Jim Cuddy, left, and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo pose for a photo in Toronto on Monday November 9, 2009.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
Blue Rodeo's latest album is called In Our Nature, but frontman Greg Keelor got a little more nature than he bargained for when the recent ice storm hit his 200-acre southern Ontario farm. But while the winter blast was daunting to many, Mr. Keelor welcomed the frosty display.
"It's just incredible here now. I live in this little valley an hour outside Toronto, and I'm looking out at a true crystal palace," said the singer and guitarist in a phone interview Christmas Eve day. "It's really gorgeous."
It's the same scenic locale where the Juno-winning group recorded In Our Nature, an album that many are calling one of Blue Rodeo's best, and has landed higher on the charts than any of their previous releases.
According to Mr. Keelor, because the band had been touring extensively – they did a coast-to-coast sweep in celebration of their 25th anniversary – they were playing especially well together when it came time to record.
"Everybody is trying to make the best record they can make every time, but sometimes the corners of the box just fit together better, with no effort," said Mr. Keelor, who this week was named to the Order of Canada along with Blue Rodeo co-founder and high-school buddy Jim Cuddy. "And I think we felt that on this record."
Kicking off a cross-country tour with two nights at the Orpheum, the group is giving away a CD copy of In Our Nature with each pair of tickets – and for the first set, the veteran musicians plan to perform the new album in its entirety. The second set will be devoted to favourites from the group's extensive back catalogue.
Of course it's one thing to enjoy winter from your kitchen window, but touring across Canada when the country is locked in Old Man Winter's clutches is quite another. Still, it's an icy tradition the group has been fostering for years.
"I like winter. In fact I like winter more than summer. I'm one of those guys," said Mr. Keelor with a laugh. "And I'm sort of anti-convenience, and the way the modern world has set up technology for convenience. So I like it when that is all broken. I like it when you have to do different things than the electronic playground provides. And Canadian winters provide a lot of that."