While the Tragically Hip‘s farewell tour did not make it to our side of the border, there are two opportunities to watch the final show live on Saturday right here in Western New York in a concert-like setting.
Western New Yorkers have long had a love affair with the Hip and the band has rewarded that loyalty over the years with several local shows in venues ranging in size from Nietzsche’s to Artpark. Saturday, the 8:30 p.m. Kingston, Ontario show will be broadcast live on CBC and two local venues will air it: Larkin Square in Buffalo and the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda.
The Larkin show, sponsored by Community Beer Works (CBW), Larkin Square, The Good Neighborhood, Store716, WEDG 103.3, The Public and Garbaz Visual Productions will feature food trucks, CBW brews, a pre-show cornhole tourney, plentiful seating, and the square’s covered boardwalk in case of rain. Multiple screens will be set up and sound will broadcast throughout the Square, assuring “concert-goers” won’t miss a moment.
“For those of us at Community Beer Works, The Tragically Hip have been the soundtrack for some of the most beautiful moments in our lives,” said Chief Operating Officer Chris Smith. “I wanted to find a way for us to celebrate what this band has meant to us and to Buffalo. I feel like bringing a few thousand people together under the stars to celebrate this man and this band is a fitting tribute.”
Admission to the Larkin show is $10 and restricted to those 21 years of age and older with photo identification. Part of the proceeds will be donated to Sunnybrook Foundation’s Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research. Gates open at 7 p.m.
Meanwhile, across the Niagara County border, the Riviera Theatre boasts the area’s only official screening location for the CBC broadcast.
Fans are invited to enjoy this “memorable, all-ages musical event in an intimate concert setting with all the amenities of a live concert experience.”
Admission is free and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Riv is located at 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. for the 8:30 p.m. show.
