Perfect Harmony
Sun
You'll never guess who was at the Blue Rodeo concert last night.
OK, I'll tell you; Glen Vinet and Larry Werner, producers of the
Big Valley Jamboree, the biggest, and most die-hard country &
western music festival in Alberta.
For the first time, they were checking out these upstart (15-year
veterans) alt-country heroes who have suddenly (after years of hard
work) become one of the biggest bands in Canada.
I'd like to imagine the Big Valley Boys were impressed - blown
away, even - and that despite the band's ruffian, rock 'n' roll
ways, Blue Rodeo could represent some fresh blood for a country
scene that desperately needs it.
Could you imagine Blue Rodeo in Camrose sharing the same stage
as Danny Hooper for a crowd of Bud Country Cowboys? Or taking Nashville
by storm? Maybe not - but far stranger things have happened.
For the first of two sold-out shows in the Jubilee Auditorium,
Blue Rodeo sounded better than they have in recent memory (after
tomorrow, the band will have been…
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…album and the new band member, Wilco's Bob Egan) has obviously
done wonders.
Delivering songs that Garth Brooks would kill to have written,
the band performed with relaxed confidence and good humor, with
none of the self-indulgent cobwebs or superfluous noodling that
have marred previous shows.
The partnership of Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy seemed to be stronger
than ever. Greg the gum-chewing, rough-voiced poet and Jim the wisecracking
romantic crooner made beautiful music together, backed by band honed
to a tight edge through long experience.
Both frontmen were in top form last night, on their own tunes and
in harmony. In an acoustic duo of Is It You, they came off like
Simon & Garfunkel. And the harmonies in high-energy tunes like
Hasn't Hit Me Yet and Trust Yourself were just about perfect.
These guys looked like they were having the time of their lives
- an infectious attitude the crowed instantly picked up on.
"Introducing new stuff" for a 15-year-old band can be
perilous but fortunately, Blue Rodeo has just released one of its
best albums…
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…Let Me In and the ballad Andrea.
For the most part, the songs were stripped down to their bare essence,
although the band did indulge themselves from time to time.
Side of the Road became extended with a long solo section, with
ethereal slide guitar work from Egan and even a bass solo from Bazil
Donovan.
Rarely have I heard such a seamless and lovingly crafted combination
of country and rock, with none of the corny excesses of either form.
Now in their third decade of operation, having weathered one passing
trend after another without changing its basic style, the band is
sounding great and showing no signs of slowing down.
The Big Valley Boys picked a good night for their introduction
to Blue Rodeo.
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