I have waxed poetic MANY times about this Toronto-based band approaching a decade’s worth of music blogging. An obscure, non-mainstream band (outside of Canada) that I first discovered by chance back in the mid 1990s when living in the UK – and who continue to provide my audio pleasures to this very day. Our entertainment preferences are always in flux. New bands come and go. Tunes come and go. But for me, Blue Rodeo’s music remains ever present. A constant! Like a safety blanket. Or a rock we cling to amidst the waves. Once the Blue Rodeo bug hits, consider yourself a lifer…
Formed in 1985 by original remaining founders Greg Keelor (vocals/guitars), Jim Cuddy (vocals/guitars/mandolin/harmonica), and Bazil Donovan (bass/vocals), Blue Rodeo celebrates an impressive fortieth anniversary this year. A band that was already heading into their second decade by the time their music landed on my radar, twenty-or-so more years would pass before FINALLY catching them in concert in early 2016. Talk about a long overdue bucket list moment – one of many that would follow as several more opportunities arose to attend their concerts…
I fondly remember catching Blue Rodeo on their last US mini tour back in 2017 to promote their “1000 Arms” album (beyond brief appearances at Art Park in Lewiston, NY, have they toured the US since? I don’t believe so!). The band visited our home state of Pennsylvania, performing on a much smaller stage than they are accustomed to these days – the audience seated on bar stools, and ourselves right there up front so close to the stage that outstretched arms could have easily reached them. Such an intimate and low-key gig, a complete contrast to their larger venue shows, and another bucket list moment, for sure.
Fast-forward through the forgettable pandemic years and we found ourselves at Massey Hall in Toronto for the band’s one night only “Songs Seldom Heard” concert – another once in a lifetime opportunity to hear so many classic cuts often lacking from their regular set lists. How could we top that? Well, a cross-country Canadian tour two years later to celebrate forty years was both a logical and heartfelt choice. Having already booked our annual US Thanksgiving week vacation long before the tour announcement, fate would clearly intervene – affording us the opportunity to catch Blue Rodeo at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on a Saturday night. Tickets were bought. Accommodations were made. Cue another bucket list checkmark.
Performing the second of back-to-back nights in Canada’s capital city, the multi-genre alt-country rockers played to a packed Southam Hall on both nights – the original three musicians joined as always by bandmates Glenn Milchem (percussion), Colin Cripps (guitars/vocals), Mike Boguski (keyboards/accordion), and Jimmy Bowskill (seriously, everything!). And yes, the set list would contain so many staple tunes as expected, yet the band did a great job tossing in a selection of songs seldom heard – taking lesser played cuts from their 1989 “Diamond Mine” album (Jim: “How Long” / Greg: “Nice Try”) – with Jim also resurrecting “New Morning Sun” and Greg adding one of my all-time favorite tunes, “Side Of The Road.”
Not content with the mere addition of these tunes, the band paused momentarily mid-show to temporarily reconfigure the stage so that six of the seven musicians were up front (Bazil remained in his spot, but was seated) – Colin, Jim, Greg, and Jimmy on barstools, Glenn standing alongside Colin with a solo snare and kick pedal, and Mike rotating between keys and accordion as the next half-dozen tunes demanded. This intimate moment led to some unexpected performances, with Jim reminiscing about a road trip to New York with his dad, leading into “Finger Lakes” from their 2005 “Are You Ready” album.
Greg would repeat the exercise, talking about time spent in Sydney, Nova Scotia where the band would go back to their hotel room, smoke a little weed, and play guitars all night, prompting “Is It You” from their 1992 “Lost Together” album (with Jimmy adding some sweet dobro). Greg would use this time to share a largely acoustic version of his tune about the shittiest show, “What Am I Doing Here,” while Jim would invite guest violinist Kendel Carson to join them during “Bulletproof” (Jimmy also on violin for a one-two strings punch). And with Jim prompting for the band to “get these guitars warmed up,” we witnessed Colin and Jimmy duking out some acoustic fingerpicking riffs during Greg’s “You’re Everywhere” – and later again in the evening when both guitarists dueled with their electric varieties.
“Thanks everybody here in Ottawa on Saturday night. We’ll have a little party, not too much mischief,” Greg stated early in the evening – walking with determination from his usual corner of the stage over to Glenn’s drum kit to kick off “Rose Coloured Glasses.” And given his well-documented battle with tinnitus, Greg was regaled with cheers and cries from the room following “God and Country” as he strapped on his telecaster for an authentic fully electric performance of “Side of The Road.” Oh, how sweet it is to see Keelor and his Fender reunite – which happened frequently on this night.
Glenn would be called up later that night to offer an alternate drum solo to lead into Jim’s popular cut “Five Days In May” – which of course gave Mike one of his moments in the spotlight, yielding shortly after to Colin for that always-memorable closing Gibson SG solo. And while I may not – as mentioned earlier – recall that first Blue Rodeo tune heard back in the mid-90s (it was an official music video, so likely from “Five Days in July” or “Lost Together”), ask me to recall the very first song I ever heard the band play in person and I’ll recite the words “Trust Yourself” with zero hesitation. Seems fitting, therefore, that Jim would launch into this tune immediately following that magnificent Cripps solo.
Loading up the intensity down the stretch with popular cuts such as “Diamond Mine,” “Til I Am Myself Again,” and “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” (complete with full audience participation), the band would return following a well-earned standing ovation for their encore – thrilling the room with “Try” and, of course, “Lost Together,” the second verse duties (as is customary) provided by supporting artist Adam Baldwin (with Kendel Carson, Zach MacLean and Bazil’s daughter Dahlia present too). Blue Rodeo offered up a fabulous two hours of music to celebrate this historical moment in their career, engaging with each and every person in the room for the duration. And while the sound system at the NAC is one of the best out there, it goes without saying that the band was in fine form – lead vocals from both Jim and Greg were just-oh-so-right.
Whilst in Ottawa, we miraculously snagged a copy of Blue Rodeo’s exclusive ‘Record Store Day Canada Black Friday’ “Songs Seldom Heard” album. Jim Cuddy may frequently sing about Bad Timing, but we sure had our share of Good Timing moments during this vacation – prompting thoughts of how many of the limited 1000 green vinyl pressings will take a journey beyond the Canadian border. More fabulous memorabilia for our vinyl collection.
With GDW at my disposal – our own personal nod to Blue Rodeo’s legacy – I’ve written and shared many recaps and pieces here about my favorite band. Forty years is an impressive milestone to celebrate – and the staff at the NAC were eager to mark the occasion (stay tuned to their social media pages in the new year). And how about those unofficial rumors of a new album in the works? How about a late shout out to Jim Cuddy who celebrated his seventieth birthday just this week too. Rather than composing a typical concert recap, consider this my living eulogy for these seven outstanding musicians who continue to allow fans to ride shotgun heading into the forty first year of this incredible music journey. Has the Blue Rodeo bug bitten you yet?
Set List:
- How Long
- Rose Coloured Glasses
- New Morning Sun
- God And Country
- Side Of The Road
- Bad Timing
- Fools Like You
- Head Over Heels
- Finger Lakes
- Is It You
- I Can’t Hide This Anymore
- Bulletproof (ft. Kendel Carson)
- You’re Everywhere
- What Am I Doing Here
- Nice Try
- Five Days in May
- Trust Yourself
- Diamond Mine
- Til I Am Myself Again
- Hasn’t Hit Me Yet
Encore:
- Try
- Lost Together (ft. Adam Baldwin)
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
