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and reports on Blue Rodeo's shows and the shows of related artists. These
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The first of the Bob Egan Kitchen Series: Peterborough, May 5, 2001
In a living room in Peterborough, dimly lit by candles, Bob picks up his international, puts the strap over his shoulder and starts to play. It's a sad tune with a haunting melody played on the fiddle by Lisa MacIsaac, who is accompanying Bob this evening. The chatter of the 40 people sitting on the floor, lawn chairs, kitchen chairs and a lone couch, drops off as Bob's tender voice fills the small room.
Now that he has our attention, Bob lays out the plans for the evening, his first ever Kitchen Show. The mood is lightened as he jokes around, commenting that along with the music there will be some stories, questions and answers, or perhaps show and tell or maybe even truth or dare! This is the benefit of a house concert - you can really do whatever you want. It's small, intimate, and relaxed.
The crowd ranged from hippies to yuppies, from single folks to married couples of all ages and backgrounds. We were all brought together by a common link; the joy of music and for some, the discovery of someone new. Most people at the show had never heard Bob before but no one left disappointed. Many asked if he'd come back so we could do it all over again.
Bob was a true professional who seemed at ease with the intimate setting, mixing music and stories that kept the guests highly entertained. There was even a little entertainer/audience interaction with hugs, comments and questions exchanged. The show lasted for almost two hours with Bob and Lisa sharing the stage for most of the evening. Bob did give her a little break and performed solo for a couple of songs, commenting that Lisa was in the union and had to have her break. Then to show he was teasing, he allowed Lisa to talk about her endeavours, including her band, MadViolet.
Bob mingled with the guests before and after the show where there were refreshments and a potluck dinner. This gave the guests a chance to ask more questions, make more comments and get autographs if they chose. One of the guests, Art, commented: "He mingled with everyone in turn, took the time to find out ‘your story!’ Genuine, gracious, a class act all the way!" I think this quote sums up the general attitude of the evening nicely.
Linda and Jim were the gracious hosts who offered their home to allow this show to happen, and for that we are grateful. Near the end of the evening Bob made a point of expressing his thanks to Linda and Jim for opening their home to him. He said he was blown away by the response and it was all beyond his wildest expectations. I can say the same thing. This was an experience to remember. >>>discuss it!
Reviewed by Dayna Hawerchuk
Posted on Monday, August 20, 2001
Bob Egan House Concert #2, Oshawa, May 19, 2001
'Lucky' Bob. 'New' Bob. 'Mississippi' Bob. These are some of the monikers used by Blue Rodeo's newest member.
Bob Egan is a talented and versatile musician who plays pedal and lap steel, mandolin, harmonica, and guitar. We don't often get a chance to hear his smooth, rich vocals at Blue Rodeo concerts. But recently, Bob embarked on House Tour 2001, delighting fans both old and new with his songs, stories, and down-to-earth friendliness.
Bob's third house concert took place on the evening of May 19 in Oshawa, Ontario, at the home of Adele and Paul (known in Blue Rodeo fan circles as 'schwa_girl' and 'schwa_guy'). Guests contributed a tasty assortment of pot-luck dishes and drinks, and a few brought lawn chairs to set up on the patio. People mingled in the kitchen, living room, and back yard, getting to know one another and enjoying the perfect weather. Bob arrived soon after the guests, accompanied by Lisa MacIsaac (fiddle playing half of the duo Mad Violet) and by his assistant Bobbi. Paul helped the musicians unload their gear (fulfilling his closet desire to be a 'roadie'!). After greeting their hosts, Bob and Lisa quickly became absorbed into the animated conversations around them. Bob was amazed and delighted to discover a fan base among folks who are not frequent Blue Rodeo concert-goers. One guest in particular introduced himself as a big fan of Wilco and Billy Bragg. Others in attendance had never heard of Bob or his music, but were encouraged by friends or family to come along and experience something new. They were not disappointed.
Adele and Paul's living room had been transformed for the evening into a cozy concert hall, with chairs and sofas arranged around three sides of the room and Bob and Lisa's "stage" set up against the backdrop of the picture window. Bob performed a selection of songs from his self-titled CD, interspersed with tunes from his soon-to-be-released second album. Lisa accompanied him on almost every piece, displaying her growing familiarity with Bob's style as well as an impressive ability to improvise. She picked up a few new fans of her own that night!
Bob's style ranged from ballads to earthy, introspective songs, to out-and-out rockers. By his own admission he was fuelled by a sixteen-cookie sugar high! Probably the most memorable song of the evening was "Chosen One," which will be featured on the new CD. Bob introduced it by relating that he hadn't yet figured out why he wrote it or what it meant. He explained that he was going to ask for interpretations, so everyone listened intently. An excellent in-depth discussion ensued, giving Bob insight into both his song and his audience. Not your usual concert format, for sure, but one that obviously appealed to Bob and the guests.
After the performance, guests were able to purchase Bob's CD and sign up for advance orders of the new release. Much of the money raised will go to assist other musicians. Bob and Lisa continued to chat with everyone and share in the buffet dinner until it was time for them to leave. The relaxed partying lasted into the wee hours of the morning - with no complaints from the neighbours! As people departed, many requested to be invited to future house concerts.
It was truly an evening to remember. 'Lucky' Bob. Lucky us!
(With notes from Paul Fraser...) >>>discuss it!
Reviewed by Adele Massena
Posted on Monday, July 23, 2001
Blue Rodeo at the Odeon, Cleveland, OH, March 23rd, 2001
We were not going to go to this show. I repeat – we were not going to go. In the two weeks before this concert, we’d gone as far south as Chicago and as far north as Durham to see our boys in Blue. So when it came to travelling to Cleveland for yet another concert, we were being very rational, and we just said no! Two nights before the concert, though, Darlene and I figured that we didn’t need to be rational all the time, and decided to make the trip after all. So we made last minute hotel reservations, packed our bags, and on the morning of the concert, headed off on another Blue Rodeo road trip.
We arrived in Cleveland in just enough time to check into our hotel, get lost on the way to the venue, and encounter some scary experiences along the way – like opening our car door to a strange man so he could give us directions! But the stranger’s directions were right, and we made it to the show just before the doors opened.
We started off the evening by working in the merchandise booth, and by helping to promote bluerodeo.com. That probably was the greatest part of the evening for us because we got to meet so many great fans! I know I’ve said it before, but I have to say it again: Blue Rodeo fans are some of the greatest people I’ve ever met! When we told them how far we’d come for the show, rather than thinking that we were crazy (like everyone else in our lives!), they just thought it was great that we were so supportive of the band. And in the end – we found out that we weren’t alone – other people had also come from far and wide to see the show!
The concert started with a fantastic performance by John Wesley Harding. By the time he was done, he really had the crowd warmed up and ready to hear some Blue Rodeo! The boys came out and began the night with an energetic performance of Hasn’t Hit Me Yet and followed that up with the perennial favourite, What Am I Doing Here. Next on the list was Photograph, played in a new style, with no harmonica, and at lightning-fast speed!
The rest of the night was sprinkled with the band’s classic hits like, Better Off As We Are (where James’ solo electrified the crowd), It Could Happen to You, 5 Days in May (ending off with an intense guitar solo by Greg), Rain Down on Me, and Head Over Heels. The boys also treated us to some lesser-played classics like Disappear, and Fools Like You (my first time hearing this one!). Another rarity came after a bit of confusion on the stage. Greg asked Jim what was up next, and Jim replied, “Love and Understanding, but play whatever you want.” The band never did play Love and Understanding that night - instead, without letting the others know what he was going to play, Greg started singing What Is This Love. The band caught on quickly, and the crowd was treated to an outstanding performance of this hauntingly beautiful song.
Besides the fantastic music, there was also some friendly banter between the band and the crowd. One example of that came when the band needed a minute to work out some kinks in the tuning of their instruments and Jim kept the crowd going by poking fun at an audience member’s shirt. The shirt was in the fashion of a Leafs’ jersey, but instead of having “The Maple Leafs” written on it, it said “The Tragically Hip.” Jim had to say that he just didn’t like the shirt - not that he had anything against the Hip, but rather, it was sacrilege to mess with a Leafs jersey like that!
…Back to the music, the set ended off with a fantastic rendition of Wine Drinker from crowd favourite, Baz, followed by The Days In Between.
After a very short break, the encore began with Somebody Waits, and then the boys went into my favourite song of the night: Heart Like Mine. This song gets better and better everyone time I hear it – beginning with the soft harmony of Jim and Greg’s voices, and ending up as a serious rocking song! The show ended off with Sad Nights, followed by a blistering rendition of Diamond Mine.
By the time the concert was over, Darlene and I were very happy that we had been so irrational! This was another successful Blue Rodeo road trip. We thankfully made it back to our hotel without getting lost, and got just enough sleep to make it through the next day’s trip to see the boys in Buffalo – but that’s a whole other adventure…. >>>discuss it!
Reviewed by Sara Rzepa
Posted on Thursday, July 19, 2001
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