Blue Rodeo at Save-On Foods Memorial Centre - Photo Mel Z
Blue Rodeo at Save-On Foods Memorial Centre – Photo Mel Z

With the room set intimately, the stage set dramatically and a full complement of instruments…Blue Rodeo reminded us what it means to be Canadian at Save-On Foods Memorial Centre Thursday night.

Check out the concert photos and a summary of the show here:

With tasseled lamps, lush curtains and every instrument you could dream of grabbing while you’re onstage, Blue Rodeo brought a high-def show to 2,500 plus fans at Save-On Foods Memorial Arena for their 2016 return to Victoria. From the visual candy to the flawless crisp performance, this was an awesome show with the 7 polished but not at all complacent band members hitting the mark with fans.

Like a time machine, the set list went through a long history of the legendary Canadian band with the words coming to me — almost as a surprise sometimes….Oh, I didn’t realize I knew that song so well. Haven’t heard it in ??? years and every word came out of my mouth automatically as I sang along on auto-pilot. They came out of the gate with Trust Yourself, treated us to Rain Down On Me, added an injection of heartbreak with Bad Timing, to Dark Angel with the curtains hanging behind them like a mermaid’s tail thanks to some incredible lighting…the concert didn’t miss a favourite.

5 Days in May gets a special mention as a portion of the crowd rushed up to the stage for a 2,500 person sing-a-long. One of the front-rowers in that Blue Rodeo love-in shouted for the song again later in the show, Jim Cuddy was hilarious in his exchange gently letting the fan know….uh, we already played that one.

There were new tracks as well from an album the band is working on to be released this Fall. Thousand Arms stood out after Jim Cuddy revealed the song was about a woman with bi-polar that moved to San Francisco, opened a coffee shop — and was supported by her new community…With a Thousand Arms. Such a sweet song, I’ll admit they delivered some tears to my face during that performance.

After all these years, Blue Rodeo is: Jim Cuddy (vocals/guitar), Greg Keelor (vocals/guitar), Bazil Donovan (bass), Glenn Milchem (drums/vocals), Bob Egan (guitar/pedal steel, mandolin), Mike Boguski (keyboards), Colin Cripps (guitar/vocals). Together, they are a GREAT band. A band that you’d love, even if you’d never heard their songs a million times on the radio. A band that reminds you what it’s like to be Canadian.

Mel Z – Midday Show 10am – 2pm Ocean 98.5