Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip holds final show
KINGSTON, Ontario (AP) — A delirious sold-out crowd and countless Canadians on live TV watched the final concert by rock band The Tragically Hip, whose lead singer and songwriter Gord Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
The band, an indelible part of Canada's national identity with songs about hockey, small towns and Canadian literature, ended its 15-show "Man Machine Poem" tour Saturday night in its hometown of Kingston, Ontario.
Despite being diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most aggressive cancerous brain tumor, in December, an energetic Downie was in fine form as he and his bandmates played an epic 30-song set loaded with hits and punctuated by three encores.
Downie, who started the show wearing a metallic silver suit and hat with a Jaws T-shirt underneath, hugged and kissed his bandmates before they stepped on stage to open with 50 Mission Cap, followed by Courage (for Hugh MacLennan), ''Wheat Kings and At the Hundredth Meridian, all off the 1992 breakthrough album Fully Completely.
Downie gestured as if he was sketching a portrait of the teary audience as the band — rounded out by guitarists Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, bassist Gord Sinclair and drummer Johnny Fay — played the final notes of the song.