August 1991. It was the first time I saw the Tragically Hip perform live. A small venue in Montreal, I was hooked from the very first chord.
Sure, I had been listening to the band the prior two years on the radio, MuchMusic, cassettes (!!!) and compact discs, but nothing compared to seeing them live.
Nothing does now either.
I saw the band well over 100 times during a 25-year period, culminating with their final show in Kingston on August 20, 2016.
While no day darkens without the “sweet sound” of the Hip emanating from whatever speaker is within earshot, the planning, anticipation, and participation in a live Hip show are sorely missing from my life.
It all pales in comparison, however, to the passing of Gord Downie.
October 17, 2018, marks the first anniversary of Gord’s death.
I think about his four children and how they’re coping. I think about his close friends and bandmates.
I think about his two brothers and two sisters. I think about his mom.
We are all born into relationships, and we develop others in our journey to the waterfall. We owe it to one another to be authentic, loving, curious, and kind in our travels.
That was Gord; authentic, loving, curious, and kind.
October’s playlist is dedicated to Gord. It’s a collection of songs that are from the deeper parts of the Hip’s and Gord’s solo catalogue, tunes I hope you consider adding to your repertoire.
Gord was like no other, and he remains sorely missed.
Please consider donating to the:
Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research
