Home » fun stuff » Canadian Frenzy

Canadian Frenzy

Posted on by
Hey there folks!  It’s been a long, LONG time since my last post and I’ve missed you all terribly.  I’ve been working long and weird hours and when I do have time off, must either recuperate with sleep or attend to other stuff.   I haven’t had time to write nor read but do promise you, a change is a-coming!  Call this the first step.

The Hip

A fascinating event — nay, phenomenon — has taken over the Canadian people and I have, subconsciously, allowed myself to be swept along.  To show how strong this phenomenon is… I was never their biggest fan.  Oh, I like many of their songs.  Actually, since this whole thing has started, I realised I like a LOT of their songs!  Just never gave much thought to it.

How could this happen?  More importantly, why?  They’ve been around for thirty years, have released over 14 albums and a bunch of singles over the years, winning awards and such.  What was the big fuss all of a sudden?

It started with a most sad story.  In May of this year, the lead singer, a man a mere two months older than I am, Gord Downie, announced that he had terminal brain cancer.  A shock to fans everywhere.  Amidst cries of anguish, The Hip (as they are commonly known, counting four other members: Rob Baker, Gord Sinclair, Johnny Fay and Paul Langlois) announced they would do a farewell tour and, on top of that, released an album this past July called Man Machine Poem.  Needless to say, it is at the top of the charts.

So, tonight, August 20, 2016, is the final concert in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario.  The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) is showing/playing the concert on all their platforms from radio to TV to on-line.  They’ve even pre-empted the Olympics for this momentous occasion!

As I was driving home from visiting family, I listened to CBC Radio 2 with Rich Terfry and his Hip pre-show.  There were snippets of interviews with various famous Canadians such as Mike Myers, Serena Ryder, Geddy Lee of Rush, etc. all saying how The Hip have been an important part of their lives.  I was surprised at how emotional I felt!

Rich presented the top ten The Tragically Hip songs as voted by listeners across Canada and I was shocked that I barely knew number 1!  It is a beautifully tragic song dedicated to David Milgaard who spent 23 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

I got home at 8:30 pm – just in time for the show to start.  Even our Prime Minister was there!  How cool is he, anyway?

Needless to say, the emotions were running high and after an almost three-hour concert (including the three encores), tears were shed.

The love between these five men, friends since forever, was palpable.  Not shy to show said love in front of millions with kisses – on the lips, no less – and you know it is not just for show.  It was real.

Like our PM said, we don’t know if we are saying goodbye or celebrating Gord Downie, honouring him or just celebrating Canada.

Like The Hip or not, it was a special evening, to be sure.

20160820_225133

24 thoughts on “Canadian Frenzy”

  2. Thanks for sharing. I’ve heard the name of the group, but nothing about them.
    As far as the song–it happens far too often. That’s one reason (besides thinking it’s just wrong) I’m against the death penalty.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. You’ve been greatly missed, Dale, but I sussed it was your new job taking up all of your time. I’d not heard of The Tragically Hip, so just took an excursion to YouTube to check them out. I like the fact you can hear the words to their songs! So sad about the brain tumour, when he obviously has so much left to give.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh thank you for saying that, Sarah!
      The hours are. So wonky, I’ve no time to sink my teeth into anything. When I do have full days, well I try to get stuff done – or have some fun!
      I’m glad I introduced you to them. It is a sad story for sure!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Never heard of The Tragically Hip, love this song.
    Hate the story behind it, what a waste of a life through sheer stupidity.
    Or maybe worse?
    I hope he sues them for a zillion dollars and lives happily ever after, at least whatever after he has left.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Glad you like it… I heard it on my way home and had to look it up when I arrived. Awful waste of a good life!
      Well… we are Canadian and not American…we’re not so big on suing…however he was awarded $10 million by the Saskatchewan government…

      Like

  8. Hooray … she lives! 🙂 … and if I recall, something special is approaching.

    Wheat Kings …. good song …. and cheers to your country celebrating! …. and pre-empting the Olympics is a big deal!

    Hope all is well … keep smiling.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes…she does! And man is she tired! These 11-12-13-hour days are killing me!
      September 2, September 2… my mantra till then and the boost needed to push through !

      It is.a good one, eh? One of many. Yeah, we Canadians can really join together at times!

      All is well… though that smile is what gets me in trouble! Methinks I’m being taken advantage of! 😉

      Like

      • Hooray … on to Sept 2! …. Wow … those are long days. Too long!!!! … Yep – we nice people seem to have a way getting suckered in. Then again, there are idiots who can’t handle niceness. … I definitely don’t like the few who feel that paying their dues creates a sense of entitlement for them.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Way too long! 13 on Monday, 12 yesterday and a ‘mere’ 9 today…
          I’m with you on the idiots thankfully, not too many of ’em around

          Like

  9. Dear Dale,

    So happy to see you’ve made a short trip back to the Blogosphere. I’d never heard of the band. Pity. But there again, I never was interested in Elvis until after he passed away, yet there were songs of his that i liked. (But I was Beatles all the way. 😉 )

    The story behind the song made me want to scream. There are too many of those stories. I met and became friends with author Dennis Fritz a few years back who’d spent 11 years in prison for a murder he didn’t comment. DNA testing exonerated him.

    At any rate, thank you for sharing. I enjoy stepping outside my American confines to see how the rest of the world lives and thinks.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Rochelle,
      You know how much I miss.sharing with my blogging peeps! I am dying to get back to a more relaxed routine! (Mind you, I am planning on posting from Italy, so be forewarned!)
      I am happy you enjoyed and got a little glimpse into something new!
      Lotsa love,
      Dale

      Like

Comments are closed.