Gord Downie gets confrontational with ‘Secret Path’ in what could be his last concert

There were no flamboyant hats or glittering suits as The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie took the stage in Toronto for the second of two shows promoting his solo project, Secret Path.

Unlike The Hip’s summer Man Machine Poem tour, this was less a national celebration for Downie, who revealed in June he had terminal brain cancer, and more a national confrontation.

READ MORE: Gord Downie hits the stage in Ottawa to perform ‘Secret Path’

Nor was it the type of crowd one would expect from a Tragically Hip show. Amongst the hockey jersey and tour shirt-wearing fans were music industry elite and Indigenous leaders, all sharing the same eagerness and anticipation. Before a string had even been plucked fans wept, establishing an expectation that this show was more than just song and music.

This was Downie’s moment to reconcile his own mortality with the legacy he wants to leave. It was an opportunity to challenge his own understanding of Canada and Indigenous people, and bring truth and reconciliation to the forefront, for at least an evening.

Secret Path, released Tuesday, is a multimedia commemoration of music and film for 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack, who died in 1966 after running away from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School near Kenora, Ont. As though it were meant to be, Friday’s concert took place 50 years, less a day, after Wenjack froze to death along a set of railroad tracks.

READ MORE: Gord Downie’s brother hopes ‘Secret Path’ will help bridge Canadian culture gap

Fans roared with their familiar cheer when Downie appeared on stage Friday, the same as they did during The Hip’s cross-Canada tour in July and August. But, unlike the delirium that carried Downie seemingly effortlessly through 15 sold out arena performances, the excitement soon faded to sombreness inside Toronto’s iconic Roy Thomson Hall as he began taking the audience down the Secret Path.

The decidedly contrary “Canadian Tuxedo” Downie wore for the crowded concert hall was more symbolic of the toughness and tenacity the evening featured.

Downie seemed purposeful in his mission to honour a victim of one of Canada’s great shames. There were brief moments of obscure gesture and movement from Downie, and several respectful salutes to members of the Wenjack family filling the first three rows. A reserved Downie instead chose to serenade the animations depicting Wenjack’s residential school experiences on a massive screen overhead.

The subdued presence of Downie was reflected in the settled audience, who applauded with appreciation and consideration after each song.

WATCH: Gord Downie captures students’ attention with emotional performance at We Day

1:52 Gord Downie captures students’ attention with emotional performance at We Day

Downie kept from his usual banter between songs. The only words Downie spoke came near the end.

“Let’s not celebrate the last 150 years, let’s start celebrating the next 150 years,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Let's not celebrate the last 150 years, let's start celebrating the next 150 years," he said.

The words may have come as a shocking retreat from what was believed to be the inspiration behind a catalogue of Tragically Hip songs that seemingly celebrated hockey and Canada’s natural beauty.

Instead, Downie’s wisdom provides optimism for the possibilities ahead for the country and its First Nations.

That sentiment was echoed by Wenjack’s family who took the stage following the performance.

Pearl Wenjack, one of Wenjack’s four sisters, remembered the emotional day Wenjack was taken from their community. The story left tears streaming down her face, along with many in the audience. She then capped the evening with the singing of a traditional song.

READ MORE: Gord Downie opens up about his terminal cancer, advanced memory loss

The news of Downie’s illness came as a massive shock to fans. For many, the news meant they would be robbed of countless future projects inspired by Downie’s love for visual art, acting, poetry, song writing and music, and of course his propensity for pseudo-performance art. But, brain cancer jeopardized those plans.

For many fans, the departure from hockey players and polar bears shatters their understanding of who Gord Downie is and what his music is about. Instead it underscores his dedication to the history and legacy of this country. Secret Path leaves no room for interpretation. Downie, who himself doesn’t know if he’s weeks, months or years from reaching the end of his own path, doesn’t have time for interpretation.

In what may be Gord Downie’s final live performance, he left fans with a totally new impression of himself and perhaps a new impression of what Canada is and should be.