Blue Rodeo stopped off in Edmonton last night with the first of two near capacity shows at the Jubilee Auditorium and rocked the place as usual.
Their set list is riddled with familiar hits and sing alongs that span their nearly 40-year career. They included a few from their latest album, “Many A Mile” such as “Ride Your Bike.” They even showed their country side with “When You Were Wild” also from last year’s album their 15th studio release.
A Blue Rodeo concert is like slipping into your favourite sweater when the weather turns cold. They’re comforting and familiar making you feel all good inside. 2500 bums were warmed to glowing last night.
The musicianship was front and centre with the first display during “Diamond Mine” when keyboard/piano player Mike Boguski took centre stage for a long captivating solo. Two of the newest members, Colin Cripps (guitars 2012) and multi talented Jimmy Bowskill (pedal steel, violin, mandolin, guitar 2017) showed their chops throughout the evening. Colin kept switching guitars from Telecasters, Gibson SG, and the awesome sounding Richenbacker semi acoustic. It was clear that each guitar was as important to the songs as the right lyric. The country rocking “The Railroad,” a Lee Hazelwood cover, had everyone in a circle jamming and moving off to centre stage for their moment. It was a great show of the talent amassed on stage.
Jim Cuddy tells a tale of “…our worse show ever was in Calgary at Calaway Park” before breaking into “What Am I Doing Here.” Jim also mentioned how wonderful it was to walk around river valley system, “Until I came upon a coyote that is. I was concerned at first until I realized how uninterested he was with me. He sized me up for a second to see if I would make a tasty snack and then moved on. What an amazing place you live in.”
Greg Keelor told a tale about a miserable trip to California with an ex-girlfriend. She picked up a sand dollar, closed her eyes and made wish. When she opened them she looked at me and said, ‘oh shit, you’re still here.’ Needless to say, I came home alone from that trip. But it did give me inspiration for this song.” Listening to the lyrics of “Before I Learn To Disappear” after hearing that story puts it in a new light.
The audience let their own voices be heard with “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” when Keelor and Cuddy stood on the edge and let the crowd take over. It’s one of those moments that happen at each and every Blue Rodeo show I’ve been to and it’s still magical. I can’t imagine how it feels to Blue Rodeo when thousands of voices sing back to you every night on every tour.
They wrapped up with a three song encore or “You’re Everywhere” “Try” and the usual closer “Lost Together.” Yes, Jim Cuddy can still hit the notes in “Try.” We were lost together for a solid two hours as we listened, sang and even danced a bit to the familiar yet cozy sounds of one of Canada’s greatest treasures. To catch a show near you, check out their website for details: Blue Rodeo live
