Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Blue Rodeo Moseys Back Into Artpark!
Canadian Favorites Headline July 15 "First Niagara Tuesday in the Park!"
(Lewiston, NY) Artpark's 2008 Summer Season reaches the midway mark by welcoming back eight-time Juno Award winning Canadian favorites Blue Rodeo on July 15, as part of the venue's "First Niagara Tuesday in the Park" free outdoor concert series. All of Artpark's free concert events begin at 6:30pm and include hands-on art workshops for children.
The evening's opening act is another Ontarian, Toronto-born singer/songwriter Melissa McClelland. Artpark's July 15 concert event with Blue Rodeo is sponsored by Compu-Mail.
Other high-profile Canadian acts that either have, or will, grace Artpark's Gorge-bordering Outdoor Amphitheater stage this summer include David Clayton-Thomas (July 1), the Cherry Poppin' Daddies (July 23), the Sam Roberts Band (July 30) Celtic rockers Leahy (August 12), former Max Webster frontman Kim Mitchell (August 13) and songstress Sass Jordan (August 27).
Formed in Toronto in the early 1980s by frontmen Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, Blue Rodeo's debut album, Outskirts, was an instant smash hit in Canada, selling over 200,000 copies and featuring the hits singles "Try", "Outskirts of Love" and "Day After Day." The band's 1989 follow-up, Diamond Mine, sold even better and garnered the first of several Juno Awards for the band. That same year, they appeared in the Meryl Streep film Postcards From the Edge.
The 1990s brought more success for Blue Rodeo as they made a conscientious effort to sell more records in the United States. From '90-'94, the band released a trio of albums "Casino, Lost Together and Five Days in July" which introduced several fan favorites including "Til I Am Myself Again," "Trust Yourself," "After the Rain," "5 Days in May," "Bad Timing," "Dark Angel" and "Lost Together." In the years since, Blue Rodeo has gone on to release a number of acclaimed records, both collectively and individually.
Blue Rodeo's current lineup includes original members Cuddy (lead vocals/guitar), Keelor (lead vocals/guitar/drums) and Bazil Donovan (bass), along with drummer Glenn Milchem (who joined the band in 1991) and steel guitarist Bob Egan (2000).
Like all of Artpark's free concert events, each evening includes a wide variety of free family-friendly hands-on art workshops, including drawing, face-painting, dress-up, self portraits and more.
All "First Niagara Tuesday in the Park" events are also sponsored by Certo Brothers Distributing Company, Sevenson Environmental Services, Modern Corporation, S&S Lawn Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Mark Cerrone, Inc., Tim Horton's (Niagara Falls), DiMino's Lewiston Tops, Pine Pharmacy, Frey Electric Construction Company, Bison Construction Corp., Empire Dismantlement Corp., Lawley Insurance, Generations Music, Time Warner Cable, and The Talking Phone Book.
Artpark's Outdoor Amphitheater opens to the public at 2pm on event nights, and can be accessed via the Upper Park's Portage Road entrance off of Center Street or through South 4th Street nearest the Mainstage Theater.
Carry-ins (food and beverages) are prohibited at all of Artpark's free concert events while on-site parking is $6.
For a full schedule of 2008 events, call the Artpark Box Office at (716) 754-4375 or visit artpark.net.
The Earl W. Brydges Artpark is being operated by Artpark & Company, Inc.
for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historic Preservation under a license agreement.
