Review
What: Blue Rodeo with Ron Hawkins and The Do Good Assassins
When: Thursday night
Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
Roots rockers Blue Rodeo, perhaps motivated by the political goings-on south of the border, opened their show Thursday night in Victoria with what felt like a subliminal message.
The two-hour set got underway with frontmen Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy huddled around a single microphone, singing a cappella the first few verses of Heart Like Mine. At the time of its release in 1987, few would have misinterpreted the tune as anything but a breakup song.
But in this context, on stage before 2,467 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, with a new U.S. president in office, the lyrics were flung like a poison arrow.
“Now it’s all covered up, in double-talk and lies,” the duo sang in harmony. “There’s a stranger looking back, when I look in your eyes.”
Thirty years into what has been one heck of a career, Blue Rodeo showed it can still provoke on Thursday, part of a national tour in support of the band’s new album, 1000 Arms.
The band did not cut corners, and Cuddy and Keelor — the engines that make Blue Rodeo run — sounded positively youthful.
The concert was band’s seventh in 12 years at the Blanshard Street arena, and even the biggest fan couldn’t be faulted had they decided to pass on this performance — but they would have missed the Toronto ambassadors in peak form.
Everything was dialed-in, from the sound (mixed perfectly) to the imagery (classy and colourful, but understated). The atmosphere was uplifting — triumph over what has come before and hope for what lies ahead.
The band members, some of whom are now in their 60s, have time on their mind these days, it would appear.
Cuddy dedicated 1000 Arms to John Mann of Spirit of the West and Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, close friends who are battling health issues; his bandmates played with a little extra effort in tribute.
By the time Blue Rodeo got to their jam-friendly favourite, Diamond Mine, the band was humming.
Ron Hawkins — frontman for Toronto legends the Lowest of the Low — opened the show with his own project, The Do Good Assassins.
The quintet turned in a very solid 35-minute set, one that paralleled a young Blue Rodeo in spots. It was little a bit country and a little bit rock ’n’ roll, and a whole lot of fun.
“This place seems a lot bigger than the last time I was here,” Hawkins said during one of his many between-song runs. “This is Harpo’s, right?”
With a voice reminiscent of a young Keelor, he led his terrific band through a set of new Do Good Assassins material and old favourites, including Lowest of the Low hits from 1991, Salesmen, Cheats and Liars and Rosy and Grey. Don’t miss this band when it returns.
Blue Rodeo relied primarily on songs from 1000 Arms, Five Days in July, Lost Together, Casino and Outskirts, portions of which appeared during the mostly acoustic hootenanny in their middle of their set (the night was bookended by two jet-engine electric sets).
The acoustic interlude not only showcased the softer side of the group, it put their collective guitar playing, musicianship and harmony singing under the microscope.
They passed with ease.
Not bad for a bunch of old guys.