Latest news with #DistilleryDistrict
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blue Rodeo celebrates 40 years with packed hometown show in Toronto's Distillery District
From 5 Days in May to 40 years in 2025: Blue Rodeo took to Trinity Street Stage in Toronto's Distillery District for a free acoustic set Monday afternoon, celebrating four decades of music. It may have been 4 p.m. on a weekday, but it didn't stop a large crowd from packing in front of the stage by Mill Street Brewery and belting along to a set of classic Canadiana in the band's hometown. Blue Rodeo was formed 40 years ago by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, who met in high school in Toronto, and led Monday's concert along with Jimmy Bowskill and Colin Cripps. The group would rise from a Queen Street bar band to a part of Canada's cultural fabric. Craig Hamilton said he took the train in from Long Branch to catch the anniversary show. "The sound of Jim Cuddy's voice, can't miss that," he said. Hamilton said he was thrilled the band led off with his favourite song, 5 Days in May, which he said contains his favourite lyric from any Canadian songwriter. "When he sings, 'Rain on the windshield headed south' — every time I hear that line it just conjures up all these images, and I just love that song," he said. "They've been bringing us fantastic music for many, many years." Hamilton was one of many people in the crowd enjoying a specially crafted beer put out in honour of the band's milestone, which he said was a perfect complement to the sun and music. "Everybody loves Mill Street, and who doesn't love Blue Rodeo, so to bring the two of them together … it's fantastic." MPP Chris Glover, who represents Spadina-Fort York, was also on hand for the show. "It was fantastic. How often do you get to see Blue Rodeo, especially on their 40th anniversary, and in this setting in the Distillery? It's just a beautiful setting," he said. "This is what makes Toronto so much fun to be in in the summertime." It's a setting Blue Rodeo knows well. The band got its start in Toronto, playing its first show in 1985 at the Rivoli, according to its official website. It had been selling out shows in the city for months before the release of its first album, Outskirts, in 1987. But it took off when the music video of its lead single Try, already a popular staple at its concerts, was put on heavy rotation at years later, the band released its most commercially successful album ever, 5 Days in July, and never looked back. Blue Rodeo was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in September 2009 — the fifth band to receive the honour. This year, the group was the subject of a documentary called Lost Together, available on CBC Gem, and got its own Canada Post stamp. It kick off its official, country-wide 40th anniversary tour this fall.
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Blue Rodeo celebrates 40 years of music with free show in Toronto
Iconic Toronto band Blue Rodeo is celebrating four decades of making music together. Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor formed the group in the 1980s. To mark their anniversary, Blue Rodeo performed a free show in Toronto's Distillery District.
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Blue Rodeo celebrates 40 years with packed hometown show in Toronto's Distillery District
Social Sharing From 5 Days in May to 40 years in 2025: Blue Rodeo took to Trinity Street Stage in Toronto's Distillery District for a free acoustic set Monday afternoon, celebrating four decades of music. It may have been 4 p.m. on a weekday, but it didn't stop a large crowd from packing in front of the stage by Mill Street Brewery and belting along to a set of classic Canadiana in the band's hometown. Blue Rodeo was formed 40 years ago by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, who met in high school in Toronto, and led Monday's concert along with Jimmy Bowskill and Colin Cripps. The group would rise from a Queen Street bar band to a part of Canada's cultural fabric. Craig Hamilton said he took the train in from Long Branch to catch the anniversary show. "The sound of Jim Cuddy's voice, can't miss that," he said. Hamilton said he was thrilled the band led off with his favourite song, 5 Days in May, which he said contains his favourite lyric from any Canadian songwriter. "When he sings, 'Rain on the windshield headed south' — every time I hear that line it just conjures up all these images, and I just love that song," he said. "They've been bringing us fantastic music for many, many years." Hamilton was one of many people in the crowd enjoying a specially crafted beer put out in honour of the band's milestone, which he said was a perfect complement to the sun and music. "Everybody loves Mill Street, and who doesn't love Blue Rodeo, so to bring the two of them together … it's fantastic." MPP Chris Glover, who represents Spadina-Fort York, was also on hand for the show. "It was fantastic. How often do you get to see Blue Rodeo, especially on their 40th anniversary, and in this setting in the Distillery? It's just a beautiful setting," he said. "This is what makes Toronto so much fun to be in in the summertime." It's a setting Blue Rodeo knows well. The band got its start in Toronto, playing its first show in 1985 at the Rivoli, according to its official website. It had been selling out shows in the city for months before the release of its first album, Outskirts, in 1987. But it took off when the music video of its lead single Try, already a popular staple at its concerts, was put on heavy rotation at MuchMusic. WATCH | 40 years of Blue Rodeo examined in new documentary: Blue Rodeo: Lost Together | Trailer | Watch now on CBC Gem 6 months ago For the first time, Blue Rodeo tells the story of their incredible 40-year journey. A brand new documentary, now streaming on CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel. Six years later, the band released its most commercially successful album ever, 5 Days in July, and never looked back. Blue Rodeo was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in September 2009 — the fifth band to receive the honour. This year, the group was the subject of a documentary called Lost Together, available on CBC Gem, and got its own Canada Post stamp. It kick off its official, country-wide 40th anniversary tour this fall.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Blue Rodeo plays free acoustic set for Toronto fans at The Distillery
The iconic Canadian rock band Blue Rodeo celebrated 40 years in music with a free concert for fans in Toronto's Distillery District. Hundreds of people packed the Distillery Historic District late Monday afternoon to hear an acoustic performance by one of Canada's most iconic bands. To celebrate 40 years of Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor performed a free set on the Trinity Street Stage. Speaking with CP24's Beatrice Vaisman, Blue Rodeo frontman Cuddy said the fans are the reason behind the band's longevity. 'The reason that Blue Rodeo has lasted so long is because of the people,' he said. 'We work hard to do good shows and to go where everybody lives, but it's because the audiences in Canada are loyal, so we're lucky.' Cuddy also pointed to the band's 'humbleness' as another reason why they've been able to be successful for four decades. 'We started with pretty humble aspirations. We just wanted to be good musicians and we have extraordinary musicians in the band,' he said. 'Greg and I just naturally sing well together and we work hard pushing each other to write better songs. You just have to try to be as good as you can.' Monday's event also celebrated the debut of a limited-edition Blue Rodeo 40th Anniversary Lager in collaboration with Mill Street Brewery - one of the first tenants of the district. Fans were invited to write a special message to the band on a commemorative wall as well.
CBC
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
After a rocky post-pandemic recovery, Toronto's Fringe Fest finds stable ground
It's been a roller-coaster five years for the Toronto Fringe Festival. In 2020, it was cancelled completely thanks to the pandemic. In 2021, it went digital. The next three years were tough in different ways: the festival returned to in-person shows with disappointing audience numbers, temporarily lost a critical provincial grant, and cut down the number of shows it presented by a fifth. This year, says Toronto Fringe Festival executive director Rachel Kennedy, "I think we're in a really good spot." "Fringe has now placed things in a way that feels really good for us," she continued. "We're seeing the numbers corroborate that … it's definitely an upward trajectory." There are a couple of signs that the Fringe Festival, which began on July 2nd and runs through this weekend, may be getting its groove back. This year, the festival has expanded back to 100 shows, with steady audience numbers, says Kennedy. And, as of Thursday, it's surpassed $500,000 at the box office, all of which goes back to the artists. "That's half a million dollars going directly into artist pockets through the Fringe," all of whom are chosen by lottery, she said. "It's more than last year." The 'Avengers' of Toronto theatre Kennedy spoke to CBC Toronto on the patio next to Soulpepper Theatre, in the Distillery District — a new venue for Fringe, and, says Kennedy, a key part of this year's success. Late last year, Fringe signed on to a three year agreement with four other theatre companies, including Soulpepper, to "try to share knowledge and resources," said Kennedy. Called the Creative Collaboration Initiative, the agreement also includes Obsidian Theatre, The Musical Stage Company, and Bad Hats Theatre. "We actually had someone comment online and say, 'this is the Avengers of Toronto theatre,'" laughed Kennedy. The festival also expanded its offerings this year when it comes to genre, with a slate of musicals running at Theatre Passe Muraille as a Fringe satellite program. Britta Johnson is a Canadian composer and playwright whose award-winning musical 'Life After' follows a 16-year-old girl grappling with the death of her father. Loosely inspired by her own experiences, the show originally debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2016, but later this month, it will return to Toronto at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre. Britta sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the massive success of 'Life After' and what it means to bring the show back to the city where it all began. If you enjoy this conversation, check out Tom Power's chat with playwright Katori Hall on 'The Tina Turner Musical.' A festival that feels 'robust' All of the rebuilt momentum means artists like Vancouver's Naomi Steinberg, appearing at the Toronto Fringe for the first time, can find new audiences. Steinberg's show, designed for children and called 'Goosefeather Kamishibai,' builds on a traditional style of Japanese storytelling that uses a wooden frame with pictures inside to weave a performance. "I was the very last person pulled in the kids' fringe section [artist lottery]. And I cannot tell you how exciting it was," she said backstage at Soulpepper after one of her performances. Patricia Allison, a former Fringe performer herself who mentors independent theatre-makers and artists at a Toronto organization called Generator, says she can feel a change in the wind this year. "This year's festival has felt really robust. The shows I've gone to have been really well-attended," she said — a relief after the "precarity" she watched them navigate after the pandemic. "A lot of artists and a lot work comes out of there," continued Allison. "We need to make sure that it's around for years to come."
