"Blue Rodeo Day" feels like Bologna in their Shoes

Lost Together - Blue Rodeo

Did you hear about the honours that have been bestowed to the best band to come out of Canada? I think I may have mentioned it before! :) Although Blue Rodeo has experienced some international success, they have remained true to their Canadian roots. After all, how many groups boast band member hockey jerseys for sale on the web store? Only in Canada you say? lol! Blue Rodeo is that band and I promise that if I had the extra cash flow, I would have one of those hockey jerseys! 

Blue Rodeo was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on April 1st during the Juno's telecast. A long time coming for sure, but to be fair the Hall of Fame has only been in existence since 1978. Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor the foundation of Blue Rodeo have been collaborating in since 1977 but we would wait 10 years before the debut of Outskirts and the iconic "Try". Thereafter would follow some 15 albums in the next 22 years - clearly these boys have the music in them, for this doesn't even include the various solo release that they have put out. Yes, I am a fan! I adore everything that they put out as a band and as solo artists. Every release has a different feel in the music and concept of the album but the voices and the depth of meaning in the songs remain the same. Unlike so many other artists, each song is unique and stands alone in both the words and music. While the city of Ottawa may have declared Friday, March 30th as Blue Rodeo Day, in my world it is Blue Rodeo Day every day. For not a day goes by that I don't hear at least one song by my favourite band ever. 

The induction itself, I feel is a great honour for any band and was looking forward to some hoopla and fanfare during the telecast. I have to say that in the end I was a little disappointed with what was offered. While I have heard many Blue Rodeo collaborations with Sarah McLachan that I very much enjoy, I don't believe that this was the time nor the place for Sarah to be a part of the performance. It was Blue Rodeo's time and they should have been  showcased on their own. I also would have liked a more detailed and elaborate retrospect of the decades long career of the band. Perhaps some still shots and recollection of the many accomplishments. I could have seen this as a way to introduce a whole new audience to the magnitude of talent that is Blue Rodeo. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Juno's are the Canadian version of the Grammy's celebrating the music from this country. I love the Juno's because there is an opportunity to learn about artists that may not have made it to the mainstream radio stations. While it is nice to see Canadian musicians experience success on the grand scale of the Grammy's because the patriotism has a chance to swell like the proud peacock thrusting out its chest, it is for me, not mandatory to prove success. This year for example, Canadian artists were all but shut out of winning any of the coveted Gramophones but they sure tore up the US Billboard charts. In fact, at one point in December, four of the five top spots in the chart were held by Canadian artists. Go Canucks! It seems that the top contenders north of the border were shut out by time not talent. Eligibility for the Grammys ends September 30th of the proceeding year and the likes of Nickelback, Fiest, Bieber and Buble all missed the cut off date. By next year these efforts may be all but forgotten with nearly a full year of new offerings coming to the plate.

Onto this years Juno telecast from the capital city of Ottawa, not the best I have ever seen sadly, William Shatner as host was okay but not great. When he did his spoken-word medley of rock classics, he should have forgone the awkwardness of having the guitar placed over his head since he didn't even do a good job of faking the playing of it and it turned into an unnecessary prop. When it came to the performances during the telecast, I thought the medley of songs by the likes of Dragonette, Alyssa Reid and Angulie were mostly sung flat and off key. The idea of the mini-showcase was a great idea though, a little teaser to introduce some of the upcoming talent. And did the entire audience suck in all the air at the Scotia Bank Place when K'naan lost his footing and ended up in the "ditch" between the stage platforms while he collaborated with Simple Plan? Sitting at home, I emitted an audible gasp for sure. Ah, but like a cat, he landed on his feet and continued on, unbeknownst to Pierre Bouvier. And I for one watched the stitled acrobats very closely during Hedley's performance to ensure they didn't suffer the same fate for I swear, one came pretty close! It was a real treat to see Hey Rosetta! perform during the show and I thought they were fabulous. My only beef with the performance of Dallas Green was the fact that I was visually drawn to the enormity of the tattoos that seemed to cover every inch of his hands and fingers to the distraction of the talent of the musician itself. But that is a reflection of my personal distaste of tattoos in general. 

The last beef that I had with the Juno's telecast was in the production itself. The secondary stage for the handing out of hardware was a good idea but seemed to fall short in that after the presentation, the winning artist didn't know what to do with the microphone left in their hands and there was confusion on how to exit the stage. On high heels and with fancy dress, it would be nice to have an escort off the stage rather than walk off into oblivion alone. This aspect may have looked better on paper than it played out on the live stage. I was also saddened by the number of nominees that couldn't be bothered to attend, in particular Justin Bieber who was busy getting slimed at the Kids Choice Awards in the US. 

I do think that we have to make a better show and a bigger deal out of the honour of winning a Juno to ensure that the artists show up to claim the hardware. As we know, it was Pierre Juneau himself who lobbied the Canadian government to ensure that Canadian artists had an shot at airtime above and beyond what the mighty dollar could pay for. It is for him that the awards celebrating the excellence in Canadian talent was named in their inception in 1970. He was instrumental in ensuring that the artists who wished to remain north of the border had a chance at success - we need to keep it going even after his death this past year. Some of the nationally published reviews of the show, threw out terms like "a giant April Fools Joke" and "the ultimate alienation of talent" because of some of the victors in the various categories. While I can't personally say that I agree with all of the choices that were made by the powers that be, I would suggest that there was better choices for album of the year than the remake of Christmas songs by Michael Buble - not that he isn't a talented musician. Of course, it goes without saying that I believe that Jim Cuddy's solo effort "Skyscraper Soul" deserved more than a passing mention. If it counts for anything, it is the best in Canadian music I heard all year! :)

As for Blue Rodeo...I'll see you boys soon! ;) So excited I can barely stand it!

Jim Cuddy - A beautiful soul with a voice and talent as big as a skyscraper

Everyone Watched the Wedding - Jim Cuddy Band

A dream came true for me last night. Not only did I see the Jim Cuddy Band in concert but I actually got to meet and speak to him. In my wildest dreams I never thought it would happen. My "love affair" with Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor and the boys of Blue Rodeo began back in 1987 with the release of Outskirts, which spawned the singles Rose Coloured Glasses and most notably Try. That was it I was hooked! I wasn't always in a financial or physical position to see them in concert a lot, but I supported them with the purchase of every release. My first time actually seeing the boys in concert came back in 2007 at the Jarvis Corn Festival in Jarvis Ontario. Being that close...I was in awe. Besides the musical talent in the writing of the music and the voices so pure, for me it is what those words say. They speak to me, they make me feel a part of the story, they make me like I am not so different, they make me feel like I am not alone. That's a tall order to fill and they do it again and again with the release of each new album. 

On the way to the concert my daughter and I were noticing the aggression of some of the drivers on the highway and began to wonder why people can't seem to speak to each other anymore? There doesn't seem to be a noticeable respect among us. That is unfortunate, but there are exceptions. Blue Rodeo and the two front men - Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor for example. Consider the respect that they have for each others talent that they can separate to create solo careers in between the release of a collaborative effort. Ah, but then, fans like myself are torn - My favourite group is Blue Rodeo, that's an easy one. My favourite male artist is...Jim/Greg Keelor/Cuddy? lol! Their differences compliment each other as part of the group and make them stand out as solo artists.

I have both of Jim Cuddys' previous solo releases - All In Time (1998) and The Light That Guides You Home (2006). If you are looking for deep, meaningful and beautiful music - you have found it here. There are some tracks with a country feel, some with a more rock/pop beat. It speaks to the talent of the man that he can write the words and music for such a varied genre of music. Something for every one and every taste except for me - I love it all. I couldn't possibly choose one track to call my favourite. Additionally, as my daughter pointed out last night - he also has a cute butt. Yes, he is handsome and talented - the whole package. 

I have to tell you that Jims' latest effort is more meaningful to me as a fan. I really feel like to some degree I was a part of the process from inception to the release and ultimately to the live performance. Prior to the commercial release of the CD, fans were invited to participate in the "putting together of" via web downloads. I saw Jim sitting in the studio where he composes, playing on the acoustic guitar into a tape recorder that has seen better days. I watched him lay down preliminary versions using that tape deck and an i-pod. I heard him talk about how a song progressed from idea to final cut. And I pre-ordered my copy of Skyscraper Soul so I could be one of the lucky ones to have a signed copy of hand-written lyrics. And a very special bonus was the CD of cassette demos...the works in progress I had read about. I had them to forever appreciate them. And then top it all off with the live performance. I don't think there war anyone in the audience who wasn't moved by the final performance of the evening, when Jim invited the opening act artist Doug Paisley out to join him and violinist Anne Lindsay and guitarist Colin Cripps in an "unplugged" up close and personal version of Wash Me Down. SPECTACULAR. The opportunity for the post-concert "meet and greet signing" was pinnacle of the journey. 

Try - Blue Rodeo

Try. 

As part of the encore, Jim came back and treated the audience to the Blue Rodeo signature piece. Often copied never duplicated - if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...there are a lot of admirers out there. For four years my son went to school far from our Toronto area home, he attended Dalhousie University in Halifax. As most young people do, he quickly discovered the vibrant Nova Scotia night life and became a fixture at the Lower Deck on Sunday nights to revel in the musical accomplishments of Signal Hill. Signal Hill is a fabulous local band that specialize in covers and uniquely Maritime classics. It was late on a Sunday night, just after the boy had settled in when I got the first of many bizarre phone calls. On my end, it sounded like so much noise and screaming that I couldn't decipher. I hollered into the receiver for the caller to identify themselves to no avail. So I listened more intently, it was vaguely familiar but I couldn't be sure. Eventually I learned that my mystery caller was my slightly inebriated son - Signal Hill would begin their rendition of Blue Rodeo's Try and he would dial home and hold his cell phone high above the crowd who were all singing/screaming along with the band. It was his way of letting me know he was thinking of me and (dare I say it) missing me. If they didn't play it automatically every week, my son made sure they played it with a special dedication to his Mom a thousand miles away. So last night when Jim sang Try, I called my son and left him a voice message on his phone - it was Jim Cuddy singing for us. Thank you for giving my son and I a special bond! 

My love affair with Jim Cuddy singly and collectively with Blue Rodeo is about to intensify. From the bottom of my heart I wish my new friends a special Valentines Day that they will spend with Jim Cuddy at Massey Hall. I wish you both much love and happiness and hope that I will see you again soon. If not cruising through my town on your two wheels, then at an as yet undisclosed location ;) 

Playlist

Jim Cuddy Band, Saturday, Feb. 4, Hamilton Place

Watch Yourself Go Down (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

I Could Never Be That Man (Tremelo, Blue Rodeo)

Married Again (The Light That Guides You Home, Jim Cuddy)

I Still Want You (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Everyone Watched The Wedding (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Bad Timing (Five Days in July, Blue Rodeo)

All I Need (The Light That Guides You Home, Jim Cuddy)

Banks of the 49 (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Regular Days (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Water’s Running High (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Ready To Fall Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Five Days in May (Five Days in July, Blue Rodeo)

The Light That Guides You Home (The Light That Guides You Home, Jim Cuddy)

Skyscraper Soul (The Light That Guides You Home, Jim Cuddy)

Pull Me Through (The Light That Guides You Home, Jim Cuddy)

With You (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Till I Am Myself (Casino, Blue Rodeo)

Second Son (All In Time, Jim Cuddy)

Sad Nights (The Days In Between, Blue Rodeo)

It Could Happen To You (Tremelo, Blue Rodeo)

Encore

Try (Outskirts, Blue Rodeo)

What Is So Wrong (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)

Wash Me Down (Skyscraper Soul, Jim Cuddy)