their Another Roadside Attraction festival tour. I heard Red-Eyed And Blue and fell in love. Bought Being There shortly after.

 

I'm Canadian, and the Hip have always been my first love. A tremendous live band. I'll treasure so many moments and memories. I'm just trying not to bawl my eyes out at work right now.

[TCP]

Growing up as a Canadian The Hip were always around, on the radio, on TV, coming through town. For a long time I definitely took them for granted. It wasn't until more recent years I really appreciated them. When you think of big Canadian bands, The Band, Guess Who, New Pornographers, etc not a lot of them really sound Canadian, but The Tragically Hip did. The older I get, the more of the world I see, the more I appreciate that. Plus, you forget how many truly great hits they have, when they did that televised concert last year it was just hit after hit.

I recall seeing Gord making public appearances this summer, so hopefully he wasn't in pain for that long. RIP.

[Chez]

RIP, Gord.

[Lammycat]

I don't know this band but remember watching this a year ago or so and thought it was pretty ballsy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jTMSBhPCZw

[remphish1]

Damn it! Too many of my favorites are dying young! Loved the hip! Never understood how they had zero popularity in the USA. Saw them three times once on Canada Day in Central Park nyc which was epic. Going to miss them big time.

[TCP]

Here's a statement from earlier today from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
 

“For almost five decades, Gord Downie uncovered and told the stories of Canada. He was the frontman of one of Canada’s most iconic bands, a rock star, artist, and poet whose evocative lyrics came to define a country. The Tragically Hip’s music invited us to explore places we had never been – from Mistaken Point to Churchill – and helped us understand each other, while capturing the complexity and vastness of the place we call home. Gord’s command of language was profound. He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths. When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest – like Gord himself. In the wake of his diagnosis, Gord only fought harder for what he believed in: social justice, environmentalism, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Before passing, he shined his light on the story of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack who died from hunger and exposure after trying to find his way home from a residential school. For his work raising awareness of Indigenous issues, he was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2017. Gord did not rest from working for the issues he cared about, and his commitment and passion will continue to motivate Canadians for years to come. On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to Gord’s family, friends, bandmates and crew members, and his many, many fans. He will be sorely missed.”

 

The fact that PM JT even issued a statement on Gord's passing (never mind the amount of kind words) speaks a lot to Gord's impact and importance. 

[Doug C]

There are 3 Hip related threads to chose from. Obviously I went with this one. I’d occasionally hear the name The Tragically Hip for over 20 years, but never investigated. When Gordon Downie’s diagnosis and the final tour were announced, I came across it and was intrigued. I read quite a bit on occasion, especially just before and after the final show and Gord’s death, but still never listened. I meant to, but...

 

Anyway, tonight my wife and I are doing our regular weekend of crosswords, beers, dogs and music. We listen to SiriusXM, me changing stations when a song one of us disapproves of comes on. To get to the point (Sorry. My biggest fault is too much detail), I had Sirius tuned on North Americana (exactly what it sounds like, music-wise), and a Tragically Hip song came on. I don’t remember the name, but it was top drawer. My wife inquired about it, and I gave her some background on the Hip, mainly the final tour and Gord’s death. Our youngest daughter, 30, died 2 years ago in March, and creative people dying always moves us, so I got online to get my wife and I more information. I was struck by the degree that The Tragically Hip in general, and Gord Downie specifically, were revered in Canada. The testimonials, the final concert CBC broadcast/simulcast, the Prime Minister statements, etc. were very telling. I can’t imagine anything similar in the USA. It saddened me that there is no band/musician/artist death that would have a collective response nationally like Gord Downie’s death did in Canada. What I mean is, no artist is as important to the US, as the Hip/Gord were to Canada. I know the population is much smaller, but what explains it? I remember when Elvis died, yes, ODing on a toilet is quite different than courageously completing a final tour after a terminal diagnosis, but still. I don’t know. Maybe I’m completely off base with this. It just seems like another reason to look to Canada. Ha ha. 
 

Anyway, thanks for reading and go easy on me. I’m old and wistful.

[randomname]

First, my condolences for your loss. And thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I'm Canadian, so I'll hazard a guess as to why they were so important in this country.

They developed an audience the old fashioned way, town to town, playing universities, clubs, eventually stadiums. I live in a fairly small city and they always seemed to stop by on their tours. They had multi-generational appeal, and people grew up with them.

Then there was the content of their songs. References to old hockey stories, the prairies, Ontario towns. Where else could Canadians hear rock songs with lines about high schools with "pictures of our parents' Prime Ministers"?

Finally, and probably most importantly, there was Gord. He was an active political voice. He did a lot of work raising awareness about indigenous communities. His public battle with cancer and that final tour captured people's imagination because of his guts and force of will.

I often think Canada doesn't have the same kind of national collective identity as the US. I'm speculating, but I believe if you asked Americans to name national cultural touchstones, symbols, mottos, you might not get the same answers, but you would get an answer nonetheless! In Canada, I think many people would struggle to automatically, with little prompting, answer the same questions. So when a Canadian band offers an image of Canada in song, Canadians listen, particularly when that band is led by a frontman who embodies a kind of toughness and energy that are universally celebrated.

[mountain bed]

Here's a statement from earlier today from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:

 

“For almost five decades, Gord Downie uncovered and told the stories of Canada. He was the frontman of one of Canada’s most iconic bands, a rock star, artist, and poet whose evocative lyrics came to define a country. The Tragically Hip’s music invited us to explore places we had never been – from Mistaken Point to Churchill – and helped us understand each other, while capturing the complexity and vastness of the place we call home. Gord’s command of language was profound. He painted landscapes with his words, elevating Canadian geography, historical figures, and myths. When he spoke, he gave us goosebumps and made us proud to be Canadian. Our identity and culture are richer because of his music, which was always raw and honest – like Gord himself. In the wake of his diagnosis, Gord only fought harder for what he believed in: social justice, environmentalism, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Before passing, he shined his light on the story of 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack who died from hunger and exposure after trying to find his way home from a residential school. For his work raising awareness of Indigenous issues, he was inducted as a member of the Order of Canada in 2017. Gord did not rest from working for the issues he cared about, and his commitment and passion will continue to motivate Canadians for years to come. On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to Gord’s family, friends, bandmates and crew members, and his many, many fans. He will be sorely missed.”

 

The fact that PM JT even issued a statement on Gord's passing (never mind the amount of kind words) speaks a lot to Gord's impact and importance. 

What a wonderful, eloquent statement by PM Trudeau. I don't know how our VC friends from Canada feel about Trudeau but I must say from Indiana that he seems like an alert, astute public servant. I once had a President that could write and speak like that, and he is missed. I'm a bit jealous of you all. But I won't go further than that here, politically speaking. 

 

My sincere condolences go out to Mr. Downie's family and friends, and his many fans here and around the world. 

Finally, and probably most importantly, there was Gord. He was an active political voice. He did a lot of work raising awareness about indigenous communities. His public battle with cancer and that final tour captured people's imagination because of his guts and force of will.

I often think Canada doesn't have the same kind of national collective identity as the US. I'm speculating, but I believe if you asked Americans to name national cultural touchstones, symbols, mottos, you might not get the same answers, but you would get an answer nonetheless! In Canada, I think many people would struggle to automatically, with little prompting, answer the same questions. So when a Canadian band offers an image of Canada in song, Canadians listen, particularly when that band is led by a frontman who embodies a kind of toughness and energy that are universally celebrated.

That is beautiful. 

[chuckrh]

living in seattle, i was lucky to see the hip many times mostly in small places. starting with "new orleans" era. when they played here, there was usually a healthy contingent down from vancouver. at 1 point, the owners of a big club were using me as a consultant about booking bands. when they asked me about the hip, i said book them now! they set the club record for alcohol sales that night, haha. the one big show i saw them do was opening for jimmy page & robert plant. the hip totally destroyed them with an unreal good opening set. i saw gord do a solo show once too & that was just as good. miss that band!

[remphish1]

Hip were brilliant I always called them Canada’s R.E.M.. anyhow I was fortunate enough to see them three times live. He was a great showman and the band was great. They have a really good back catalog to chose from and they appear the be the band with the most country pride I have ever seen. Doug also sorry for your loss

[Doug C]

Thanks, randomname. I appreciate your response. Your explanation jibes with the kind of things I was reading about The Hip and Canada. It’s amazing (and beautiful) to me that roughly a third of Canada’s population watched or listened to the CBC’s broadcast/simulcast of the final concert. Even under the same circumstances as TTH/Gord Downie (thé diagnosis etc.) no existing American band would elicit a response remotely resembling Canada’s reaction to The Hip and Gord. It seems strange to me that was never a point of discussion at the time. Not just at VC, but anywhere. I did some Googling, to no avail. It must have been a wonderful feeling to be a part of such a beautiful thing.

 

Thanks again.

[remphish1]

Thanks, randomname. I appreciate your response. Your explanation jibes with the kind of things I was reading about The Hip and Canada. It’s amazing (and beautiful) to me that roughly a third of Canada’s population watched or listened to the CBC’s broadcast/simulcast of the final concert. Even under the same circumstances as TTH/Gord Downie (thé diagnosis etc.) no existing American band would elicit a response remotely resembling Canada’s reaction to The Hip and Gord. It seems strange to me that was never a point of discussion at the time. Not just at VC, but anywhere. I did some Googling, to no avail. It must have been a wonderful feeling to be a part of such a beautiful thing.

 

Thanks again.

I know I spoke about the hip here for sure in the past...

[Doug C]

I know I spoke about the hip here for sure in the past...

 

"When you're back in your old neighborhood..."

 

Yes you did. I read all of your Hip posts prior to my post that you quoted. You spoke about seeing them, how much you liked them, how much you'll miss them, etc. I never said that you, or anyone else, didn't speak about The Tragically Hip on VC. 

 

 In my post that you quoted as ignoring or forgetting your Hip posts, this is what I said, " Even under the same circumstances as TTH/Gord Downie (thé diagnosis etc.) no existing American band would elicit a response remotely resembling Canada’s reaction to The Hip and Gord. It seems strange to me that was never a point of discussion at the time. Not just at VC, but anywhere. I did some Googling, to no avail. It must have been a wonderful feeling to be a part of such a beautiful thing."

 

It does seem strange to me that there wasn't discussion about how a country figuratively shut down, the Toronto PD tweeted on the day of the final show that "at 8:30, Canada is closed", to honor a band. Some Canadians talked about it, but nothing in depth. I understand that because as it happened there, it probably seemed organic and "normal" I find it even more interesting that I could find no in depth discussion of why it would never happen in America. That's what really interests me. Hell, if Bono had a diagnosis like Downie's and U2 did a final tour in the US, you might see something somewhat resembling The Hip/Downie, but not an American band. 

 

As I was typing that, I thought about Springsteen. Maybe the response would be similar, but the president speaking as earnestly and sincerely as Trudeau did about Downie/The Hip? The country shutting down? PBS broadcasting the final show for free? Pay-per-view, hell yes. An estimated third of the country watching the final show? I can't imagine it.

 

Why is it personally such a big deal? Because music is one of the 3 or 4 legs of the stool that is my life. Most people that I am aware of do not feel the same about music in general. Certainly not the same band specifically. How can 2 countries that are so similar be so different? Music preference is so fractured here, almost tribal. I'm sure it is in Canada also, but a large portion of the population still loved The Tragically Hip. No band is as American as The Tragically Hip were Canadian. It intrigues me. Yes, I know I spend more time thinking about such things than others, but I am who I am. I can't even discuss it with my close music friends because they aren't aware of it. They'd need to research to somewhat understand what it was like to be able to discuss it.

 

I'll stop now. Thanks again, randomname for the insight. And again, it must have been a wonderful feeling to have been part of such a beautiful thing.

[TCP]

The final Hip concert was an event. I remember our main plaza downtown was showing the CBC television broadcast on a projector and got a pretty decent turnout. I was at the fair with my wife but tuned in via CBC radio on the drive home, pulled in the driveway, and turned on the TV and caught the rest of the show there. Outside of hockey games I can't think of an event that got that sort of coverage before.

 

What a wonderful, eloquent statement by PM Trudeau. I don't know how our VC friends from Canada feel about Trudeau but I must say from Indiana that he seems like an alert, astute public servant. I once had a President that could write and speak like that, and he is missed. I'm a bit jealous of you all. But I won't go further than that here, politically speaking. 

 

I go back and forth on JT. I've spent most of my adult life under a conservative government, so JT was a breath of fresh air when he got elected. He definitely says the right thing but often there's no follow through. Sometimes I think about him and The Hip's final concert. He was in attendance and Gord gave him a shutout and said something along the lines that he was going to be the prime minister to make things right with our first nation's population. But he hasn't. It's been more of the same. A step forward followed by a step back.

[remphish1]

"When you're back in your old neighborhood..."

 

Yes you did. I read all of your Hip posts prior to my post that you quoted. You spoke about seeing them, how much you liked them, how much you'll miss them, etc. I never said that you, or anyone else, didn't speak about The Tragically Hip on VC.

 

In my post that you quoted as ignoring or forgetting your Hip posts, this is what I said, " Even under the same circumstances as TTH/Gord Downie (thé diagnosis etc.) no existing American band would elicit a response remotely resembling Canada’s reaction to The Hip and Gord. It seems strange to me that was never a point of discussion at the time. Not just at VC, but anywhere. I did some Googling, to no avail. It must have been a wonderful feeling to be a part of such a beautiful thing."

 

It does seem strange to me that there wasn't discussion about how a country figuratively shut down, the Toronto PD tweeted on the day of the final show that "at 8:30, Canada is closed", to honor a band. Some Canadians talked about it, but nothing in depth. I understand that because as it happened there, it probably seemed organic and "normal" I find it even more interesting that I could find no in depth discussion of why it would never happen in America. That's what really interests me. Hell, if Bono had a diagnosis like Downie's and U2 did a final tour in the US, you might see something somewhat resembling The Hip/Downie, but not an American band.

 

As I was typing that, I thought about Springsteen. Maybe the response would be similar, but the president speaking as earnestly and sincerely as Trudeau did about Downie/The Hip? The country shutting down? PBS broadcasting the final show for free? Pay-per-view, hell yes. An estimated third of the country watching the final show? I can't imagine it.

 

Why is it personally such a big deal? Because music is one of the 3 or 4 legs of the stool that is my life. Most people that I am aware of do not feel the same about music in general. Certainly not the same band specifically. How can 2 countries that are so similar be so different? Music preference is so fractured here, almost tribal. I'm sure it is in Canada also, but a large portion of the population still loved The Tragically Hip. No band is as American as The Tragically Hip were Canadian. It intrigues me. Yes, I know I spend more time thinking about such things than others, but I am who I am. I can't even discuss it with my close music friends because they aren't aware of it. They'd need to research to somewhat understand what it was like to be able to discuss it.

 

I'll stop now. Thanks again, randomname for the insight. And again, it must have been a wonderful feeling to have been part of such a beautiful thing.

Ahh ok gotcha my bad I misread what you wrote. Def was a huge cultural event that you’re right wouldn’t be duplicated here. I tried my hardest to make that last show speaking of which. I almost pulled the trigger on a $400 ticket on stubhub which is insane but I relented when they said they would webcast the show. I say at home watched the stream with a molson in my hand. Next best thing I guess!