Blue Rodeo are a band hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who formed in 1984. Since their debut in 1987 they have become one of the biggest country rock bands of their generation, and have 14 studio albums to their name.
Formed by high school friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, Blue Rodeo came together after a few attempts by Cuddy and Keelor to achieve rock and roll stardom. After their first single as Hi-Fi’s went nowhere in 1980, the Toronto natives relocated to New York City in search of contacts and potential bandmates. It was there that they met keyboardist Bob Wiseman with whom, along with drummer Cleave Anderson and bassist Bazil Donovan, they’d form the first incarnation of Blue Rodeo back in Toronto, debuting live in early 1985 at the Rivoli club. With years of performing experience between everyone in the band, they were an unmissable live act right out the gate, and after a few short months of playing live they signed with John Caton’s label Risque Disque.
Their debut effort “Outskirts” was released in 1987 and they became sensations almost straight away in their home country, selling 200’000 copies of “Outskirts” and touring with the iconic k.d. lang only a year after its release. Ever since then, the band have remained icons in their native Canada, able to sell out pretty much any venue available to them as arguably the most beloved Canadian acoustic act since Neil Young. While they might not have encountered the same level of success anywhere else in the world, they also remain cult heroes in the United States and Europe. They’re truly unbeatable both live and in the studio, and in an age where their brand of rocked up country music is hot in a way it’s never been before, Blue Rodeo come highly recommended.
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