[buzzard]

Just got back from a REALLY chilly show at Meadowbrook Theater in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Meadowbrook is an outdoor venue with a pavilion and hill seating. Near the start of the concert, Gord commented that they were one of the last shows of the year – good thing it was low single digits Celsius (that’s almost freezing for our American friends).

The band sounded good. No natty duds for Gord tonight – jeans and shirt with sweater. About 45 minutes into the show, he did the Wreck (usually the closer, or close to it for the first set). When he followed it with a couple more tunes and commented “It’s a cool night, we’re going to keep plugging on”, it was obvious that this was going to be a one set night.

I went with a friend and his son. We were in the fourth row on the extreme right as you look at the stage (Terry’s side). We were directly in front of the speakers on that side of the stage. My guests were concerned that being in front of the speakers could be a problem. I told them that being right in front of the speakers at a Lightfoot concert could actually be a good thing, and I was right.

From about the fourth song on, you could see his breath on most songs and several times Terry and Gord blew on their hands and rubbed their hands between songs. Gord commented that the last time (2006) they were at Meadowbrook it was “kinda wet” (it poured rain, with thunder and lightening) and that it “was always something with the weather”.

Other than that, the night was fairly usual, except for one goof a few rows back, near the centre, who kept yelling “Raspberry Wine”, “Raspberry Wine”, until somebody apparently corrected him after which he’d yell “Blackberry Wine”. He was also fond of yelling “Hey Gord, I want your autograph” at the conclusion of several songs. Ya, good luck with that.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the set list and a few other observations:

COTTON JENNEY
CAREFREE HIGHWAY
SEA OF TRANQUILITY
14 KARAT GOLD
NEVER TOO CLOSE
Through the first few songs there were a few introductory words to the songs. At this point Gord commented that it was pretty chilly and pulled up his sleeves to the elbow and played the rest of the night that way
A PAINTER PASSING THROUGH
IN MY FASHION
RAINY DAY PEOPLE
SHADOWS
The previously mentioned fellow actually clapped along to Shadows until about 2/3 of the way through; who claps along to Shadows ?!?

BEAUTIFUL
TRIANGLE
THE WATCHMAN’S GONE
RIBBON OF DARKNESS
SUNDOWN
THE WRECK OF THE EDMOND FITZGERALD
Introduction of band members
HANGDOG HOTEL ROOM
RESTLESS
“I wrote this one on a red eye - over Nebraska”
WAITING FOR YOU
At about this time, Mr Raspberry Wine left, never to be seen again – how tragic!
IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND
DON QUIXOTE
BABY STEP BACK
“The next song was covered by Elvis Presley – a man I never met. I almost met him. We were at a show in Buffalo at the Memorial Auditorium – he had a crowd of 18,000, and said he liked this song. After the show, they said, ‘Yah, send Lightfoot back’. So we were back there waiting, and this voice comes over the PA: ‘Ladies & gentlemen, Elvis has left the building!’ I thought – we had an appointment, we had an appointment.”
EARLY MORNING RAIN
BLACKBERRY WINE
What incredible irony.
OLD DAN’S RECORD’S (Encore)

I don’t know if it was the long set with no break or the really chilly night, but by Blackberry Wine, Gord’s voice was almost out of gas. He was shaking his head a lot by then, and making some strange faces. Still he put on full show, and most fans probably appreciated skipping the intermission to get home a little earlier to spark up the furnace.

Brian