The Tragically Hip are on everyone’s radar again.
Unfortunately, the circumstances of that are rather bleak.
A few weeks ago it was revealed that lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The band made the announcement on their Facebook page, ending it on a high note for fans around the country: The Hip would embark on one last tour to cap off their legacy as Canada’s most important and inspiring band.
As expected, many fans were left in the cold for tickets. The entire tour sold out in seconds, with many tickets falling to scalpers looking to cash in at astronomically inflated prices.
CBC to the rescue: Canada’s public broadcaster announced today that it will broadcast the band’s final show, in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, on August 20. Today also marks the release of the band’s 14th studio album, Man Machine Poem, which is also the title of the tour.
The act of goodwill comes after thousands of fans requested the CBC livestream the performance through petitions and open letters.
“The Tragically Hip’s enigmatic sound, their poignant and witty lyrics, and the unique, special relationship they have with their fans have helped define and influence our identity as Canadians,” said CBC English Services executive vice-president Heather Conway.
“CBC and the Hip are so happy to be able to share this event with all Canadians and bring audiences across the country and around the world together to celebrate the moment.”
The Kingston show will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast and streamed — commercial free — on CBC Television, CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2, cbcmusic.ca and CBC’s YouTube channels.
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