It’s been a few weeks since Gord Downie, the lead singer for The Tragically Hip, announced he had cancer and subsequently announced a final Tragically Hip concert tour. CBC, Canada’s national public radio and television broadcaster, announced today that they will be broadcasting the final The Tragically Hip concert of the tour for free.
The final concert in the tour takes place on Saturday, August 20th in Kingston at the Rogers K-Rock Centre. CBC will broadcast the concert live at 8:30pm ET across all their platforms including television, radio, YouTube and their cbcmusic.ca website.
Many fans were extremely disappointed with how fast the tickets for the Man Machine Poem tour sold out on Ticketmaster. The quick sell outs prompted the usual complaints about the monopoly of the service in Canada, as well as about the various ticket reseller sites that seem to somehow have a large number of tickets available for sale above face value so soon after tickets go on sale. Whether this was planned before or as a result of the quick sellouts, this is definitely a great opportunity for Canadians — and others — to be able to watch and experience The Tragically Hip live one last time.
Will you be tuning in to the live broadcast of the final Tragically Hip concert when it airs? Let us know in the comments below, or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook and check out the press release below.
FULL PRESS RELEASE
CBC and The Tragically Hip have partnered to celebrate the band’s historic Kingston, Ontario tour stop and make it available to all Canadians and audiences around the world in a live, commercial-free, all platform broadcast on Saturday, August 20. The iconoclastic Canadian rockers return to their hometown for the final stop of their Man Machine Poem tour. CBC is broadcasting and streaming this monumental event live at 8:30 p.m. ET across CBC Television, CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 2, CBC’s YouTube channels, and cbcmusic.ca. The Kingston performance will be the culmination of a multi-week national celebration of Canada’s unofficial poet laureates.
The 15-date sold out cross-Canada tour coincides with the release of the band’s 14th studio album, Man Machine Poem. The final stop on the tour sees Gord Downie, Paul Langlois, Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, and Johnny Fay perform at Rogers K-Rock Centre in what is sure to be a celebratory and moving night.
“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 Heather Conway, executive vice-president, English Services, CBC. “It’s hard to overstate the importance of this tour. 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.”
Formed in Kingston in the mid-80s, The Tragically Hip have sold millions of records worldwide, managing to enjoy both mass popularity and critical acclaim. The group released their first album in 1987, and have since released 14 studio albums, earning two diamond certifications and 20 #1 hits. The Hip has won 14 Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2005. They have also received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, as well as honorary degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music and most recently Queen’s University.
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