Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
My wife and I saw Gordon Lightfoot last night at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, WI. I have to say of the hundreds and hundreds of concerts I have seen in the past 20 years, this was by far the worst! I had seen Gordon about 6 years ago at the Potowatomi Casino in Milwaukee and really enjoyed it. Gordons voice was non exisitant. His voice and condition almost brought tears to my eyes. Clearly he should no longer be performing. I felt completely ripped off of both my time and my $, which we had great seats at a wonderful venue. If he cannot give a reasonable performance, recall his lyrics, play guitar and speak coherently to the audience, he should not be touring and expecing people to pay there hard earned money for such an embarrasment. It may have been partially due to the fact that we were aparantly near the end of his tour, but nonetheless I expected more and wish that I could be refunded as we left early and did not enjoy any part of this shameful performance. By the way...I think that Gordon is a true legend, a pristine songwriter and a beautiful artist who's music touches my soul. I will just have to enjoy his recordings as I would Never see him again. :(
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Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
wife and I..
I have to say.. I have seen.. I had seen.. my eyes.. I felt completely.. my time.. my $.. nonetheless I expected.. wish that I could be.. By the way...I think.. I will just have to.. as I would Never.. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
We will see the day
when you or I will stay or face up to the end.. Let us just pretend a while.. and think about the good things now and then.. |
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Nice RJ, I wonder who Gord would rather have at his concert people like purnellt or Dore.
Too bad you hated it so much, most of us diehard fans are just happy as hell to be in his presence. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
Excuse me? I am just telling it like it is. Were you there last night? I don't think it's too much to expect that he could at least sing one song that sounds somewhat recognizable for my $125.00. I listen to lots of Gordon Lightfoot, I know all of his music, I wasn't expecting a shadow of his former self, sad but not fair to charge people to see someone in the condition that he is in.
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I feel so sorry for you. Milwaukee was not on our travel list but I would have gladly given you the $125.00 to see and hear Gordon and his orchestra one more time this year. This "aging groupie or "fast fan", as Gordon told the audience in Nashville thought at that concert he was stronger in body and voice than he has been all year. One of the reasons we travel to see all these very talented men is to check-up on them and see how they are doing. They are all professionals but I bet they are all tired by now. The "GordQuest 2008" group has already stated that Gordon Lightfoot could read or sing the phonebook and we would be greatful to hear that. Again, I will ask who might be joining the "GordQuest 2008" ? |
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re: Gord could sing the phonebook and we would be greatful..
Indeed.. but I hope he doesn't.. and here's why.. My brain has this funny thing, where it plays music at all times?.. I'm sure there's some sort of "syndrome" or something for it.. and it's great for the most part, but sometimes it drives me a little crazy (especially if my "brain"..? chooses a tune..? that "I"..? don't particular like..? etc..? y'dig?.. So anyway, I chose (big mistake) to listen to that Youtube thing "Gord sings every song ever written" the other day y'know?.. and for about the last 72 hours?. my brain.. has been doing this (in Gord's voice): "Seventy six trombones led the big parade..".. !! over.. and over.. and over.. etc.. It's drivin me nuts! ;-O |
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Wow...I can't believe how out of touch some of you are. You would pay to hear him read the phone book? That sounds about as entertaining as what we experienced last night. Bye the way...this is not simply an age issue or a lack of compassion. Last year we saw Tony Bennett who is 81 - he played for two hours, no break, smiling, dancing, good voice (weaker than it once was, but solid), good attitude, very talented band. Last night felt like watching a trainwreck.
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Your indignation regarding the Milwaukee show..
has been dually recorded my good man.. you were unhappy, Gord's lousy.. you had a miserable time.. etc.. we get it.. let it go.. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
Well, at the risk of scorn from anyone who doesn't want to hear anything but all positive reviews, I will have to chime in with my thoughts from last night in Milwaukee.
While I wouldn't have put it in the same manner that the thread starter did, I have to admit that his voice really was not working well last night. My wife and I brought friends to the show who have been casual fans. Had I known how he was going to sound, I probably would have not invited them and just enjoyed it alone (the two of us). FTR - the folks we were with did not complain and didn't seem upset. But, I've known them long enough to realize they were not overly thrilled with the show, and his vocals were the reason. We all sort of figured he'd been sick or something else was up. And, to be fair, they monkeyed with the vocal mix at intermission and that did help a bit. It WAS a fun show for die-hard fans. I wouldn't have felt bad about it if we hadn't brought people along who were not fans in the same manner that we are. However, I felt guilty much of the night because this show did not meet the standards of past shows, including last year's right after the stroke. And, since I'm the one who convinced them that they would see a great show, it was a little hard to swallow. I'm not mad at Mr. Lightfoot, and I will likely continue to see him any chance I get. However, for those not in attendance, it really wasn't as good as the other shows I've seen. He certainly can continue to tour as long as he wants, and I hope he does for many years. BTW - RJ, how else is someone supposed to describe his/her experience at a show without using the first person? Unless one is writing a review for a publication, it seems like a completely reasonable way to explain the feelings and experience brought on at a concert. |
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re: how else is someone supposed to describe etc..
I know.. fair enough.. no offense purnellt.. It's just difficult for me to relate to feeling "angry".. y'know?.. sounds like that angry demanding American consumer mindset.. we want.. we expect.. we demand.. etc.. we're all like little kings or something in this culture.. we commoditize everything into "product".. Gord.. the "product" wasn't up to our consumer "expectation" or something.. that sort of thing.. (sets off alarm bells in my head; sorry).. every Monday morning I have to hear which movie was the big "box office winner!" over the weekend.. and y'know? I don't care.. To me.. Gord's a great man.. walking through our time.. (passing through in history; through the underground).. etc.. and soon he'll be gone.. forever.. so I don't demand anything.. I'm just happy to be alive.. I'm just happy to hear the music.. I'm just happy to hear him sing to me one more time.. no offense to anyone.. and hey, suppose he isn't feeling good.. suppose the Milwaukee show really was a symptom of some sort of downturn or something.. I mean.. would being "angry" really be a reasonable response?.. Maybe he's not feeling good.. I don't know. I'll post Saturday what I see at tomorrow's show.. etc.. but I wont be angry.. and I wont want my money back.. or my precious time back.. whatever it is I find.. |
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mstove - Thank you sir! I had the same thoughts and feelings as you. My wife is only a casual Gordon Lightfoot fan since I have forced her to listen to him repeatedly. Nonetheless she was excited for a relaxing evening out. I felt bad that I had hyped up the show to her for the past 5 mo. that I had the tickets. The complete silence in the theater spoke volumes. Sorry if I offended any of you "die hard" fans but it is what it is. I just wish I had known his condition prior...it's not the $ that bothers me, it's the sense of embarrasment I felt as I watched him struggle through everything.
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Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
RM - I hear you. I wasn't planning on posting anything about the show, until reading some of the reactions here. While I don't feel exactly like the original poster, it really wasn't as good a show as in even the recent past. I guess I now feel like Lightfoot shows will have to be saved for just my wife and myself, as a show like last night probably wasn't that enjoyable to non-hardcore fans. That is ok, as that is how we have always attended past concerts. We'll still go, and we'll still enjoy them. That won't change.
But, that said, I was a little worried that something was wrong, and that probably also brought my mood down just a bit. Hopefully the next show will be strong and there won't be any reason to worry. One other thing - folks on either side of our group did not return after intermission, BTW. That was just bizarre, it was certainly not at that level of disappointing. (No, we weren't talking, either :) ) |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
and hey I'll be honest.. I've had uneasy feelings too since the Aneurysm..
so I understand.. I think we all have.. the end will come.. and we wont be mad when it does.. we'll be grateful for the music.. so no offense to anyone.. (so now, I gotta take the Gord-advice from Meredith's "official interview" etc.. try not to "ruffle any feathers".. etc.. ehehehehe.. ;-) |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
Good post RJ. Since he is a professional I am sure Gordon would be on stage unless he was not able to stand up. I doubt if many people would be any happier if he had not felt up to par and canceled the concert?
DSR |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
I was there last night. I have not read all the earlier posts on this thread, except the first. Because I have read the first post, I'm anxious to get my comments posted, so I'm probably going to ramble a bit.
Gord struggled last night. His voice was thin and weak. He had such trouble with the high notes. He seemed tired, worn out, ready to go home for a much-needed rest. I found myself wishing I had a warm and soothing beverage to give him, to help his straining vocal chords. Having said that, I am not at all sorry I went, and do not feel ripped-off by his performance. The love I feel for that man overcomes all of it. He was funny at times, he looked good I thought (tan, happy, healthy). It was fun to watch Rick, he was goofing off some of the time, and Terry was very animated at times also. The last time I saw Gord perform, it was a year ago after suffering a transient stroke. He was unable to play that night (one year ago) and kept dropping his guitar pick. That night (one year ago) he played the casino set list, and not the 2-part concert with the intermission. This time (last night) he played the 2-set list. ALSO, and this is a BIG ONE for me: he played Canadian Railroad Trilogy last night. I was in heaven. There were times when I closed my eyes, blocking everything else out except the man and the music. It was a religious experience. I had binoculars along, as we were in the balcony. It was so much fun to watch Gord play, and to my untrained eye, he appeared to do just fine. The things he was saying between songs were sometimes lost on me, having seats so far away. I think that's just normal for him to mutter a little. He's not the kind of guy to shout out stories like a carnival barker. The venue at the Pabst Theatre was beautiful. It was incredible. Anyone who wants to can Google it to see what I'm talking about. The theatre alone was worth the price of admission. Downtown Milwaukee is beautiful. The skyline is wonderful, the streets and alleys are clean, it was great weather, the stars were out. Perhaps the best part of all...if one watched very very carefull to Gordon Lightfoot's performance, it was possible to discern from a flash in his eyes or the way he leans forward slightly while playing his guitar, a glimpse of the younger man we all remember. And it was during those fleeting moments, that my heart would begin to pound, and although I would not think it possible, my love for him would grow even greater. It was a good night! - Gitchigumee |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
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It was absolutely stunning to me when he carried on last year. His concert in Madison was just an amazingly warm event considering everything. As I tried to note, I wouldn't have posted anything if not for the reaction the original poster got. While I don't agree with the post on a whole, I don't think it was completely off-base in that it was not what we've seen recently. Oh well. RM wrote: "the end will come.. and we wont be mad when it does.." That is accurate. I suppose worry that the end is near does creep in from time to time. I have to run. Have a great time at the rest of the concerts to all those going. I'm sure you will. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
Rats, I tried to leave...
Gitchigumee's post was a good one. FTR - I thought of something that pertains to the rest of the thread. The only thing I thought was sub-par was his voice. I thought his playing was fine (and we had decent seats to see). |
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re: The love I feel for that man overcomes all of it..
Geez Gitch.. you put it so lovely.. I guess that's about all I should have said myself.. (instead of blabbering on like a bigshot know-it-all through the whole thread etc.).. you've made me embarrassed.. I'll go and shut up now.. |
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And by the way, those white shoes he wears are an absolute HOOT! I love it! :clap: |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
He had just played an outdoor venue and it was really cold - he may have caught a cold and that is why he was really rough. But, he went on so as to not let the fans down.
He was commenting about a cold here in Colorado and actually had a "stopped up" ear drum in Grand Junction. He said he couldn't hear himself. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
After reading this entire thread, I guess our hero had a bad night last night. Im really anxious,{worried} to read about the final dates he has to do. I hope your right Brink, about the cold. Hang in there Gord. :)
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Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
You know what, Brink, he was saying something last night which I did not understand, but now that I have read your last comments, it makes more sense. It went something like this:
"Last year I had the hand thing going on and now I've got the head thing." My friend thought he was joking about losing his mind, but I had thought it meant that he had a head cold or something like that. Oh how I wish that it is just catching a cold that made the voice sound the way it did. When I saw him last year, he seemed to get stronger as the night wore on. Last night, the voice seemed to get more strained as the night wore on. His voice was actually "crackling" you know like when a person is losing one's voice. Anyway, I hope this is the reason, and that he had a good night's sleep last night and was able to rest up for the concert in Sheboygan tonight. |
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purnellt - I don't know if you know who John Hartford was, or not, but he played up until about one month before he passed away from a 20 year battle with leukemia. He performed even when he could not play the banjo anymore (he was a musical genius), and had to resign himself to sitting on a chair on stage and singing along with the audience singing his own songs, when he was able to do so. But the audience came time after time. There is a bonding between a musician and his (her) audience, that is not blind to physical, vocal, and mental decline, but embraces it as a part of life. Going to see and hear Gord is going to see an old friend. We have never refused to listen to, appreciate, and communicate with any of our friends, simply because they have become old. Life is fragile, beautiful, and oh so precious. I want to appreciate anything that Gord has to offer. To see and hear him will forever be an HONOR. |
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OK here's the set list from Milwaukee. I'm embarassed to say there were a few (not many) songs which I do not know the names of. Maybe someone can help me out, I jotted down some notes on those songs.
Cotton Jenny Carefree Highway Sea of Tranquility 14 Karat Gold Never Too Close Painter Passing Through In My Fashion Rainy Day People Shadows Beautiful The Watchman's Gone Ribbon of Darkness Sundown Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ***Intermission*** Triangle Hangdog Hotel Room Don Quixote Waiting For You If You Could Read My Mind Baby Step Back The Pony Man Canadian Railroad Trilogy Blackberry Wine Old Dan's Records Encore: Early Mornin' Rain (this time, the story he told about Elvis was not about Elvis changing the lyrics, but about his failed attempt to meet Elvis) He said that when he made his way back through the backstage area, he heard a booming voice that said "Elvis Has Left The Building" I think Gord may have been pulling our legs, don't you? Either way, it was really funny the way Gord told it. OK all you experts, help me out with those question marks above. I'll keep editing my post until I get the titles right. Evidentally I have a long way to go before I know every lyric and title of all his tunes. Something to look forward to in the future. Another funny part of last night's concert. At one point Gord was saying how you know tonight he's in Milwaukee, tomorrow he's in Sheboygan, then Rochester, then Minneapolis (he called it Minnie) and then Duluth, and then that was the end of 53 (I think it was 53) shows. I shouted out "I'll be there!" when he mentioned Rochester and Minneapolis. Anyway, then after the concert was over and the lights went up, I was just checking out the notes I had been writing of which songs he had sung, and this guy sitting next to me was looking at me like I was a weirdo or something. And I looked at my notebook, and then I looked at him, and then I said, "I'm an obsessed fan" and he said "I thought so." It was pretty funny. Had to be there. :eek: |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
#3 Nature song ? Sea of Tranquility?
remember when - Never too close Let it go - Shadows (great song) jazzy hotel - Hangdog Hotel Room off again on again - Waiting For You ponies? - the Pony Man? |
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I love the story, glad you are going to Rochester, I heard it was sold out. You'll have a great time.
Check out the two songs I questioned and see if they are right. I am pretty sure of Sea of Tranquility (although you didn't give me a very good hint :)! ) The only one I can thing of with Ponies is the Pony Man and he does on occassion sing that, not often though. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
As someone has mentioned before on this site, if one wants to hear the perfect young voice of Gordon Lightfoot, there are always the CD's. But there are many great reasons for attending a Gordon concert in person at this stage of his career. All you have to have is a realistic and non-judgmental spirit. Who among us can perform as well as we did 30 or 40 years ago? But there are also very few who have created the body of work, have command of the lyrics, and can produce the magical, soothing, some would say therapeutic sound that those five performers create on stage. What precision and achievement! I am inspired in my own life by Gordon's willingness to share himself as he is. A lesser man could keep the talent on the down low because it isn't as it once was, but what Gordon is doing now is even better, all the great music plus a lesson in how to adapt, adjust, and accept oneself. I think that persons who are "angered" at what the passage of time can do are reacting out of fear for themselves. It is unfair to compare Gordon to his former self or to any other performer, although even on his worst day, I think the comparison would still be favorable. To come back from serious illness, in good spirits, motivated to work and share himself, to keep his organization and band together year after year, to endure the hardships of the road, . . . I admire the man greatly. Having seen Gordon in Colorado and just last week in Nashville, Gordon still has a lot of performing left to do. It sounds like things didn't go that well in Milwaukee but let's put it in perspective, as an off night or a bad day at work, and not be calling for his premature retirement or "fading away". He still has lots to give, the evenings in the concert halls are still wonderful, and I can't wait to learn more about what is in store for 2008.
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Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
I believe the "#3 Nature song" was most likely "Restless", as he has included it in the set of all 8 concerts I have attended this year (GordQuest 2007), and he always intro's it by joking that it's so close to nature, it was reviewed in "Field & Stream".
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Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
Thank you Brink and Kathy Number Four. I've plugged in your suggests to my set list, and challenge anyone to correct me/us. Tomorrow I will try to listen to the snippets on Amazon to see if they sound familiar from last night's performance.
But what could that Irish sounding tune be? Thanks! |
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"Triangle/Fingertips/Irish sounding tune" would be "Triangle", although I never thought of it as Irish sounding, but there is a line in it that goes: "With some luck tonight, I might have her at my fingertips." (And it also includes a very cute line that I just love: "A tuna fish turned to a mermaid in bed and said, 'There goes another sand bar.'") Hope this helps. |
Re: Milwaukee Pabst Theater 09/20/07
At the risk of continuing this thread beyond it's usefulness, I'd like to add a bit of perspective. I was at the Aurora Concert on Sunday, Sept 16. It ended up being a very special family experience which I will post as soon as time permits.
The Aurora,IL show on Sunday, Sept 16 was the last show prior to the Milwaukee performance on Sept 19. At the Aurora show there was not a single instance where Gordon forgot any lyrics, or seemed "out of it" in any way. With regard to his voice, I thought it was fine throughout the performance. Was it exactly like it was 30, 20, or 10 years ago? No, it was a bit weaker, but very pleasant to listen to, and very much in tune. Something that also amazed me was Gord's memory for lyrics. At a Joan Baez concert a few years ago, I noticed that she brought out a music stand during the performance and jokingly said "The memory is the first thing to go." After 30 years of Gordon concerts, I never remember a single instance of Gord making the concession of bringing out a memory crutch. I have to wonder about the expectations of the original poster with regard to Gord's voice. My dad (God rest his soul) had a beautiful Irish tenor voice. For many years we loved to sing as a family, and I remember his strong voice gracing our family gatherings. (one of his favorite songs was "Hangdog Hotel Room"). Anyway, as he go into his 70s, it was obvious that the voice wasn't quite as strong or clear as it had been. But, I cut him some slack, with the realization that time does not freeze for everyone as we age. Maybe we need to do the same for Gord. It is not reasonable to expect Gord to sound just like his recordings from 30 years ago. Speaking of "years ago" I remember Gord sharing at a concert in 1978 that he likes to do a string of shows and the take a few days off, and that the first concert after a few days off is usually the toughest one of the string. After the Aurora show on Sunday, he flew back to Toronto for a couple days before returning to Milwaukee to start the next portion of his tour. Maybe, the difficulty of the layoff contributed to whatever sluggishness that might have been perceived. I will be curious as to the reviews of the follow-on shows from the Milwaukee performance. I apologize for the delay in posting a detailed review of the Aurora performance, but it will indicate a somewhat higher level of performance than what was reported at Milwaukee. And I am very confident that the follow-on shows (to the Milwaukee performance) will also be somewhat better than what we heard here. Thanks for listening. |
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I think a good portion of the disappointment some folks experience in regard to Gord's recent vocal performances stems from the fact that he raised the bar so high in his prime. You never hear anyone say "Geez, that Bob Dylan sure doesn't sing as well as he used to!"
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I don't expect 1970s Gordon. And, I don't think I could have been clearer that I was comparing this show to shows of just a year or two ago, not shows from his prime. I pretty much mentioned that in every post. As I noted, I wouldn't have written anything if folks who weren't there hadn't explained that the original poster didn't know what he was talking about. I agree with all of you that the original review was harsh, and somewhat unfair, but his voice was significantly weaker in Milwaukee than in RECENT concerts. This isn't a slam and it doesn't mean I think any less of the man. It just is. I understand that it is typical on a fan board to be defensive over the performer we are all here to enjoy. But, that doesn't mean those who thought he was somewhat off don't have proper context. It just means he had a bad night, and likely was feeling a bit under the weather. That happens to the best of them. Tim - I'm glad he had a good performance In Aurora. I saw him there a couple of years ago and had a blast. Great show and a fun night out. |
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