On August 20th, 2016 11.7 million Canadians stood
transfixed, watching the final concert of The Tragically Hip, and the rest of
the world asked, “Who is this band?” New
York Times best-selling pop journalist Marc Shapiro answers that question
in the first American book about this Canadian rock band that largely shunned the spotlight but has become
the standard bearer of a resurgent sense of Canadian pride and patriotism.
What is Hip? The Life And Times Of The Tragically
Hip delves deep beneath the surface of this rock and
roll story to discover how a band that spent more than three decades in the
rock and roll trenches selling millions of albums and opening for the likes of
The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin’s Page & Plant, remained
almost unknown outside their home country, even as they rose to the level of
rock royalty in Canada.
Through extensive research and
some well-placed sources, author Shapiro has put together a complete look at
The Tragically Hip’s rise from humble Kingston roots to endless tours, the
internal struggles to keep their music fresh and the fanatic loyalty they
fostered in millions of Canadian fans of all ages and generations. Fans that
would unite to honor the band and shed more than a few tears when it was
announced that singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with brain cancer and that
The Hip were about to embark on what may well be their final tour.
“What drew me to The Tragically
Hip was a lot of questions I had,” author Shapiro said. “The most enticing to
me being ‘How did they do it?’ “This was a band that almost completely avoided
compromises creatively and business wise. And to be honest, their career might
have turned out easier and different if they hadn’t. But you’ve got to admire
anyone, band or mortal, who forges their own path regardless of the
consequences. I had to know what makes rugged individualists tick and this book
answers those questions.”
