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Blue Rodeo's Jim Cuddy reflects on band's 40-year anniversary ahead of new documentary

Jim Cuddy and director Dale Heslip sit for a special interview about how the band navigated Toronto's competitive music scene
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Long-time bandmates Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy pictured in their upcoming documentary 'Blue Rodeo: Lost Together'

More than 40 years after getting their start in Toronto’s music scene, members of the Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo are telling their story for the first time in a new documentary that will premiere at Hot Docs Cinema this weekend.

Guided by lead singers and high school buddies Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, Blue Rodeo: Lost Together takes fans on their journey of navigating relationships, hardships and the competitive music scene of the 1980s and beyond.

The documentary features raw footage and retellings from Blue Rodeo’s humble beginnings at The Horseshoe Tavern, The Cameron House and other intimate Queen Street West bars, before their debut on MuchMusic sent the band skyrocketing to fame.

Through interviews with director Dale Heslip, members of the band explain Toronto’s impact on their careers, and how Blue Rodeo ultimately managed to stay together for more than four decades.

Blue Rodeo: Lost Together will be screening at Hot Docs in Toronto on Feb. 1, 2 and 22. A wider rollout will take place in Cineplex Cinemas across the GTA and Canada on Feb. 2 and 3.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What prompted members of Blue Rodeo to share their story after 40 years?

Jim Cuddy (JC): When Dale brought it to us two and a half years ago, I thought he was the right guy. We all do — we all like Dale and have known him for a long time. It just seemed like the right time and the right approach.

We were coming towards the 40th anniversary of being a band. [For us], a band that doesn’t pat themselves on the back very much, 40 years was something we were going to celebrate. It’s been a really great process.

They created a great story arc and had really great people working with them. We were a little surprised when we saw that it was so focused on Greg and I, but in the long run, it makes sense to tell the origin story and how it’s the thread that runs through it all.

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Members of the band pictured in 'Blue Rodeo: Lost Together'. Credit: Blue Ice Docs

Dale Heslip (DH): I’ve been a fan for 40 years, so when you’re a fan of the music and the guys, it’s like you crave telling a story like this — and it’s a story that needed to be told.

Revealing stories and revealing the creative process is all very fascinating — and you get some of that in this movie. You got that old Hi-8 [camcorder] that the band filmed themselves across the world. You see Jim and Greg together telling stories, which is such a joyful thing to watch. They make each other laugh so much, so it’s fun.

Q: The Queen Street music scene in Toronto was incredibly formative for Blue Rodeo in the 1980s. What are your thoughts on its current state, and do you still enjoy venturing there for gigs?

JC: In a way, Queen Street is the same. It’s still exciting and it feels familiar. It’s not the same kind of coherent scene that it was when we were there, but it still houses bands that are playing original music live.

The Horseshoe is still welcoming touring acts and local acts, and just down the street is The Cameron House — and they hosted all the musicians in the 80s when I was there. There’s a whole new generation of artists who aren’t necessarily playing synthesizers, but they can play with anything — and they’re welcome at The Cameron.

When we started [the band], I never felt entirely comfortable on Queen Street. I thought it was full of people that were way cooler than me. I still have a little bit of that stain in me when I’m walking down the street.

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Snapshot of 'Blue Rodeo: Lost Together.' Credit: Blue Ice Docs

Q: Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor have long been characterized as different from one another in terms of style, vision and vocal ability. How did that ultimately benefit the band?

JC: I don’t think it was ever something we consciously created. We wrote different songs, and yet, there were a lot of cross-sections. Our voices just blended so naturally from the beginning. There were a lot of circumstantial things that entangled us, and he was just the right partner to be with. It was music that we both loved, and we let it lead us.

I realized early that Greg always knew he wanted to be a musician, but I felt like I was going to do music for a while and then go and do something more part of the straight world. But when it came down to it, I just couldn’t do it. It was really important for me to have a partner who wanted the same things. The serendipitous stuff happens after that.

Q: In the documentary, Blue Rodeo got together for an intimate jam session at a recording studio in Hamilton. Can you describe what that experience was like from a listener’s perspective?

DH: It was unbelievable. It was such a beautiful day, and the band had a fantastic time. It felt like such a privilege to be sitting there and listening to the guys do these songs. One of the best days of my life.

Initially, when we were [teeing] up this idea, we were going to tour with the band across the country for the Five Days in July Tour. But the start time kept getting delayed. So, we came up with this acoustic circle idea and it just worked out so well. It was different versions of the same songs in an unplugged environment. I think the fans are really going to love it.

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Snapshot of 'Blue Rodeo: Lost Together' Credit: Blue Ice Docs

Q: Many people who watch the documentary grew up listening to your music. What are you hoping the film does for younger folks and newer listeners?

JC: When we perform, a lot of the audiences are our age — but there’s a lot of young people. You realize they’ve come to us through two different ways: Growing up in a household where the music was played, or from feeling misrepresented by the way music is now.

When people bring little kids [to our shows], I can tell the ones who are really absorbed by music. It’s not necessarily just us — it’s the music, the stage, the art. You see the kid who’s distracted and looking around, and then you see the kid who cannot take their eyes off the stage. That’s very meaningful to me.

We never thought about the documentary as a commodity, we thought of it as a document. We revealed a lot of stuff about ourselves. It was somewhat painful — but valuable. Where it goes from there is something we kind of live every day.

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Snapshot of 'Blue Rodeo: Lost Together' Credit: Blue Ice Docs

DH: The amount of young folks who are there singing along is impressive. There’s a beautiful shot at the end of our opening montage sequence where Jim goes to the downstage at Massey Hall and hands a [guitar] pick to a little girl in the front row. What I didn’t realize until later is there’s a little kid who can’t even reach over the stage and he also gives a pick to them. It’s a very touching Jim Cuddy moment.



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