Davenport Concert Report

[KHester]

Davenport Concert 4-30-2013

Had quite a day and night. Early in the morning one of Erin’s friends who works in sales at the concert sponsoring radio station, left a voice message on Erin’s cell phone to return the call for an emergency. Erin returned the call and her friend said to find us after the show and come with us as part of the radio station’s meet and greet. She didn’t know that we already had backstage passes. When we met her that night, she said the radio station had a venue poster for us.

We got there early, waiting around and talked to some people. Rick Haynes came out and remembered us, said where did we get the t-shirts. We got that comment throughout the night . Everybody liked them . We asked him to pose for a group picture with us, which he did. Rick mentioned that if we wanted any of the pictures we took that we could send to Gord’s office to be autographed . He’s been with Gordon for 45 years. He’s still into Hot Rods and old cars.


Gordon was dressed in a black shirt, vest and black pants, then after intermission he changed into his Maroon Velvet Jacket.

Set List
1. Sweet Guinevere
2. Cotton Jenny
Band introductions and Gord said it was great to be in back in Davenport on a Tuesday night
3.Waiting for You (Going back in the past for this one)
4. All the Lovely Ladies
5. Never too Close Haven’t heard in concert before
6. Wild Strawberries -always gets a chuckle with the polka dot underwear line
7. Let it Ride
8. Spanish Moss - Reaching in the Stratosphere for this one.
9. Shadows
10. Beautiful
11. Painter passing thru
12. Watchman’s gone
13. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald …The Great Lakes, The Guys… We have to do this one
14. Carefree Highway
Intermission
15. Pony Man
16. Ribbon of Darkness
17. Sundown - Gordon commend Carter for his great Guitar playing in this song.
18. Hang Dog Hotel Room
19. Restless
20. Make way for the Lady
21. I’d Rather press on - Rick was smiling through this song the whole time.
22. Circle of Steal
23. If you could read my mind
24. Blackberry Wine
25. Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Encore
26. Rainy Day People
27. Baby Step Back


After the concert in the meet and greet, I wound up taking some more pictures, including some that are going to be on the Radio Station ( 93.9 WYEC) website.
Got to meet and talk to Gordon for a few minutes. He remembered meeting us before and when he signed the I Wish you Good Spaces Book, I told him that is such a great sentiment. Gord’s response was they don’t do the song I’m not suppose to care in concert because of the different tuning.

We had a wonderful time and it was a great evening.

Kevin and Erin Hester

[Gail]

Thank you for the report. Significant variations in the set list from the Minneapolis show, which makes me even more dismayed that I could not make it to the Davenport show! My first Lightfoot concert was in 1970 or 71 (Northrup Auditorium at Univ of MN, I believe); have never missed a Mpls show since, and have traveled to several other cities in the US and Canada to see him over the years. What a wonderful part of my life Gordon has been!

[seafarer62]

Kevin and Erin: Thanks for the great report from Davenport. I made it to Des Moines and about to go find this concert hall, Hoyt Sherman place. I keep thinking Hoyt Axton!

So I won't get Trilogy tonight! Dern it.

It is cold and rainy in Iowa. Don't know how I will get home to Twin Cities tomorrow. Winter Storm Warning. This has been the never-ending winter. I will get the Des Moines set list and comments posted at some point. John - Minnesota.

[imported_Ordinary_Man]

Drove up from St. Louis. Thrilled that he did All the Lovely Ladies. Hadn't heard it live in maybe 20 years. And probably had never heard Spanish Moss live except maybe on tv way back when. And I never tire of The Watchmen's Gone. I appreciate it more and more the older I get.

And thanks to whomever asked for Pony Man. Make Way for the Lady was another unexpected treat.

And thanks to the Hesters for the setlist. I forgot my pen and notebook in the car so I took the night off.

Have to laugh at No. 22 though. Is the "Circle of Steal" the IRS logo?? I kid, I kid. And though the song is a downer, it was nice to hear it again.

Steve

[jj]

Originally Posted by KHester

3.Waiting for You (Going back in the past for this one)

13. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald …The Great Lakes, The Guys… We have to do this one

great review and sounds like backstage fun

hey, those were some odd song intros...Waiting for You is the second newest song in the setlist so there were a few dozen others that went further back, lol

i also think that they had to do the Wreck because I dont think there's been a concert since 1976 where it hasnt been done

glad Gord didnt mind the tshirts...he must have known they were done as labours of love ...i wonder of he will ever get into merchandizing or cd sales at gigs...he should hire you guys and put you (and Darin/Andy) on tshirt detail

enjoy the poster!

[KHester]

Thanks for the kind words

Hey we're ready to go on tour with him. Gordon liked the t-shirts. We had many questions about where the t-shirt booth was. At every concert I've been to people are disappointed looking for the usual cd's etc. I know a long time ago decisions were made about merchandising. I know that is a big hassle for acts, the setup. teardown, extra staff and missing merchandise, although with Gord's crowd the missing merchandise shouldn't be a problem.

At least Gordon does some stage patter now, although at the Davenport concert a lot of what he said was difficult to hear as he was away from the mike. The first time I saw him in Rockford Illinois in 1982, I don't recall him saying much more than thank you at the end of the show. I think most people here will say that Gordon has gotten more at ease on stage as he has gotten older. I think there is more of a two-way lovefest going on at his concerts. When you get a chance to meet Gordon, it's amazing how humble and unassuming he is. Gordon always says "We love the work" and we as fans are blessed and grateful they do.

[charlene]

T-shirts look great! thanks for the report and set list...
Glad he's slipping "Make Way For The Lady" into the rotation...
LOVE that tune!

[KHester]

From the WYEC radio website


Gordon Lightfoot Celebrated 50 Years on the Carefree Highway in Davenport Tuesday



5/1/2013 5:55:12 AM


Gordon Lightfoot serenading a fully enthralled crowd at the Adler Theater Tuesday night. The crooner who's celebrating 50 years performing his folk-rock music delivered a warm, elegant and relaxed two hour performance that touched on each era of his career from his early days as a popular songwriter to the success of such 1970's top 40 classics like "Carefree Highway," "If I Could Read Your Mind" and his biggest hit, 1976's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" all the way up through songs from his late 90's renaissance, 1998's "A Painter Passing Through." The larger than expected crowd at the Adler Theater loved every minute of it; rising more than once for standing ovations. Lightfoot continues his "50 Years on the Carefree Highway" tour this evening in Des Moines.