Local musicians honouring Blue Rodeo with tribute band ‘5 Days in May’

A group of local musicians are looking to honour the role that Blue Rodeo has played in the Canadian music industry. (Damian Smith / CTV News)

Five local musicians are looking to honour the role that Blue Rodeo has played in the Canadian music industry.

While mostly a tribute band, 5 Days in May aimed to create a five-star performance at Darke Hall on Saturday.

Some members have been playing together for over a decade now, but after a few performances in 2025 highlighting Blue Rodeo songs, they didn’t hesitate to continue the momentum.

“This year, the Blue Rodeo stuff seemed to be really clicking for us, and we thought, let’s just go with that,” said Darcy Labelle, the drummer of 5 Days in May.

Of course, the members happen to be some of Blue Rodeo’s biggest fans, and remember when they started coming out with music in the late 1980s.

“I was playing in clubs and saw them when they really launched their first single,” said Conrad Bigknife, the lead singer.

Bigknife plays the role of Jim Cuddy.

“We all know everybody knows Blue Rodeo, and every time they come to town, we make sure that we try to be in the front row and pay attention to these great musicians,” he said.

Bigknife also releases solo music, with four albums under his name since 2009.

The group performs year-round, with up to 40 performances per year. They largely play their music in Saskatchewan but venture out to Alberta and Manitoba from time to time.

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“You never really get tired of musicians working together, it’s just kind of second nature,” said Bigknife. “We just kind of get in, and we sort of know what each other’s doing. You become family and you become brothers in music, and that’s very powerful. When we’re all on our game and we’re having a great night, nothing needs to be said.”

The “newest” member is Don Henderson, who they recruited over six years ago. Bigknife saw Henderson playing as a guitarist, gave him a call and invited him on the road to Edmonton. Originally from southern Ontario, the prairies have fit like a glove for him.

“Getting here was probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The music here is fantastic,” he said.

Playing the lead and rhythm guitar, he plays the role of Greg Keelor. He has a long-standing history with music, even getting to join Aretha Franklin on tour. Everything becomes easy for him, once he plucks the strings.

“I’ve been playing guitar since I was a kid, and it’s funny, when you put on a guitar, everything just seems to just chill,” he said. “You’re at one with your instrument, and it’s just, sort of an emotional thing that you got, no matter what you’re playing.”

For Labelle, the support of the crowd never gets old.

“It’s just nice to be part of it, and it’s a lot of fun and sometimes you hear the crowd like we played at Craven, we played the main stage in 2022,” he said.

The band has also played this summer at Country Thunder.

“You can actually hear the crowd singing back to you as a drummer. So, it’s only a few feet back, but it just feels really nice to be part of it,” he said.

Saturday evening was the third time the band has played at Darke Hall.