In September 2014, Mann announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, but planned to continue performing with the band as long as he remained able to do so. In concession to Mann's illness, the band began performing with an iPad mounted near the microphone in case Mann had difficulty remembering the lyrics, while Harder joined full-time to take over Mann's duties on lead guitar. Weeks after the announcement, Mann performed a concert featuring his solo material and that of Spirit of the West, which was broadcast by CBC Television's "Absolutely Canadian" in July 2015 as "John Mann Here and Now".