Skies clear just in time for magic Blue Rodeo show at jazz fest
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The skies cleared just in time for Blue Rodeo.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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You could see Cuddy and fellow lead singer Greg Keelor were just loving this as much as the audience.
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'Merci beaucoup,' Cuddy said, near the end. 'Nous adorons Montréal.'
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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.'
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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.
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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.
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Ottawa Citizen
10 hours ago
- 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.
Montreal Gazette
10 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Skies clear just in time for magic Blue Rodeo show at jazz fest
Music By The skies cleared just in time for Blue Rodeo. 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. 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. 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. 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. You could see Cuddy and fellow lead singer Greg Keelor were just loving this as much as the audience. 'Merci beaucoup,' Cuddy said, near the end. 'Nous adorons Montréal.' 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.' 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. 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. Close to 40 years on, many of those same fans are still at the rendezvous. One of those was Anita Stephenson. She and her two sisters came from Guelph just to see Blue Rodeo. She's a huge fan and spent the entire drive here playing Blue Rodeo tracks and singing along to them, which kind of drove her two sisters, Janet and Susan, a little crazy. Anita's seen them 15 times. 'They're Canadian and they're part of our culture,' Stephenson said. 'They brought this Canadiana. They weren't forced to go touring in the U.S. I think the songs are great, the people are great, it's a mix of country and rock, but it's not true country. Some songs are more romantic, some are straight-up anthems. I just like it all.' Her sister Janet said they're not nearly as fanatical as Antia, 'but we support our baby sister.' And they're also making a 'girls' weekend' of it, hanging out at the jazz festival for two days. 'Look at the smile on our face,' Janet said. 'I feel like a little kid,' Anita said. Patrick Beaudet has been a Blue Rodeo fan since 1989, the year he first saw them at the Spectrum. 'I fell in love the first night I saw them,' Beaudet said. Friday night was his 12 th Blue Rodeo show and a forecast predicting heavy rainfall wasn't going to keep him away. 'I'm a fan fini, good weather, bad weather, I was going to be at this show,' Beaudet said. 'I can easily cry listening to Blue Rodeo. It hits me viscerally, inside me, profoundly. It's the lyrics, the harmonies. I like Oasis, Pulp, British rock, but I love the Canadian roots of Blue Rodeo.' Stéphane Fortin is also a hardcore fan and has been for over 30 years. 'I love the melodies,' Fortin said. 'And music is all about emotion.'
CTV News
21 hours ago
- CTV News
Montreal Jazz Fest: Free shows to take in as party kicks off
Esperanza Spalding performs during the second weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP) With the Montreal International Jazz Fest in full swing, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the wealth of musical options to choose from. The good news is you don't need to be wealthy to take it all in – there are dozens of free shows on tap for Montrealers and visitors to the city to enjoy. Here's are some of the highlights ( you can get the full program here): Friday, June 27 Swing Riot at Esplanade Tranquille (7 p.m.) Founded in 2012, Montreal Swing Riot brings together the swing and street dance communities to celebrate jazz through improvisation and personal expression. Blue Rodeo Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo perform together at the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Massey Hall in Toronto, on Saturday, September 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paige Taylor White (Paige Taylor White/The Canadian Press) Blue Rodeo at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame artists Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor lead the celebrated rock band Blue Rodeo as they take over the TD Stage. Saturday, June 28 Theon Cross at Pub Molson – Place Tranquille (8 p.m. and 10 p.m.) British tuba player and composer Theon Cross, known for his work with jazz band Sons of Kremet, performs at Pub Molson in Espace Tranquille. Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge at TD Stage (7:30 p.m.) Nineteen-year-old rock guitarist and songwriter Grace Bowers, whose talent is creating an industry buzz, will take over the main stage on Saturday evening. Elisapie, an Inuk singer-songwriter from Salluit, Nunavik, poses for a portrait in Toronto, Thursday, June 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Elisapie, an Inuk singer-songwriter from Salluit, Nunavik, poses for a portrait in Toronto, Thursday, June 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Elisapie at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Quebec's own Elisapie, whose 2023 album features Inuk covers of popular pop and rock songs, headlines the TD Stage. Sunday, June 29 PJ Morton at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Grammy Award-winning New Orleans native PJ Morton, who has worked with Maroon 5 and focuses on R&B and gospel in his solo work. Monday, June 30 Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews This March 14, 2012 file photo shows Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews performing at the half time of the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angles Lakers NBA basketball game in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Bill Haber) Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) If you haven't caught him at past jazz fest performances, now's your chance. The trombone player fuses musical styles like rock, pop, jazz, funk and hip hop, and will hit the main stage Monday night. Tuesday, July 1 Ayra Starr at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) This Nigerian singer/songwriter promises to get the crowd moving with her Afrobeats style, incorporating other genres like R&B and Afro-pop. Wednesday, July 2 Men I Trust at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Quebec City's indie band Men I Trust will take the stage at the Montreal Jazz Fest before hitting up their hometown for the Festival d'été de Québec on July 4. Thursday, July 3 Beth McKenna at Pub Molson – Place Tranquille (6 p.m.) Montreal saxophone player Beth McKenna brings modern jazz to mainstream audiences with a mix of jazz traditions, improv – and lots of energy. Allison Russell Allison Russell accepts the award for best american roots performance for "Eve Was Black" during the 66th annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 4, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Allison Russell at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Born and raised in Montreal, Grammy-nominated Allison Russell has been making a splash with her smooth blend of Americana, folk, blues and soul, with elements of jazz and pop. Friday, July 4 Uplift514 Block Party at Esplanade Tranquille (5 p.m.) Come on out and party with Uplift514 Block Party, who will dance it out with an energizing blend of styles like dancehall, hip-hop and freestyle. Monsieur Periné at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Colombia-based outfit Monsieur Periné brings in jazz, swing and Latin styles to their Afro-Colombian mix. Expect a global feel at this multilingual show. Saturday, July 5 Fulu Miziki Kolektiv at Rio Tinto Stage (8 p.m.) Promising to be a show like no other, eco-friendly Afro-futuristic punk band Fulu Miziki Kolektiv call their musical style Twerkanda, and their music and instruments are made entirely from recycled and assembled materials. Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Spalding arrives at the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) (Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Esperanza Spalding at TD Stage (9:30 p.m.) Bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding will grace the TD Stage Saturday night. One of the bestselling contemporary jazz artists in the world, the five-time Grammy Award winner promises to mesmerize crowds.
