After a ten-year hiatus, The Tragically Hip is preparing to broadcast the 2016 Man Machine Poem concert, marking their final performance, for Canadian fans to enjoy once again this summer on CBC. The special presentation, titled “The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration,” is scheduled to air on August 22 at 7 p.m. local time across various CBC platforms, including CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio, and CBC Music’s YouTube channel.
The original concert, held in Kingston, Ontario, on August 20, 2016, was previously broadcast on CBC, attracting an audience of 11.7 million viewers. This concert was significant as it was The Tragically Hip’s farewell tour before the passing of their lead singer, Gord Downie, who succumbed to brain cancer on October 17, 2017.
In conjunction with the broadcast, the band is set to release a new live album on August 21 titled “The Tragically Hip: Live July 22 – August 20, 2016.” The album, mixed and mastered by the band’s long-time audio engineer Mark Vreeken, will include live renditions of popular tracks like “Ahead By a Century” and “New Orleans is Sinking” from their final cross-country tour.
Two live versions of their songs, “Fifty-Mission Cap” from Edmonton and “Locked In The Trunk Of A Car” from the last Kingston performance, are already available to the public. Additionally, The Tragically Hip will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in September at Toronto’s Massey Hall as their next major recognition.
This event marks a poignant moment for fans to relive The Tragically Hip’s iconic music and honor the legacy of Gord Downie and the band’s profound contribution to Canadian music history.