By Sherani Theophilus, Times Chronicle
Canadian legends Blue Rodeo rocked Penticton on their current tour which will wrap up in April 2026 in Toronto.
The first time I saw Blue Rodeo live, there were tuxedoed men and gowned women jumping up and down in front of the stage. They were the surprise guests of the Gift of Time Gala, an annual fundraiser for Canuck Place in Vancouver.
Last Saturday I saw them for the second time after so many years in Penticton. Somewhere in that gap, I was in a relationship and Blue Rodeo was the soundtrack of that time. It happens to us often, we hear songs and we are transported immediately back to another place and time.
The sold out crowd came with similar stories I’m sure. Blue Rodeo has been part of our musical landscape for four decades. I could feel the joy from the audience to hear the beloved lyrics and bluesy rock which meant so much to them.
The opening act, the Outliers, hailed from Calgary. They drove into town that day, even though they had to drive back that evening just to fulfill lead singer Kyle McKearney’s dream of one day opening for Blue Rodeo. They were an impressive act and I’m sure they gained a lot of fans Saturday evening.
Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor and Bazil Donovan are the only original members still remaining. Cuddy and Keelor provide almost all the lead vocals so we can hear the original voices of our memories. Blue Rodeo lyrics are timeless and not of any one generation.
They have also been outspoken politically with a few songs such as “Stealin All My Dreams”, being members of Artists Against Racism, and continue to the present with songs like “Fools Like You” with the repeating line “stop stealing Indian land”.
The hit songs like “Diamond Mine”, “5 Days in May”, and “Lost Together” are classics and sounded familiar but the arrangements were completely different. These were meant to be heard live as they rocked out with every song. It was musically dense and vibrant. A special mention must go to keyboardist Michael Boguski who deserved a game star in the hallowed Vees venue.
Living here in a small town, it’s good to be reminded that a large venue for concerts is less than an hour away. It isn’t far at all to hear singers, songwriters, and stage performers who appeal to every taste, especially as we have lost so many musical heroes of late.
