About True Rodeo
Blue Rodeo burst onto the Canadian music scene in 1987 with their first album, Outskirts,
and many a Canadian fell in love with the band's blend of rock, country, and rockabilly throughout
the album and embodied in Rose Coloured Glasses, Rebel, Outskirts, and their career defining hit, Try.
The young men who would eventually make up True Rodeo were among those Canadians,
and the music of Blue Rodeo has been a vital part of their lives as it has for millions of
Blue Rodeo fans across Canada and around the world.
True Rodeo's goal is to bring those iconic songs to its audiences with energy and musicianship
to bring back the feeling of hearing them for the first time. Look around our website, see and hear
True Rodeo, sit back, close your eyes, and experience those great songs and those great feelings again.
Special thanks to Terry DeBono for his many photos found
throughout this website and True Rodeo's other media platforms,
and to Dee Brinton for photos and live footage.
Below you'll find brief biographies of True Rodeo.
True Rodeo Is...
Vito Alvaro
Vocals, Guitars, Mandolin,
and Harmonica
Vito is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who has played for audiences all over North America as a solo act, in duos, trios, and bands. Vito's musical prowess encompasses rock, funk, pop, jazz, and more. Vito's tenor vocals and fine guitar, mandolin, and harmonica playing make him the perfect person to take on the daunting task of Jim Cuddy's musical brilliance.
Dave Brinton
Vocals and Guitars
Dave started True Rodeo out of his love for Blue Rodeo's music. Getting his first acoustic guitar from his parents on that snowy prairie Christmas Day, Dave's musical meanerings have taken him onto stages in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and the U.S., as a solo act, in duos, and bands such as Groove Hammer, and even a sketch/improvisation/musical comedy group, Comedy On Wry throughout the '90s. Dave is honoured to sing and play Greg Keelor's parts in True Rodeo.
Paul Cafarelli
Bass Guitar
Paul Cafarelli has been playing bass on the Southern Ontario music scene for decades with a long list of artists and bands. Paul makes up 50% of True Rodeo's rock solid rhythm section along with Lui Della Mea, whom Paul has been playing with for many years, and it shows. His super solid bass play and rather uncanny resemblence to Blue Rodeo's Bazil Donovan made Paul the one and only choice for True Rodeo.
Lui Della Mea
Drums
Look up the definition of "rock solid" and you'll see a picture of Lui Della Mea. His skillfull and uncannily accurate drumming has been heard on hundreds of stages in a wide variety of musical genres for more than 20 years. Lui and Paul have played together for over a decade and it can be heard in every song True Rodeo plays. Lui is no one trick pony, he's also a wonderful singer and True Rodeo is so grateful to have him on the kit.
Terry Donnelly
Keyboards
Terry has been playing professionally since the ripe old age of 16. In the 1980's he toured nonstop for 7 years with artists such as Bryan Adams, the Payolas, Colin James, k.d. lang, Streetheart, Jeff Healey, Jeff Beck, & Stephen Stills to name a few! Terry plays a Hammond SK2 organ and a Yamaha MODX5 to recreate many parts of True Rodeo's sound...but he DOES NOT under any circumstances play a Hammond Suzuki Melodian.
Mimico Bill
Dobro, Guitars, Mandolin,
Pedal Steel Guitar, and Vocals
Blue Rodeo has Colin Cripps, Jimmy Bowskill, and Kim DesChamps. True Rodeo has all three in Mimico Bill. A multi-instrumentalist, Bill plays lead guitar, dobro, mandolin, and pedal steel guitar, and lends vocal harmonies. Bill also plays bass, classical guitar, & has experience in musical direction, engineering, production, & orchestral studies. Bill also played the part of George Harrison in a long running Beatles tribute project.