This article was originally published on beingtheremag.com, an independent music and film magazine that ran from 2004 to 2007. It is presented here as part of the Being There Magazine archive.
Lee’s Palace in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 29th, 2005
By Adam Anklewicz | Being There Magazine, April 2005
Greg Keelor is one of Canada’s rock ‘n’ roll royalty. I think all Canadians are born with Blue Rodeo songs forever ingrained in their souls. The songwriting team of Jim Cuddy & Greg Keelor are known for some of the best Canadian music since Neil Young. Easily compared to Lennon and McCartney, the two have a similar dynamic. How many musicians can start strumming their song and have the entire audience singing the first verse for him? Keelor was able to get the entire room excited for “What Am I Doing Here”.
Greg Keelor recently released a solo album, and Seven Songs For Jim is precisely what it sounds like. The only thing more to know is who Jim is. Keelor’s father died and these songs were written as a tribute to him, an expression of the emotions Keelor went through sitting with his father in his final days.
Playing all seven songs from the CD this show was promoting, along with a Tom Waits cover, the mood was sombre, but the songs had humour and a positive outlook. With Travis Good of The Sadies on guitar and Bryden Baird on horns, the show was very bare. Keelor himself was playing acoustic guitar.
The audience could tell that Keelor enjoyed doing this for his father, a final way for him to say goodbye.
Sending off his father, the show was in a high swing. Traditional songs, Blue Rodeo songs, songs about death, songs about love, songs about God and songs about Satan. What better way to be remembered than through song and Keelor used other people’s songs as jumping points to tell the crowd about the man he lost.
Travis Good started playing the fiddle and along with Greg Keelor on guitar the two performed a cover of Neil Young’s “Are You Ready For The Country”. Travis Good’s playing is something you have to see to believe; Keelor knew this and let him shine. No egos were in the way and it made for a great set. During the wake most of the spotlight was on Good’s talents, Keelor had shown himself as a songwriter and the crowd knew it before entering the venue. The two musicians really seemed to get off on the talent of the other and it made for an incredible show.
In the eight issues of Being There, I have never given five stars. I feel that a perfect review is a coveted thing which should not be thrown around. Greg Keelor deserved this rating.