This week's musical treat is something a little different than what I usually post here.
The Tragically Hip were, by any measure, the most popular band in Canada. They started out as a bar band in Kingston, Ontario and ended up so popular that roughly a third of the country watched the broadcast of their final concert. When their lead singer, Gord Downie, died of brain cancer a year after their last concert, the nation mourned.
They were a band that embodied the soul of Canada more than any other group. I was trying to think of a US analog and the closest I came up with was the Drive-by Truckers, who sing about Southerners the way that the Hip sang about Canadians. As for their popularity in Canada, the closest American equivalent is Bruce Springsteen, but their audience in Canada was deeper and broader.
The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal is a four-part documentary. I can recommend it unreservedly. If you don't know their music, you are missing out on something very special. And if you're a Hip gan, you'll enjoy it immensely.
It's showing on Amazon Prime. This is the trailer.
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