And so the mix of people who were there - I was sitting directly across from Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who was wearing a Tragically Hip T-Shirt. SCHLANGER: The vibe in that arena that night - I mean, the remarkable thing about Gord was that he could unite the deepest poets and the deepest thinkers along with rabid hockey fans who would scream in a crowd and college kids. SHAPIRO: Take us to that venue in what everybody knew would be the band's last performance, this beloved singer onstage for two and a half hours. And to see him take all of that strength and conviction and courage and put it into those final performances - I mean, I'll never forget it. I think that the entire nation mourned when the news came out last May, and the feelings around that final concert - I mean, I was in the crowd, and I'll never forget it as long as I live.Įveryone would cope with news like that in a different way, but what Gord did was use it to dig deeper into the things that he believed in and the things that made him an important artist - working for First Nations and indigenous rights and reconciliation, working for causes to do with water safety in Canada and in Ontario and to really be this beacon of love. I mean, we all - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today, we all knew that it was coming, and we all hoped that it wouldn't. SHAPIRO: How would you describe this loss? And she was in the crowd about final show. Joining us now is Talia Schlanger, who hosts the music program World Cafe produced by WXPN. SHAPIRO: Gord Downie died last night at the age of 53. Their final concert in August of 2016 back in Kingston was televised nationally by the CBC and seen by almost 12 million Canadians.

The Tragically Hip announced one last tour. SHAPIRO: In May of last year, Gord Downie revealed that he'd been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. And all you hear are the rusty breezes pushing around weathervane Jesus. GORD DOWNIE: (Singing) Sundown in the Paris of the prairie, wheat kings have all their treasures buried. Over three decades, frontman Gord Downie and his band rose from high school buddies playing bars in Kingston, Ontario, to a national treasure, singing about Canada's landscape and history.

The Tragically Hip has been called Canada's house band, the Canadian Bruce Springsteen, the most Canadian band ever. (SOUNDBITE OF THE TRAGICALLY HIP SONG, 'WHEAT KINGS')

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