Went to see Blue Rodeo the other night at the amp. Couldn't help but thinking listening to the show how great live music sounds in that setting. At both outdoor Hip shows I attended this tour the sound has been ok. So I couldn't help but thinking how great it would be to see the Hip at the Amp another time. That thought was encouraged walking past the 2002 Tragically Hip star on my return from the beer line. Having been at that show in 2002 I remember the sheer sound of base and audible clarity the Hip can produce. I hope they play there again soon.
I'm with ya!
How was the BR/Weakerthans gig? Were there a lot of empty seats? They were just about giving away the tickets this week.
Shit I didn't know the weakerthans were opening! I would have grabbed a lawn seat had I been aware.
The ticket give away must have worked - the place was 95% sold out. No lawn seats available at the door once the Weakerthans hit the stage as well.
Another great end-of-summer Blue Rodeo show. They played six tracks off their soon-to-be-release double record which sounded pretty solid. Oh Susanna and Wayne Peti from Cuff The Duke were on stage for the new stuff singing harmonies, and I think three tunes featured a six-piece string and wind section. Not your typical Blue Rodeo stuff. "One More Night" was probably the stand out of the new tracks. A rocking Cuddy-tune that harkens back to some of their rockabilly roots. Some solid jams too - they really stretched out Five Days in May and Diamond Mine for all they could. Lost Together was a highlight again this year, as the Weakerthans came out with Wayne and Susie, plus the fiddle player from Jim Cuddy's band (whose name escapes me right now) for a killer version, with John K Samson taking a turn on the second verse lead. And of course, the annual sing-a-long for Hasn't Hit Me Yet has to be seen (or heard) to be believed.
The double-whammy of course was the Weakerthans opening. Favourite Blue Rodeo opener for me since the Old 97's hit the stage before them in 2007. As Jim Cuddy said from the stage, these guys aren't openers, so it was great of them to play the set. I hadn't seen them since the Fort York shows in 2006 so it was long over due as well. I was also happy to be able to pick up Reunion Tour on vinyl finally.
As for the sound, we were in the west end of the lawns and it was really quiet until about mid-way through the Blue Rodeo set. It's as if the track delay on the speakers atop the bandshell weren't working. Once it got fixed though, it was like night and day. There are few better large venues to see a show in for the full experience than the lawns at the Amp.
Setlists
Weakerthans:
Night Windows
Tournament of Hearts
Our Retired Explorer
Benediction
Reconstruction Site
Aside
Bigfoot
Plea for a Cat Named Virtue
The Reasons
Sun In An Empty Room
Left and Leaving
Civil Twilight
Manifest
Blue Rodeo:
What Am I Doing Here
Rain Down On Me
Old Blue House
Five Days in May
C'mon
Don't Let the Darkness in Your Head (New)
Kansas (or Candace... the sound was still muddy at this point - new)
Rose Coloured Glasses
Gossip (? - new)
Photograph
Never Look Back (new - I think)
Fools Like You
Trust Yourself
One Night Left in Heaven (new)
This Town
Heart Like Mine
One More Night (New)
Head Over Heals
Diamond Mine
Lost Together
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Hasn't Hit Me Yet
Try
Till I Am Myself Again
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Bad Timing
So, see you next year?
Cheers,
Pat