Canada Guy Has Birthday

You know how every town has that one band that is super-popular locally but completely unknown anywhere else, and residents of the town are always like, “You have to hear [BAND], they are just the best,” or “While you’re here you need to go see [BAND], they’ll change your life,” or “I’m sending you the new album from [BAND], I really think this is going to be the record that wakes everyone else up to just how good they are,” and you nod politely and pretend to pay attention for as long as they are still talking and then move on with your life because bands like that are for whatever reason untranslatable outside the confines of the town from which they spring and no amount of local boosterism is going to change that? Well, if your town is Canada then your band is the Tragically Hip, whose lead singer Gordon Edgar Downie turns 50 today. I know you Canadaers are pretty bummed right now because the only things that keep you in the news are the drug-addled antics of your child pop stars and comical municipal officials, so we’ll take this time to let you celebrate one of the things you are actually proud of, even if it seems more or less inexplicable to everyone from the rest of the world. I mean, it’s cute that you guys can get enthusiastic about stuff. Good for you. I say that in all sincerity. Enjoy your special day. I assume you all get work off up there, correct?