Blue Rodeo

Live at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Thunder Bay has had a long love affair with Blue Rodeo, one that dates to the band’s first appearance here in the late 80s. The band skipped the city on its last (prepandemic) cross-country tour, and the November 10 show has already been rescheduled once, so there was a lot of anticipation for this appearance. Blue Rodeo did not disappoint a nearly full house.

The band came rolling out of the gate with a double shot of fan favourites. The first song was the smouldering Jim Cuddy-sung “Trust Yourself,” which allowed the band to stretch out musically. Newest band members, guitarist Colin Cripps and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Bowskill, shredded at the front of the stage, something that would be repeated later in the show. Cuddy was in great voice, which is usually the case, and hopped around the stage with a youthful exuberance that belied his 66 years.

The second song was the moodier, Greg Keelorled “Diamond Mine.” This is where it became obvious Blue Rodeo was firing on all cylinders. I’ve seen a lot of Blue Rodeo shows, and there have been a couple where Keelor seemed to be in another galaxy (he admitted as much later in this show). Yet that was not the case on this night. Keelor was all-in, leading the group through the instrumental sections of “Diamond Mine” with nods of his head and smiles as he chewed gum. Keelor also acknowledged Thunder Bay’s long history of supporting the band, and how it is usually “the first or

last stop” on a tour.

The band was touring in support of their latest album, Many a Mile, and the newer songs from that release, including “Ride Your Bike” and “When You Were Wild” stood up well when mixed with the crowd-pleasers like “Rose-Coloured Glasses,” “What Am I Doing Here,” and “Five Days in May.” One of the highlights was “Bad Timing,” an achingly sweet Cuddy-sung ballad. When Cuddy and Keelor harmonized on the song’s chorus, the yin and yang of their voices was perfection.

I could not end this review without mentioning what a great live band Blue Rodeo is. Cripps and Bowskill were superb all night, while keyboard player Michael Boguski was magnificent on organ and shone on accordion. Longtime bassist Bazil Donovan and drummer Glenn Milchem remain the most potent rhythm section in Canadian roots and rock. They both had spotlight moments during the show closer “Lost Together,” and deservedly so. If I had any quibbles with the show, it was the lack of songs from mid-period albums including Palace of Gold, Are You Ready, Small Miracles, and especially The Things We Left Behind. Yet with a songbook like Cuddy and Keelor have, it’s hard to please everyone.

I’d guess most people left the TBCA on November 10 feeling very satisfied indeed.