So, I finally have time to write about my first-ever Blue Rodeo concert experience after promising everyone on here I would do that when I got back! I came into it with some of the highest expectations I’ve ever had for a concert – we were driving over 500 miles each way for this, after all – but the show far exceeded even my highest hopes and expectations.

 

The drive up to Winnipeg was pretty nice (after the first hour or so, when we were dealing with some ugly road conditions since it had snowed overnight), and starting in Fargo we began listening to Small Miracles and Five Days in July, as my friend had never heard the band before. Fortunately, she was impressed – especially with “Five Days in May”. Listening to that song while driving through the Canadian countryside was about as perfect a situation as I could have asked for. The border patrol was about as painless as it’s ever been – by that I mean they didn’t even search the vehicle – and we got to Winnipeg shortly before dusk. After attempting and ultimately failing to find a decent motel (that’s a whole post-worthy story in itself), we decided to just head downtown to the show, waiting to find a motel after.

 

Downtown Winnipeg was pretty much as I remembered it from 10 years ago, though obviously the MTS Centre was new (and I have to say, very nice). We grabbed a bite to eat in the mall food court before the show and made it back to the arena in time to get settled before Luke Doucet came on-stage. I had listened to a couple of his songs on Myspace before we left and liked what I’d heard, and he put on a very good – if short – show, including a couple of the songs I’d listened to. It was such a short set it was almost startling, but I figured that just meant Blue Rodeo was going to be on stage for quite awhile… and fortunately that was right.

 

When Blue Rodeo came on-stage and started playing “Five Days in May”, I think it took almost the first minute just for it to all sink in that I was finally here, seeing Blue Rodeo in concert after so many years of waiting, before I could just start listening to the music and enjoying it. I knew right away I wasn’t going to be disappointed in the show, but I still wasn’t sure what my friend would think. But that was the perfect opening song for her, since it was her favorite of the 20 or so songs she’d actually heard in the car on the drive up, and one of maybe only three or four she’d have recognized right away. As Greg was in the middle of his amazing solo, she leaned over and said, “This is awesome!” Yep, this trip is officially a success.

 

It just kept getting better and better from there. I loved “Rebel”, and the crowd’s enthusiasm for “Try” made me realize how glad I was my first concert experience was in Winnipeg and not Minneapolis or Chicago after all. This was Blue Rodeo in their element, in Canada, where everyone in the huge crowd knew all the songs and was a fan… an atmosphere we definitely wouldn’t have gotten in the States. I was pleasantly surprised and excited to hear “Know Where You Go/Tell Me Your Dream” (and Melissa McClelland did a nice job singing Sarah McLachlan’s parts)… the harmony was amazing.

 

I was just as impressed once they switched to the full band setup. Every song was good, though Greg doing “Dark Angel” was amazing (except for the morons somewhere behind us that insisted on clapping to it) and “Heart Like Mine” and “Trust Yourself” sounded better than they do on record.

 

Then it was the incredible encore. I predicted to my friend that it would be “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet”, “Lost Together”, and one other song. Turns out I was exactly right. The crowd sing-along on “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” completely blew me away – probably my favorite moment of the whole show. “After The Rain” was almost too good, as in, Jim was getting so into it and extending it on so well that it actually had me worried they weren’t going to play “Lost Together”. But then they did, and it was amazing. The perfect cap to a perfect show. In fact, the show was so good that I didn’t even notice until I thought back on it later that they had completely bypassed Nowhere To Here, The Days In Between, and Are You Ready (and Diamond Mine, Tremolo, and Palace Of Gold, for that matter). My ideal Blue Rodeo set list would have had to include “Side Of The Road”… but I couldn’t possibly complain about the amazing show we got.

 

From there, we found a motel (finally) with a pub in the basement, took advantage of a rare treat – a jukebox that plays Blue Rodeo – and after a couple hours of seeing Winnipeg in the morning headed back to Wisconsin. My friend insisted on listening to Blue Rodeo for most of the way back (she’s officially converted), and I insisted on one of them being the greatest night driving album ever created (The Days In Between). 550 miles and one extensive border patrol search later, we successfully completed the trip. Although I can’t say I wasn’t tempted to turn right around and drive to Thunder Bay to do it all over again the next night!  

I'm so glad your trip ws such a success, DHMachine! It's always a little concerning when we take someone new to a show...I'm glad your friend enjoyed it, too!! 

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Keep it simple

In the middle of the night
We keep sending little kites
Until a little light gets through ~ Patty Griffin

F*ck it, I'm off to the river
Just get me outta here ~ D. Bentall

Hey, there, DHM...nice post! You are so brave and dedicated, driving 500 miles in snowy conditions...and by the sounds of things, it really paid off! I'm so happy you're friend digs the band...it always feels like sharing my best loved secret when I introduce a friend to B.R. ... I'm so happy when they like them!

          Thanks for sharing your awesome experience!

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"It's a far cry from the world we thought we'd inherit~
It's a far cry from the way we thought we'd share it~"

I really loved reading your review... it's so neat to hear about all the details leading up to a Blue Rodeo concert.  I'm so happy that your first BR experience was such a memorable one.  May I ask how you first got into their music?? 

You really have a way with words... I could totally picture everything from the drive to the concert.  Good job!

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"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good...
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."

Hey there, Allison, long time no talk! I just had to say Hi when I saw your name... how's the weather out in the beautiful NB?

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"It's a far cry from the world we thought we'd inherit~
It's a far cry from the way we thought we'd share it~"

HeatherB:

Hey there, Allison, long time no talk! I just had to say Hi when I saw your name... how's the weather out in the beautiful NB?

Hey Heather!  Nice to see you back... where have you been?? 

The weather in New Brunswick is DREADFUL.  We had 3 days off from school this week.  haha!  I'm a teacher so I didn't mind... but I feel for the people who had to drive to work today.  Our driveway is a complete disaster area.  It snowed and then ice on top of it.  We're totally stuck here until the plowguy comes by. 

Sorry to get off topic by the way!!  How's the weather in Wisconsin?? 

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"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good...
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."

 I have been sort of "stuck" out of the loop for a little bit, Allison, so it's nice to get a warm welcome back!

   I always loved snow days, when I was a kid in the interior of BC; we had a farm and never got plowed out until 2 or 3 days after the really big snowfalls ... yay! lol Here in Victoria, now, we're spoiled with weather, as I'm well aware, but things shut down a lot faster here, when it does snow, which is good ... it keeps the driver's here a little safer that way! I hope you've got some fun things to do with your free time?

okay, that was alittle off topic...but so nice to renew old acquaintances, and of course, happy to make the new one!

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"It's a far cry from the world we thought we'd inherit~
It's a far cry from the way we thought we'd share it~"

I am so glad you had such a super time DHMachine31.   I was wondering how your trip had gone & whether the show lived up to your expectations.  No doubt you and your friend will be talking about this show and your trip for many years to come.  Thanks so much for taking the time to share your story.

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Greg Keelor met Jim Cuddy and then I met you people. Serendipity is a marvellous thing.


"I guess I don't know if I believe in God but
I know a song can make you feel good once
in a while." ~Greg Keelor~

Loved your review DH......and your right, seeing them live in Canada is truely and experience and its a great first one.  There was a reason you had to wait all these years.

Great to hear about your trip and your first Blue Rodeo live experience, DHMachine!    Maybe you should start saving and come back to see them play an outdoor show next summer - that's a lot of fun too!  Thanks for your review!

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Don't waste the time, the time that isn't lost (Jim Cuddy)

Thanks for the response everyone!

And the weather here in Wisconsin is, well, winter. :) I have a 100-mile road trip for work tonight but it's been snowing off and on all day. It really does need to be spring soon.

To answer the question of how I discovered Blue Rodeo... that's another reason it was fitting this show was in Winnipeg. I took a trip to Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary with my grandparents in 1997... and in listening to Canadian radio on that trip I discovered Great Big Sea. I joined the Great Big Sea online community and did a lot of chatting on the old IRC channels for both GBS and BR (as it was a lot of the same people) and over time became a BR fan too.  It took longer, as BR's newest album at the time was Tremolo, which I wasn't terribly impressed with... but once I discovered Five Days in July and Nowhere To Here I was a fan, and The Days In Between sealed the deal when that came out. But in 1999, my grandparents and I took a trip to Nova Scotia, and I had a choice of timing our trip to see a football game in Grand Rapids or to see GBS and BR at the Great Big Picnic in PEI. I chose the game, and I'd never gotten another opportunity to see BR until just now.

And Diane, that's a very tempting idea!

Hey DH! That's a cool story about how you discovered Blue Rodeo... and you know what? That Great Big Picnic you're referring to...  was it in Summerside in the summer of 1999??  If so... that happens to be MY first Blue Rodeo live concert.  What a funny coincidence eh!?  After seeing them live there, that was when I became hooked.  I went online right away to find out more about them... and bought every one of their albums they had released up until then.  I mean... I was already familiar with a few BR songs prior to that show... but it was seeing them live that sealed the deal for me. 

Anyway, I hope you get to see them again real soon! 

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"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good...
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood."

That is a crazy coincidence, because yes, that's exactly the show. I can't say I've ever really regretted my decision, as the football game in Grand Rapids was incredible. It's too bad the timing didn't just work out to do both, but oh well. That's still one of my favorite trips I've ever taken. The Maritimes are beautiful, and I would love to go back someday.