Are you Canadian? Do you know The Tragically Hip? Odds are the answer to both of those questions is probably the same, but there are some of us from south of the border and from other parts of the globe who know Canadians and have been introduced secondhand to this wonderful Canadian music treasure. Now, a four-part documentary on Amazon Prime tells the story and importance of The Tragically Hip.
My friend Chris Maier, host of the Our Liner Notes podcast, invited me on the podcast to both introduce me to The Tragically Hip and as a tribute to Gord Downie, the lead singer, who had died in October 2017 just a few weeks prior to our recording. Chris is Canadian, and it should come as no surprise that it took a two-part podcast with nearly three hours of released material to introduce me to the band he grew up with.
And it worked. I’ve listened to The Tragically Hip at least a few times a week since October 2017 when I was first introduced to the band. Now, what Chris did for me on the podcast is being done for the world at large with No Dress Rehearsal. But instead of one friend, it’s the band themselves, their management and families, and Will Arnett, Jay Baruchel, Kids in the Hall’s Bruce McCulloch, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the legendary Dan Aykroyd, and more who are introducing you to their band.
Make no mistake, The Tragically Hip is Canada’s band, and that’s very possessive, but they are more than willing to share. That’s Canadian hospitality for you..
There are plenty of reasons for Canadians and anyone else to watch this movie.
First, it’s just a great music documentary. Since the end of VH1’s Behind the Music series, music documentaries have been either really good or just simple vanity projects. No Dress Rehearsal is the former, as Canada’s not vain enough for vanity projects.
Second, the longevity of a band composed of high school kids that endures decades is not only remarkable, it’s almost unheard of. There are bands like this that could be named, but many of them have gone through lineup changes or breakups and reunions. The Tragically Hip had some additions, but until Gord Downie’s death in 2017, none of the core five had ever left.
Third, when the talking heads cry, you know there’s something more here than just a band that other people liked. This is a band people loved.
Fourth, if the songs are on a national level equated to the national anthem, then it’s not just an isolated hit or platinum album. Again there’s more happening here, and that’s why we watch documentaries.
Fifth, and perhaps most importantly, there is a conversation to be had about being good enough. The Tragically Hip crossed over in the United States, but never on the level of a band like Rush. They weren’t just OK with that, they embraced that. Rush was and still is the biggest band from Canada, and will remain so for generations to come. Is that a bad thing? No.
While the documentary touches on this concept, I think knowing what you want to be and doing it, is more successful than trying to keep reaching for the next rung. Sometimes you end up where you are. For all of the fans of The Tragically Hip and certainly for the guys in the band, there may have been ups and downs, but they arrived where they belonged – no more, no less. That’s to be celebrated, not lamented because they didn’t sell more albums south of the Canadian border.
So watch No Dress Rehearsal, and even listen to some of their music outside of the documentary. If you still are on the fence, listen to my friend and Tragically Hip fan, Chris Maier introduce the band to his naive American friend (me) on Our Liner Notes for a more personal introduction to this great Canadian band.