Raine Maida Instagram – 18 yrs old . bought two tickets to the Toronto Music awards. a struggling young artist trying to navigate the local music scene. two hours passed. bands I didn’t know performed. won meaningless awards. just about to vacate. A band of misfits took the stage to close the show. I sat back down. I was transported for the next 10 minutes. That band was The Tragically Hip. This memory came back to me a few years ago. Vivid. Overwhelming feelings. It’s not a tribute really. A sketch of what I experienced. Gord Downie before he was our Gord Downie. He erased all divisions in two short songs. “Ballad Of a Poet” He came on like a Mountaineer Exploring beauty through the syllables & cheers There was something different in the air Something magical the crowd was unprepared He was long & lean he held that stage Jenny looked at me with reverence on her face and she said We left our bodies there that night Cause the music shook our souls & saved our lives Tonight we radiate The lines have been erased I can’t leave this place This ain’t New York or Berlin It’s just a small town Bringdown, kind of happening He had conviction etched upon his face Like Lenny Bruce or some fucked up William Blake He was cloaked in demin head to toe He traded words like souvenirs in stereo Something different about this night Cause it was happening right before our eyes This live performance was part of a stream we did Saturday to raise funds for The Honey Bee Festival & Georgian Bay Biosphere @staturefilms @honey_bee_fest