EDMONTON - After all these years, Blue Rodeo can still surprise.

Impossible, you say?

A veteran band synonymous with words like "consistent" and reliable" that's been here a million times and does basically the same show every time can actually do something to shake things up?

Well, they did last night.

For the first of two nights at the Jubilee Auditorium, the band appeared to have morphed into a down-home, country jug band - complete with acoustic guitars and a stand-up drummer who played nothing but a snare - jamming out stripped down, salt-o'-the-earth arrangements that wouldn't have been out of place at the Grand Ole Opry - 50 years ago.

Not that big a stretch, I'll grant you. Blue Rodeo remains Canada's most country band that isn't a country band.

They could be a country band. All they'd need is some cowboy hats, some hits on country radio and a few drunk driving charges. Just joking - these guys would never get played on country radio. Yet they sound more country than most anything on there. Especially last night. The drummer didn't even have a cymbal.

Front man Jim Cuddy said, "As you can see, times are tough. We couldn't afford to bring the rest of our gear."

Just joking.

These guys are rich. Hello? Two sold-out nights in the Jube? All those platinum records?

They tour now behind another consistent and reliable new album, Small Miracles, which as usual contains a consistent and reliable assortment of hood-laden, rootsy gems that represents the finest that "alt-country" can offer.

It's alt-country with a touch of Everly Brothers, of course. That's what makes Blue Rodeo so special.

The show opened with a small skit. A man walked out into what appeared to be a small living room area, sat on a chair next to a record player and put on Ennio Morricone's The Lonely Goatherd or some such thing, which got a laugh.

OPENER JUST LOVELY

What unfolded next was a rich tapestry of unplugged, rootsy goodness. The opener, Heart Like Mine, was just lovely. The lazy toon Five Days in May (from the album Five Days in July, which is really confusing) came off so peaceful and easy it could've been the Eagles on Quaaludes. Their version of To Love Somebody was wonderful.

An up-tempo new one called Blue House featured a tasty steel solo from Bob Egan and an even tastier piano solo from Bob Packwood. Keyword here: Tasty! You can see lots of new adjectives to add to "consistent" and "reliable."

And so it went. The quieter setting tolerated fewer wasted notes and showcased the some beloved songs in a whole new light.

The best example was probably Try, which sounds like a classic soul song set in a folk vein, recast on stage in a gentle two-step where you could hear every nuance. Cuddy even hit a higher note than was required. It was awesome.

I'm sure the crowd would've been pleased with this new and improved Blue Rodeo Jug Band all night, even the yahoos up in the balcony who kept shouting out for Dark Angel.

"I hate that song," Cuddy told them.

But then the band had another surprise up the sleeves of their tasteful western shirts.

BLISTERING RENDITION

With the release of a black scrim and a flash of light to reveal a proper drum kit for Glenn Milchem, Blue Rodeo ripped into a blistering rendition of Til I Am Myself Again - and voila, they were a country rock band rollicking away until well past deadline. Just like the old days.

What will they do next? These guys aren't famous by accident. The keyword is "showmanship."

If you want to like alt-country but just haven't found the right band, opener Luke Doucet might not be the place to start.

Swell vocals and songs like You've Got to Have a Heart to Have a Broken One couldn't salvage a dull set that fell squarely in the middle of the muddy road in the land of alt-country - a place that can be just as corny and pretentious as Music City hot country - where all roads are unpaved.

There were far too many road songs inspired by being on the road singing road songs, far too many uses of the dreaded round-the-neck harmonica holder (Luke should take a lesson from Jim Cuddy) and too few songs like You've Got to Have a Heart to Have a Broken One.

This guy's music has been called "wheat rock." It's organic, 100% whole grain, full-fibre, slightly stale, alt-country filler - when what you secretly want is a great hunk of freshly baked white bread. Well, you can always look forward to Big & Rich next week.