Tragically Hip to play 11-show tour kicking off in B.C.
Downie’s health to be monitored
thing to me, but suddenly, it wasn’t a cliché anymore. It became something very deep and very complex that I felt had many branches I could explore. I like talking about complex things. I don’t really like simple things, but I think that’s me being shy. The more I write now, the more I’m looking for the simplest way to talk about feelings. This record has opened some avenues for me that I’ll explore in the future, like vulnerability and how people are so scared to be discovered.”
Beth, shy? It doesn’t seem like the right word to describe the imposing frontwoman. Despite the title of the band’s first album — Silence Yourself (2013), — she isn’t afraid to write/speak her mind. The London-based musician pens manifestos for each one of the band’s albums and she discourages fans from using cellphones or cameras at gigs.
She also likes to challenge herself as an artist. She runs an indie label, Pop Noire, with boyfriend/
The Tragically Hip has announced 11 Canadian shows this summer as part of a tour that’s going ahead despite lead singer Gord Downie’s incurable brain cancer.
The concerts will kick off in Victoria on July 22 before moving to Vancouver on July 24, and stretching across many parts of the country.
But the band’s limited tour won’t be hitting the eastern reaches of Canada.
The Hip will play the tour’s final show in Kingston, Ont., where the band formed in 1984.
Other stops on the tour include Edmonton (July 28), Calgary (Aug.
I’ve always heard people say ‘Love is the answer’ and things like that and it really never meant anything to me, but suddenly, it wasn’t a cliché anymore.
1), Winnipeg (Aug. 5) and London (Aug. 8). Two dates are scheduled for Toronto on Aug. 10 and 12.
The final shows will be in Hamilton (Aug. 16), Ottawa (Aug. 18) and then Kingston (Aug. 20). Tickets go on sale on June 3. The band’s website frequently crashed on Wednesday morning after the announcement.
Some fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment with the band not heading further east to Quebec or the Maritimes. Others said they hoped to make the trip to another city.
Downie’s doctor told reporters on Tuesday that the 52-year-old father of four has been cleared for the tour, but will be closely monitored to avoid exhaustion on other health issues that could emerge on the road.
The neuro-oncologist says Downie was diagnosed after a seizure in December and has been receptive to treatment, suggesting he has a higher chance of longer-term survival.
The Hip will release Man Machine Poem, their 14th studio album, on June 17.
The group’s managers say Downie is determined to “blow people’s minds” on the tour.