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Auburn Annie · 05-22-2005, 01:37 PM

My family and I met with a whole bunch of corfidders (?) at the City Grill for dinner pre-concert (thank you Sarah and Eric, our waiters.) A good meal was enjoyed by all. My husband, daughter and I left immediately thereafter to do some last minute shopping - I had to pry my daughter out of Sephora with a crowbar - then dashed back to the Cambridge Suites hotel to freshen up for the concert. We arrived at Massey about 7:15, with the scalpers in full bloom out front looking to buy spare tickets.

There were already quite a few early birds seated, catching up with old friends and sharing Lightfoot concert experiences. I chatted with John (Fowles) for a bit, until the seat's occupant next to mine showed up. Gord took a quick peek at the house around 7:30; I was sitting Left floor row H and could see the backstage curtains part enough for him to partly step out for a quick once-over.

Massey itself was wonderful if steamy until *somebody* at MH found the on switch for air conditioning and a blessed rush of cool air swirled over us after the intermission. Before that I thought I was having the mother of all hot flashes. It was also family night for Lightfoot and Company; Gord had cousins from both sides of the family and a platoon of friends and relations from Orillia in the house, in addition to wives, kids and grandkids of his and the guys in the band. Bernie Fiedler paced the front like an expectant grandparent, stopping to exchange a few words with people he knew up front. The ushers hurried up and down the aisles, seating (almost)late-comers. Finally, a few minutes past eight, the lights dimmed, a murmur of anticipation, then loud applause followed as the guys bounced out on stage and took their positions. Immediately thereafter Gord strode out to thunderous applause and standing ovation, launching straight into "Never Too Close."

Interspersed with the songs were the reappearing belly button story and the "practice, man, practice" bit about getting his chops back (stiff hands.) He told of how he'd had a problem with his feet swelling so that he couldn't get his boots on, and his doctor advising him to buy bigger boots; his family doctor was also in the audience down front. As for performance, there was a bit of TWOTEF muffed ever so slightly at the "does anyone know where the love of God goes" line - he started into "in a musty old hall in De-troy-it" verse but recovered in about 2 syllables; otherwise TWOTEF was cracklin' good. And he had to do a bit of tuning with "Shadows" - did a restart on that one. But otherwise I didn't notice anything else. The lower register was wonderful, a little strained on some numbers higher up but he was clearly enjoying himself, getting more and more into it as the evening went on.

If I can decipher my scribbles made in the dark of Massey, here's the setlist:
1. Never Too Close
2. Don Quixote
3. Minstrel of the Dawn
4. Harmony
5. In My Fashion
6. Christian Island (abbreviated)
7. I Used to Be a Country Singer
8. Sundown
9. Ribbon of Darkness
10. Ghosts of Cape Horn
11. Cotton Jenny
12. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
13. Spanish Moss ... segues into ...
14. Shadows

Intermission

15. Waiting for You
16. Restless
17. Clouds of Loneliness
18. Let It Ride
19. If You Could Read My Mind
20. Baby Step Back
21. Early Morning Rain
22. Song for a Winter's Night
23. Bitter Green
24. On the High Seas
25. Old Dan's Records

Encore #1 ("I think I have enough air left")
The Canadian Railroad Trilogy - he did

Encore #2 ("We were coming back anyway")
Cold on the Shoulder

More standing ovations, applause, a final round of bows, then off stage and lights up.

I didn't make the post-concert shindig hosted by Janice; our daughter Rachel was under the weather with a sore throat/cold virus - and bless her, she seems to have shared it with us as we're both coming down with something. So it's probably best that we headed back to the hotel and to bed right afterwards. I was asleep five minutes after my head hit the pillow. We booked out early from Toronto and were home by 1:30 this afternoon. Now I have to unpack, check the mail, messages and weekend papers. Back to the real world.

05-22-2005, 01:37 PM	#18
Auburn Annie Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 3,101	My family and I met with a whole bunch of corfidders (?) at the City Grill for dinner pre-concert (thank you Sarah and Eric, our waiters.) A good meal was enjoyed by all. My husband, daughter and I left immediately thereafter to do some last minute shopping - I had to pry my daughter out of Sephora with a crowbar - then dashed back to the Cambridge Suites hotel to freshen up for the concert. We arrived at Massey about 7:15, with the scalpers in full bloom out front looking to buy spare tickets. There were already quite a few early birds seated, catching up with old friends and sharing Lightfoot concert experiences. I chatted with John (Fowles) for a bit, until the seat's occupant next to mine showed up. Gord took a quick peek at the house around 7:30; I was sitting Left floor row H and could see the backstage curtains part enough for him to partly step out for a quick once-over. Massey itself was wonderful if steamy until somebody at MH found the on switch for air conditioning and a blessed rush of cool air swirled over us after the intermission. Before that I thought I was having the mother of all hot flashes. It was also family night for Lightfoot and Company; Gord had cousins from both sides of the family and a platoon of friends and relations from Orillia in the house, in addition to wives, kids and grandkids of his and the guys in the band. Bernie Fiedler paced the front like an expectant grandparent, stopping to exchange a few words with people he knew up front. The ushers hurried up and down the aisles, seating (almost)late-comers. Finally, a few minutes past eight, the lights dimmed, a murmur of anticipation, then loud applause followed as the guys bounced out on stage and took their positions. Immediately thereafter Gord strode out to thunderous applause and standing ovation, launching straight into "Never Too Close." Interspersed with the songs were the reappearing belly button story and the "practice, man, practice" bit about getting his chops back (stiff hands.) He told of how he'd had a problem with his feet swelling so that he couldn't get his boots on, and his doctor advising him to buy bigger boots; his family doctor was also in the audience down front. As for performance, there was a bit of TWOTEF muffed ever so slightly at the "does anyone know where the love of God goes" line - he started into "in a musty old hall in De-troy-it" verse but recovered in about 2 syllables; otherwise TWOTEF was cracklin' good. And he had to do a bit of tuning with "Shadows" - did a restart on that one. But otherwise I didn't notice anything else. The lower register was wonderful, a little strained on some numbers higher up but he was clearly enjoying himself, getting more and more into it as the evening went on. If I can decipher my scribbles made in the dark of Massey, here's the setlist: 1. Never Too Close 2. Don Quixote 3. Minstrel of the Dawn 4. Harmony 5. In My Fashion 6. Christian Island (abbreviated) 7. I Used to Be a Country Singer 8. Sundown 9. Ribbon of Darkness 10. Ghosts of Cape Horn 11. Cotton Jenny 12. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 13. Spanish Moss ... segues into ... 14. Shadows Intermission 15. Waiting for You 16. Restless 17. Clouds of Loneliness 18. Let It Ride 19. If You Could Read My Mind 20. Baby Step Back 21. Early Morning Rain 22. Song for a Winter's Night 23. Bitter Green 24. On the High Seas 25. Old Dan's Records Encore #1 ("I think I have enough air left") The Canadian Railroad Trilogy - he did Encore #2 ("We were coming back anyway") Cold on the Shoulder More standing ovations, applause, a final round of bows, then off stage and lights up. I didn't make the post-concert shindig hosted by Janice; our daughter Rachel was under the weather with a sore throat/cold virus - and bless her, she seems to have shared it with us as we're both coming down with something. So it's probably best that we headed back to the hotel and to bed right afterwards. I was asleep five minutes after my head hit the pillow. We booked out early from Toronto and were home by 1:30 this afternoon. Now I have to unpack, check the mail, messages and weekend papers. Back to the real world.