Objects from the Cowboys Fringants’ landmark show on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City in July 2023 have been acquired by the Musée de la civilisation.
The band members donated various items of clothing they had worn during one of the last concerts given by singer Karl Tremblay, who died later that year, in November.
Visitors will also be able to admire Tremblay’s striped green tie, which he used during the show to mop up his sweat.
His partner, multi-instrumentalist Marie-Annick Lépine, donated her pink dress, while the band’s guitarist and songwriter Jean-François Pauzé donated the black t-shirt he wore that night. Bassist Jérôme Dupras donated his shoes to the museum.
Singer Sara Dufour, who performed before Les Cowboys Fringants that evening, also donated her leotard, bow tie, shorts and boots.
Visitors will also be able to see the list of all the songs performed that evening, during which the legendary Robert Charlebois also gave a show.
The Cowboys Fringants management company, La Tribu, also provided the backstage access cards.
“We could not miss this show which, since the announcement of its postponement, has taken on an unsuspected scale, a social dimension whose relevance was glaring for a museum of society like ours,” declared Stéphan La Roche, president and general director of the Musée de la civilisation, in a press release.
Les Cowboys Fringants were originally scheduled to perform on July 13, 2023, as part of the Festival d’été de Québec. Fans were eagerly awaiting this show, as the group had been forced to cancel a few dates during the summer due to the cancer that singer Karl Tremblay was battling.
However, the festival had to cancel the show due to bad weather.
Given the extent of the disappointment, the performance was postponed to the following Monday, July 17. According to the group, the event attracted 90,000 people to the Plains of Abraham.
After performing a few rare shows during the summer, Karl Tremblay finally passed away on November 15, 2023. His passing sparked a significant outpouring of love, culminating in a national tribute ceremony at a packed Bell Centre on November 28.