Blue Rodeo is Back in Town
Concert #35 for the Region and Counting!
According to Blue Rodeo’s website, their first concert in town was likely in 1986 at the University of Waterloo. Were you there? Or did you attend any of their other 33 concerts in the Region since then? Blue Rodeo will play their 11th Centre In The Square concert in February. Where, oh, where has the time flown?
It’s no secret that former Blue Rodeo pedal steel player Bob Egan is now the Manager of Community Connections and Development at the Kitchener Public Library. Egan had finally reached a stage in life, including fatherhood, where he wanted to settle after performing with the group for over 17 years. But he’s not the only member to spend many happy concerts with the group.
“I think we’re the Elizabeth Taylor of music,” says co-founder Jim Cuddy on the November 12th episode of CBC’s Backstage Pass. “We’ve had many husbands, many band members.” Cuddy believes it’s the band’s success that has let them continue on, and fans seem to embrace the entire history of the group.
Blue Rodeo just released their latest album, 1000 Arms, at the end of October. Cuddy explains on Backstage Pass that the album is about community. He described a story he had heard about a woman with bipolar disorder who was recognized enough in her community that someone always recognized her when she was having an episode and was able to take her back to her coffee shop. “And that was the strength of community,” he said. Take a listen to Superstar, live on the Strombo show:

He explains further on the group’s website: ““The podcast was about allowing your community to help you. When we were going over titles, we were thinking about our musical community, what it means to us and how much we would do for each other. That was what we were thinking about the most, so it seemed like an appropriate title.”
The album itself is likely something fans have been yearning for years: Cuddy and co-founder Greg Keelor had, over time, stopped singing together during songs. When producer Tim Veseley of the Rheostatics, listened to a bunch of old albums, he suggested they try that again for 1000 Arms.
Tickets are moving fast for Blue Rodeo’s show on February 28, get your tickets before it’s too late!