Latest news with #JimCuddy
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.
Ottawa Citizen
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Skies clear just in time for magic Blue Rodeo show at jazz fest
Article content The skies cleared just in time for Blue Rodeo. Article content Of course, they did. It's the magic of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, but it's also the magical ties that bind this Toronto band to their fans ici. The forecast all week insisted there was a 90- to 100-per-cent chance of rain at 9:30 on Friday night, but the folks at MétéoMédia clearly haven't been listening to the Five Days in July album often enough. There was no way the big free outdoor Blue Rodeo show at the jazz fest was going to be rained out. Article content Article content And the fans knew it. The crowd stretched all the way back to Ste-Catherine St. and anyone who stayed home because of the forecast will be kicking themselves when their friends tell them how inspirational this soirée was. Article content Article content By the time Jim Cuddy got to belt out Try, the very first Blue Rodeo hit, as the encore and sitting at the keyboard, there was no getting away from the fact this was one of the great Blue Rodeo shows here. Article content I mean not that there have been any Blue Rodeo shows much less than life-affirming. I was there Friday night with my daughter Devan reminiscing about the epic Blue Rodeo shows we'd seen at Théâtre St. Denis and Place des Arts. Friday, they ended with Lost Together and if you weren't choking up just a little bit, then you just don't love this thing called rock'n'roll. Article content You could see Cuddy and fellow lead singer Greg Keelor were just loving this as much as the audience. Article content Article content 'Merci beaucoup,' Cuddy said, near the end. 'Nous adorons Montréal.' Article content Later, Cuddy said: 'We'd like to thank the rain for taking a little break for us and mainly we'd like to thank you for coming out in spite of the weather.' Article content Highlights included an incredibly intense take on Diamond Mine with Keelor rocking his vocal hard, a brilliant Trust Yourself with thousands singing along, and the anthems Til I Am Myself Again and Hasn't Hit Me Yet, which were just as great as you might imagine. Article content I bumped into promoter Rubin Fogel, who was talking about how the first show they did in Montreal was at Club Soda in January 1988, back when they were hardly known here. A year later, that was no longer the case.
