Watch Feist Perform With The Tragically Hip At The Junos

Watch Feist Perform With The Tragically Hip At The Junos

The Tragically Hip, Canadian national heroes, gave their last performance, a grand sendoff at Rogers K-Rock Centre in Kingston, in August of 2016. At the time, frontman Gord Downie had terminal brain cancer. Upon learning of Downie’s diagnosis, the Hip headed out on a farewell tour of Canada. Downie kept making music, both with his band and solo, after that tour, but the final show, by all accounts, was special. Downie died in 2017 at the age of 53. Last night, though, the Tragically Hip performed one song without him, with their friend and fellow Canadian Feist standing in.

Last night, the Junos, Canada’s national music-awards show, gave its humanitarian award to the Tragically Hip. Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson spoke about the band’s efforts to change the way Canada treated its indigenous people, and they also talked about how it felt to perform with the Hip. The surviving members of the Tragically Hip accepted the award, and Gordon Lightfoot introduced their performance.

Feist, who covered the Tragically Hip’s “Flamenco” immediately after the news of Downie’s cancer came out, led the surviving members of the band through an empty-theater performance of their 2002 song “It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken.” It’s a nice thing to watch, and you can watch that performance, along with the presentation and acceptance of the humanitarian award, below.

The Tragically Hip’s new album Saskadelphia, which features six previously unreleased songs, is out now.

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