Music

Scalpers set to make big money off The Tragically Hip’s next tour

by Jeremy Mersereau

Following the incredibly sad news from Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, fans everywhere were clamoring for the opportunity to see the band in concert and show their support and appreciation for what Canada’s own rock band has meant to them over the years. Today, fans got their first chance: Presale tickets for the Ontario leg of the Hip’s final, farewell summer tour went on sale exclusively to members of the Hip’s fan club, and fully, completely sold out in seconds.

Of course, what with this world being the Ayn Rand-style capitalist thunderdome we all know and love, the pre-sale tickets immediately showed up on eBay-owned ticket marketplace StubHub, with their asking prices so jacked up even Jose Bautista would be ashamed. The value of the presale tickets ranged from $56 to $166 CAD, and a portion of the proceeds were being donated to the Sunnybrook Foundation…which is why it’s so absolutely disheartening to see the inevitable happen:

Yep, sounds about right. Making a huge profit off someone’s medical condition and iconic artistic legacy is just the way of the world, baby. Some frustrated fans and louder voices are saying the lack of turnaround time between the tickets being snapped up and available on StubHub might point to some kind of wider conspiracy, but as ticket-buying bots are available to any enterprising young whippersnapper, I blame the shameless Duddy Kravitzes of the world. Turns out the cyborg wars already happened, and the bots won.

Dates for The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem tour are as follows. If you’re one of the bot-burned & spurned, never fear, you’ll get another chance to grab a ticket when they go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 3rd…though I hope you’re part replicant and have the reflexes of a nanobot. Otherwise, get ready to blow some high dough.

July 22 – Victoria, BC
July 24 – Vancouver, BC
July 28 – Edmonton, AB
August 1 – Calgary, AB
August 5 – Winnipeg, MB
August 8 – London, ON
August 10 – Toronto, ON
August 12 – Toronto, ON
August 16 – Hamilton, ON
August 18 – Ottawa, ON
August 20 – Kingston, ON