The outdoor stage at Artpark in Lewiston NY was the setting for veteran Canadian country artists Blue Rodeo. the band has made numerous appearances throughout the last handful of year at the venue. Each one has been well received and of course this one was no different. For over 30 years, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor have led Blue Rodeo to a very successful career with over 4 million albums sold and 11 Juno awards. With that kind of success, the evening held great promise. The proximity to Canada saw many fans make the trip down across the border for the show.
Kicking off a 19 song set was “5 Days in May.” Familiarity filled the crowd as it was a great way to open the set and set the pace for the rest of the night. Blue Rodeo’s latest line up of talented musicians features newcomer, multi-talented Jimmy Bowskill. He is much younger than other band mates and plays mandolin and pedal guitar along with a variety of other instruments that fill out the band’s sound. Keelor and Cuddy both have strong lead voices and of course are and always been the backbone of the band.
The night continued with hit after hit. “Cynthia” and “I Can’t Hide This Anymore” followed and crowd response started to build. Many fans are long time followers and know every song. Many cheers broke out as the fan favorite “What Am I Doing Here” was played. It’s one of the band’s oldest hits and brought a loud roar of approval as Cuddy led the vocals. The band stretched out with each member taking a featured solo as the show played on. The band seemed to have an energy that hasn’t been present in a while. Each song was crisp and clear, and this was no more evident than on “Head Over Heels” and “Bad Timing.” The set ended with the lively “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet.” A three song encore extended the night with “Try,” a great Dean Martin cover of “Lil’ Old Wine Drinker Me” and the venerable “Lost Together.” Cuddy bid the crowd farewell and promised a return. Judging by the long applause, that return can’t come soon enough!
Setlist:
5 Days in May
Cynthia
I Can’t Hide This Anymore
What Am I Doing Here
Rain Down On Me
Rose Colored Glasses
Disappear
Head Over Heels
Bad Timing
Railroad
Instant Karma
After The Rain
Rock Revival
Trust Yourself
Til I am Myself Again
Hasn’t Hit Me Yet
Encore:
Try
Lil’ Old Wine Drinker Me (Dean Martin cover)
Lost Together
We would like to thank David Wedekindt from Artpark for the credentials to review the show.
