Tragically Hip band members reflect on Gord Downie and farewell tour 10 years after final show

It’s been a decade since The Tragically Hip’s final concert in Kingston, Ont., but Paul Langlois feels he hasn’t fully processed it yet.

"It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since that last show, since our last show," the Tragically Hip guitarist said in an interview with CBC’s Eli Glasner, which aired on The National Thursday night.

"I’m just trying to be in a place of appreciation for what we did and how it seems to have affected people."

It was a bittersweet night as Hip lead singer and lyricist Gord Downie said goodbye to thousands packed into Kingston’s Rogers K-Rock Centre (now known as Slush Puppi Place) and millions watching across the country. Fans and Downie cried together as Downie sang hits like Ahead by a Century and Bobcaygeon for the last time.

The Canadian band, which released 13 studio albums since its formation in 1984, toured for the final time in 2016. They capped it off with a show in their hometown on Aug. 20, 2016. Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in Dec. 2015 and died just over a year later , aged 53.

CBC will rebroadcast the band’s final concert on Saturday to commemorate its 10th anniversary. You can find a list of screenings of The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration here .

The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration | 10th Anniversary Rebroadcast

"I really appreciate that it matters to people, that people still care — about the band, the music, that they want to pay their respects to Gord in some way," said guitarist Rob Baker.

"It’s not so much a celebration for me, it’s a remembrance … the last show was the last day of a career that I loved."

Langlois recalls feeling uncomfortable and uneasy before the final performance.

"I went to the arena early, for some reason I was just kind of going a bit squirrely," he said. “It was starting to seep in that this is the last show, so I kind of had a heavy feeling."

But as soon as Downie showed up to the soundcheck, Langlois’s mood changed.

"[Downie] looked around and he's just like, 'This is going to be so great,'" Langlois recalled.

"It just changed me. I’m like, 'You think so?' and he’s like 'Yeah. It’s going to be so fun.' It lightened me up."