The Tragically Hip – Live at the Air Canada Centre Reimagined Gig Poster

Celebrating the new year with a reimagined gig poster from 
The Tragically Hip - Live in Toronto on December 31, 1999 at the Air Canada Centre
Designed by Mutant 101® 

18” x 24”  18lb Cougar cover 

From the Artist

Roadside Attraction. Midnight CD lineups. Driving the 401. Crossing the border. Molson Park. Arenas. My friendships. My backyard. My wife. My son and daughter. As it has been for countless other Canadians, The Tragically Hip’s music has always been with me.

So having the opportunity to create something for a band that’s been such a constant in my life was not lost on me. To be honest, I started by doing what I’m sure all Hip fans would have done…I let the music lead me. I went back through their albums, live shows, bootlegs, and EPs. That quickly turned into dozens and dozens of notes, sketches, and scrappy compositions. 

When the band narrowed it down to what became this piece, I put ‘Road Apples’ on repeat, switched to ‘Up To Here (Deluxe)’ when it was released, and got to work. The original idea for this piece was from a note about the band being-the-music, riding their energy, and the small town that fostered them. It was more an illustrated-surrealist piece, but when the band requested to see it more realistic, the composition evolved but the idea stayed the same. 

I work a lot in traditional analog collage so this piece has many layers of textures, some from scanned images, that I like to include in my digital work. The background actually features a photo I took along the shores of Lake Ontario while visiting my daughter, who attends Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 

I’d like to thank The Tragically Hip, Jake, Noy, and Cathy for this incredible opportunity. Turning the final work in was a moment this Canadian “kid” will never forget.

“No dress rehearsal, this is our life.” GD

@mutant101