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http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=29228&sc=95

DEAN LISK
The Daily News

Without singing a single note, Gordon Lightfoot received a standing ovation. He got it for his music, for his talent, for being a Canadian legend. It was for coming back to Halifax.

"I was not sure I would make it down here again," he told the crowd of roughly 4,000 at the Metro Centre last night. "I am a little bit late from my last engagement."

His last appearance in the city was nearly 17 years ago, said the singer-songwriter. He was supposed to return before now, but a near-fatal abdominal hemorrhage, which left him in a coma in 2002, cancelled those plans.

"I get kind of excited when I'm in front of a crowd this big," he said. "Let's get the mojo working here."

His voice was weak, but the 68-year-old's tone still resonated with the crowd.

The audience greeted the opening chords of classics like Rainy Day People, Sundown, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and If You Could Read My Mind with enthusiastic applause before dropping to a pin-falling silence to listen to each nuance in Lightfoot's voice.

"We love you Gordon," an audience member yelled.

"It's nice to hear that once in a while," Lightfoot mused.

Between songs, the icon shared stories: his old gigs at The Privateer in Halifax, how a pair of expectant geese have taken over his backyard pool, and how Elvis Presley famously changed the lyrics of Lightfoot's song, Early Mornin' Rain.

It was just one word. A non-drinker, The King transformed the Canadian singer's "As cold and drunk as I can be" to "As cold and drunk as I might be." Lightfoot sang it the Presley way.

"Listen for it in the fourth verse," Lightfoot advised his audience. "I thank Elvis for that."

Hi folks... some thoughts on the Halifax show on Saturday:

1) Gord was clearly excited by the very large crowd. The Mtero Centre is a hockey rink. The floor and the sides were completely full and even the enf furthest from the stage was about half full. At one point, after talking for a while, Gord said..sorry....I just get excited..we don't play to this many people very often

2} For a hockey rink the sound was very good.....but not up to Massey Hall standards

3} The crowd was very enthusiastic, and seemed particularly fond of Terry Clements, giving him loud applause for some of his solos.

4) Gord talked of coming here years ago to the local coffee house with Red and John. Then laughed to himself and said....my bass player even got married one time....he didn't elaborate but just laughed and shook his head.

5) Vocals were shaky for the first few songs then got stronger throughout the evening. Lot of people talked about that at intermission and after the show.

6) For some reason the crowd was a younger one than usual. Lots of people in their 20s and 30s and they certainly seemed to enjoy.


all in all an enjoyable evening. Its wonderful to see how much he's enjoying himself and how grateful people were to see him again.

Great to hear about the Halifax Show banjobench12. I almost went to that concert. I was at the Moncton Concert the night before, {packed house.} Are you from Halifax Banjo ? :)

approx. what is the seating capacity at the rink?

The whole arena holds 10,000 according to its website. However there was an upper deck that was curtained off. I tried to estimate the crowd and thought there could have been close to 5000 people.

that's a great turnout and certainly a larger crowd than usual..Massey is 2500.