Booking Blue Rodeo to perform at a high-profile event in Ottawa should be a sure-fire thing, at least in terms of attracting spectators and ensuring a top-notch performance.

After all, the band is one of Canada’s most enduring, with more than two decades of hits and a strong following in the Ottawa area. What’s more, their latest disc, the double The Things We Left Behind, is one of their best albums in years, recently long-listed for Canada’s Polaris Prize. Although it didn’t make it to the short list of nominees, even long-list recognition is a rare feat for an established act with major-label backing as most of the contenders for the $20,000 Polaris purse tend to be young and independent.

At the National Capital Equestrian Park on Saturday, all the factors were in place for a big outdoor concert with the rootsy country rockers, sort of a west-end Woodstock for the horsey set. There was a massive stage, powerful sound system and cool lights, plus porta potties and beer tents, all set up in the vast field off Corkstown Road between Bells Corners and Kanata, the same field where Perth’s Ian Millar earned the top prize in the show-jumping events earlier that day. It took a half-hour or so of shovel work to clean up after the horses and prepare for the fans.

The one element that organizers couldn’t control was the weather. Cool temperatures and a thunderstorm warning kept the hoped-for numbers down. Close to 10,000 people made it to the show, but there was probably room for twice as many.

After a tasty opening set by Toronto roots-rockers Staggered Crossing, many folks were still in their cars, lined up to get into the parking lot from the one access road. Everyone seemed to arrive at the same time, approximately 15 minutes before showtime.

Of course, once Blue Rodeo took the stage, parking frustrations were forgotten and the challenge was to keep warm, which wasn’t too difficult because the laidback vibe of the music seemed to draw the crowd closer, as if gathering around a campfire.

As longtime fans will know, a Blue Rodeo concert can be mellow or rocking, spacey or straightforward, sometimes with either Jim Cuddy or Greg Keelor occupying the spotlight. On Saturday, it was mostly a mellow acoustic show with Cuddy taking the lead role.

For many fans, especially women, that’s the best kind of Blue Rodeo concert. Cuddy is the tall, good-looking half of the singing and songwriting duo, the one with the sweet voice who churns out an endless string of breezy love songs. The band kicked off with a pair of them, Cynthia and It Could Happen to You, before switching gears to Fools Like You, one of Keelor’s darker, political tunes, which is built around the chorus, “Stop stealing Indian land.”

Behind them, the band was in peak form, with multi-instrumentalist Bob Egan and keyboardist Michael Boguski filling out the melodies with free-ranging solos that supplied musical colour and texture.

From the latest album, highlights included One More Night, Don’t Let The Darkness in Your Head and Candace, while back-catalogue standouts included the extended Five Days In May, as well as What Am I Doing Here, Trust Yourself, Head Over Heels and a gorgeous version of Try that showcased Cuddy’s still-incredible voice. Although Cuddy just performed with his solo band at the Ottawa Folk Festival last weekend, it seems Ottawa fans never get tired of his music.

It was Keelor who dominated the home stretch, letting the crowd take over the singing on Hasn’t Hit Me Yet, followed by an encore that included the gems Til I Am Myself and Lost Together. In all, it was a stellar performance.