Sioux City Summer Night
Gordon and the band were in fine form in Sioux City, Iowa on Monday night. As you can see in the pictures that Rick posted, it is a lovely theater with fine acoustics. Gord was upbeat and energetic throughout the entire evening. He took the stage promptly at 8, of course, and politely welcomed latecomers with the familiar, "Come into this house." Opening with "The Watchman's Gone", I thought his voice sounded strong from the outset and grew more so with each song. What a treat to hear "Waiting For You" done on the 12-string as his second song. It was one of those nights in which he made many references to playing with a capo and the challenges it presents to the band, giving them well-deserved praise for their versatility as he did so. The band, by the way, was spectacular. This was the my first opportunity to hear Carter in person. What a wonderful contribution he makes to the music! Gordon was bothered throughout the show by the ear problem, at one point saying it was probably a combination of age and all the flying they do. Nevertheless, he pressed on. He bounded onto the stage for the second half saying "Let's get down to business", launching into "Sweet Guinevere", and then he held the house spellbound with an especially good performance of the "The Wreck." We were treated to a nice selection of recently resurrected "gems", including "Now and Then" -what a thrill it was to hear that one as one of his two encores. I last heard him do it at the Northrup Auditorium in Minneapolis 33 years ago! Carter's playing adds a subtle and lovely nuance to "Early Morning Rain" that I just love. As it is with every Lightfoot show, there are so many moments to remember. Rick's bass solo at the end of "Let It Ride", Mike's keyboards on "Waiting For You", and Barry's amazingly tasteful percussion work on "Restless" stood out last night. I'm always too captivated to take pictures. Too mesmerized to copy a set list. Another summer draws to a close. He left us with "Song For A Winter's Night". It is always so hard to let him go, isn't it? So much of our lives and memories are connected to him. We just want him to stay with us forever, don't we?
It was an especially important Lightfoot concert for me because I was with my 4-year-old son, who, like his father, loves the music and the man. He was delighted by it all. Tired as he was, we waited after the show and he got to meet Barry, Carter, and Mike, and yes, Gordon too, who signed his Sundown CD liner and posed for a picture with him. It was a night we will always remember.
Kevin
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