In an interview prior to the Ottawa show, Mike Downie said the post-tour work has been a form of physical, emotional and mental therapy. Yet there has been little downtime since for the singer-songwriter, who embarked on a cross-country tour with the Tragically Hip this past summer. It was announced in May that Downie was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a relatively rare but aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. Many in attendance were visibly moved by the conclusion of “Secret Path,” wiping away tears and openly sobbing as the animated footage of the young boy walking to his death was echoed in Downie’s haunting lyrics to “Here, Here and Here.” The 10-track album is part of a multimedia project, which includes a graphic novel illustrated by Jeff Lemire and an hour-long animated special airing Sunday on CBC.Ī denim-clad Downie and his five-piece band powered through the songs without a break.Ī large screen projected images of an animated film, which depicted the journey of a young boy trodding along the railroad tracks, visibly frightened and soaked by rain, walking in search of home -and never reaching his destination.Ībout a third of the way through the setlist, Downie said to the audience: “Applause will get harder, and that’s OK. The album, recorded in 2013, was produced by Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Dave Hamelin, known for his work with indie rock group the Stills. “Secret Path” originated from a collection of poems written by Downie, which evolved into songs. It had been a longer than expected wait for Toronto concert-goers, after an unexplained glitch at the box office led to the start of the show being pushed back by an hour.ĭownie’s Toronto concert followed his “Secret Path” show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on Tuesday, and a performance of the lead track “The Stranger” at the We Day youth empowerment event at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Wednesday. The album tells the tragic tale of 12-year-old Chanie who died in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ont.ĭownie’s older brother, Mike, introduced the musician to Chanie’s story, which was documented in a 1967 Maclean’s story by Ian Adams called “The Lonely Death of Chanie Wenjack.”Īdams and members of Chanie’s family filled the front rows, as Downie was greeted by a standing ovation as he walked onstage and saluted the crowd. The Tragically Hip frontman, who is living with terminal cancer, performed his latest solo effort “Secret Path” at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on Friday night. TORONTO – On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Chanie Wenjack’s passing, Gord Downie offered an impassioned retelling of his story through a collection of songs honouring the late indigenous boy.
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