A BLue Rodeo Reunion @ Lee's 11/15 Setlist

[TimmyB]

A friend of mine from Q107 called me up yesterday afternoon and asked me if I wanted to go to 'Lost Together' A Blue Rodeo reunion at Lee's Palace tonight? I said what time do you want me there?

A Blue Rodeo concert with the original line up! I've listened to Blue Rodeo since their first album, but did not see them live until 1993 so I never saw them with Bob Wiseman, Cleave Anderson or Mark French. So how could I turn this show down?

We walked into a packed Lee's Palace at around 10:30PM and the band got on at around ten to eleven. To my disappointment Bob Wiseman was not in attendance as Greg Keelor said that Wiseman was in Ottawa but would be at the next gig at Lee's on Wednesday. So James Gray took over on keyboards for the night.

My disappointment subsided when the five piece Blue Rodeo started to play. And at least I still got to see Cleave Anderson and Mark French!

While they were introduced by the gentleman that runs the Horseshoe who's name escapes me, he said that the second act that ever performed Lee's Palace twenty years ago was Blue Rodeo.

Jim Cuddy then came on and said "Twenty years later we still can fill Lee's Palace on a Monday night."

The first set opened with the opener off of "Outskirts," "Heart Like Mine" and I knew I was in for a great night. It was great seeing them as a five piece again. It didn't really matter that Wiseman wasn't there, it was all about the songs. The first set had eight of the ten songs on "Outskirts," as well as three tracks from "Diamond Mine," one from "Casino" and a cover of Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" with Steve Cox on lead vocals and guitar with Greg on drums. Mark French came out for the last two numbers in the set making it a six piece.

A definite highlight of the first set was the Greg song "Beverly Street" that Greg said the band played when Cleave was in the band but recently recorded it for their new album with Glenn Milchem not Cleave. Then said "Glenn plays it better. Cleave quit so it's our way of getting back at him."

After a short set break the boys were back out with Jack Dekeyser on guitar. This set started out with Mark on drums and soon had Cleave back for a couple of more numbers. Definite highlights were the opener of the set "What Am I Doing Here" and "Mystery Train."

After "Trust Yourself" the current line up of Blue Rodeo came out to close out the show. They performed a number of songs off of "Five Days In July" as well as a few others.

The hightlights here was during "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" where Greg had the audience sing the first verse and chorus, and the crowd sang it quite well.

Also a nice rendition of the Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody" during the encore. This summer at the Ottawa Bluesfest where Jim Cuddy was a part of "Hot Burrito! A tribute to Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Bros." I asked Jim after the show if songs like "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Do Right Woman" which Jim performed that night where inspired by Gram Parsons and not the original artists that recorded them. Jim said that yes they were inspired by Parsons.

I then asked him about "To Love Somebody" which the Flying Burrito Bros. also covered and whether or not Blue Rodeo was inspired by the Bee Gees version or the Flying Burrito Bros. version. Jim adamantly responded that no the song was inspired by the Bee Gees original and that he didn't even know the song was covered by Parsons until the Parsons compilations "Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels" came out the same year as Blue Rodeo's "Greatest Hits" which both had the song on it.

It was a great night of music and I wish I could go back again on Wednesday when Bob Wiseman will be there as well.

Setlist:

Blue Rodeo @ Lee's Palace 11/15/04

Start time 10:48PM

Set 1:

(Jim, Bazil, Greg, Cleave, James started the show)

1. Heart Like Mine

2. Rose-Coloured Glasses

3. Rebel

4. Floating

5. Now And Forever

6. Joker's Wild

7. Underground

8. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down (Merle Haggard song with Steve Cox lead vocals and guitar with Greg on drums with Cleave)

9. Outskirts

10. Try

11. Beverly Street (An old Greg song performed back in the days with Cleave that will be on their new album)

12. Diamond Mine

13. Love And Understanding (with Mark French on drums with Cleave as well to close out the set)

14. 'Til I Am Myself Again

End set 12:06AM (1 hour and 18 minutes)

Break 20 minutes

Set 2:

Start time 12:27AM

15. What Am I Doing Here (with Jack DeKeyser on guitar for songs 15-20 and Mark on drums)

16. If You Go (Greg song never recorded performed during the Casino tour)

17. Nothing (Jack DeKeyser song Jack on lead vocals and Cleave joining Mark on drums)

18. Cryin'

19. Mystery Train (Jack lead vocals)

20. Trust Yourself (Mark only one on drums

(Current line up of Blue Rodeo close out the show)

21. Bad Timing

22. Cynthia

23. Five Days In May

24. Walk Like You Don't Mind

25. Someone To Keep Me Company (Does anybody knows this song title and who originally recorded it? Please let me know. Bazil on lead vocals)

26. Hasn't Hit Me Yet

End time 1:31AM Back 1:34AM (3 minute break)

Encore:

27. Lost Together

28. To Love Somebody (with Jack)

29. You're Everywhere (with Jack

End time 1:52AM (time 1 hour 25 minutes. Total time 2 hours and 40 minutes)

[TimmyB]

If you thought the show I attended looks great and you want to go, then here's how.

Wednesday Nov. 17: A rare small club show celebrating their 20th Aniversary

‘LOST TOGETHER: A Blue Reunion’ BLUE RODEO

w/Members of the original lineup @10:30, celebrate their 20th B-Day and the release of their first ever DVD ‘Blue Rodeo in Stereovision’. $20.00 CASH ONLY at Door (9:00 PM). The Daily Bread Food Bank will be in the Merch are or in Lobby to take donations, be it $$$$ or non-perishable/canned food

Tickets: They are NO ADVANCE Tickets. All Patrons are welcome to line up outside the venue anytime in the afternoon after 2:00 PM. You will be WRISTBANDED and ID’d in the order of the line, by Leslie n Joel, in intervals between 2:00 PM, n throughout the late afternoon n early evening, until 7:30 PM, or until all available wristbands have been issued. (This is so you don’t have to spend all afternoon n evening in the cold in line)

The Wristband Policy is for EACH PERSON w/ID, you can pick up a maximum of TWO WRISTBAND(s). The ID holder picking up the spare (2nd Wristband) will have their wristband fastened on site at time of pick up, and at that time you can sign in for your guest, by name.

YOU, and your guest, MUST be back in Line, outside the venue, at 8:00 PM, in sequential order of your numbered wristbands, please with bands ATTACHED to your defacto wrists. At 8:15, Joel, MC, Leslie, and Theresa will re-check your ID(s), validate your entry, and very soon after you will enter the Venue for the show.

Please note, all tickets are $20.00 CASH ONLY.

[MarcO]

Props to Blue Rodeo. They have a great body of work, they work hard, they tour coast-to-coast and they're still at it.

Truly a Canadian treasure. Sounds like a great night, although I admit I may have been a little disappointed in the Wiseman no-show; not quite a full "reunion" without him, but c'est la vie!