Singer Gord Downie’s terminal cancer diagnosis shocked the nation and the band’s farewell tour sold out.
Scott Henderson is an associate professor of Pop Culture at Brock University and he says each Tragically Hip show has been more celebration than sadness.
He says heading into it he wasn’t sure if it would feel like a wake with fans in tears but he says it hasn’t come across as a huge emotional goodbye.
As for the last show tonight, Henderson likens it to the 72 Summit series in terms of being a unifying Canadian moment because we know when it’s happening like a scheduled hockey game.
The last stop of the Man Machine Poem tour is is the band’s hometown of Kingston, Ontario and the show will be broadcast on CBC commercial free.
