weren't there concerts in Ottawa??

[johnfowles]

Unbelievably stoopid
A Google alert this morning promised this report
in the Ottawa Citizen
"Restrained legend Lightfoot offers no surprises at NAC


Ice skating on the Rideau? near the National Arts Centre
with the intriguing opening
"It's hard to know these days whether to attend a Gordon Lightfoot concert with excitement or unease. Registered 7-day subscribers"
OK so their poxy newspaper's content is so valuable that they require a paid subscription
I think not, but I have just wasted 15 minutes trying to friggin' register for a "basic" account which I naively imagined would let me read this priceless stuff
No not on your Nelly after battling their retarded password system
(the password has to have at least one upper case letter AND one numerical character)
I found that their stoopid form consistently misread my pasted in password
I finally ended up precisely where I started with no more text from the article
I am therefore wondering if one of the resident Ottawa burghers has the hard copy and could post the text. Better still could somebody Mr Letcher, "MinstrelOfTheDawn" or Kurt who hopefully were at the concert either last night or tonight maybe post their report.
I am most pleased to have to edit this new topic (my original subject title included Montreal as well) this because Betty has now reported on Tuesday's concert in Montreal

The Salle Wilfred Pelletier at Place Des Arts in Montreal where I saw my second of 40 full GL concerts in 1968
John

[ November 12, 2006, 11:56: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[johnfowles]

Unbelievably stoopid
A Google alert this morning promised this report
in the Ottawa Citizen
"Restrained legend Lightfoot offers no surprises at NAC


Ice skating on the Rideau? near the National Arts Centre
with the intriguing opening
"It's hard to know these days whether to attend a Gordon Lightfoot concert with excitement or unease. Registered 7-day subscribers"
OK so their poxy newspaper's content is so valuable that they require a paid subscription
I think not, but I have just wasted 15 minutes trying to friggin' register for a "basic" account which I naively imagined would let me read this priceless stuff
No not on your Nelly after battling their retarded password system
(the password has to have at least one upper case letter AND one numerical character)
I found that their stoopid form consistently misread my pasted in password
I finally ended up precisely where I started with no more text from the article
I am therefore wondering if one of the resident Ottawa burghers has the hard copy and could post the text. Better still could somebody Mr Letcher, "MinstrelOfTheDawn" or Kurt who hopefully were at the concert either last night or tonight maybe post their report.
I am most pleased to have to edit this new topic (my original subject title included Montreal as well) this because Betty has now reported on Tuesday's concert in Montreal

The Salle Wilfred Pelletier at Place Des Arts in Montreal where I saw my second of 40 full GL concerts in 1968
John

[ November 12, 2006, 11:56: Message edited by: johnfowles ]

[SilverHeels]

I am certain Kenyon will report in full and so wipe out the above negativity.

[Jesse Joe]

Very beautiful pics John. What a good looking theatre. And the set list from 1968, incredible. Even the famous , "Black Day In July."


Cold Hands From New York
The Last Time I Saw Her Face
Walls
Rosanna
Black Day In July
Does Your Mother Know
Don't Beat Me Down
The Gypsy
Affair On 8th Avenue
Long Thin Dawn
Steel Rail Blues
Medley I'm not Sayin'/Ribbon Of Darkness
If I Could
Softly
Boss Man
Marie Christene
Mountains And Maryann
Bitter Green
Pussywillows Cattails
Unsettled Ways
Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Early Morning Rain


You saw Lightfoot in his prime, I envy you John...


[ November 11, 2006, 13:52: Message edited by: Jesse -Joe ]

[culverd]

John
I went to the show last night in Ottawa and had a great time. I want to thank Val for putting me on to Bernie. The tickets were front row just in front of Lightfoot. Unfotunately I do not take as good as notes as Charlene however a guy a couple of seats down saida couple of times you still have Gordy, to which Lightfoot responed with a smile "Yep it is still there." The text of the Ottawa citizen article is better than the headline. For the band it says they were low key and superb throughout the concert. The last paragraph says the Lightfoot Closed his 100 minute show with a strong voiced Early Morning Rain.
The article is right in that I also thought Lightfoots voice was stonger in the second half. This comment was also made in the Montreal paper. I also thought this was the case when I went to the last Massey Hall concert.
The article says Lightfoot was clearly delighted to be on stage. In the second half of the show you could tell he seemed to be really enjoying himself.
Every song was deleivered from start to finish. Previous shows I have seem him start a song and re-start it but it did not happen last
It was also the 31 st anniversay of the Fritzgerald sinking .He said this song has probably affected hte most people which surprised me somewhat.
I thought the delievery Sit Down Young Stranger was particulary good. I came away from the show with a greater appreciation of the song. The encore was Old Dans Records which is also a favourite of mine.
The crowd was very appricative the concert sold out very quicly last February.

[Kenyon]

Hi folks,

I had the pleasure of seeing Lightfoot last night at the NAC here in Ottawa. Simply put, it was a great show. Gordie's voice is a little thinner than last year's Massey shows, but the music was as good as ever. His picking hand seemed to not be working as has been the rumour over the past few months. He was using his thumb, but that's about it. However, Terry and the boys filled in nicely and it sounded the same as ever. Lightfoot was very personable and made quite a few jokes. He said when he was in Regina, the Rolling Stones were also in town and that some of them had come over to see him! He also said the band saw their first snowflakes in Winnipeg! He mentioned the show in Prince George and how they had to take down the glass in the hockey arena they played in and how half the "hold darn town showed up!".

Here's the setlist as best as I can recall. It was interesting to note that he opened the second set with the Wreck.

Triangle
Cotton Jenny
14 Karat Gold
Never Too Close
A Painter Passing Through
Waiting For You
Clouds of Loneliness
Beautiful
Carefree Highway
Ribbon of Darkness
Sundown
The Watchman's Gone

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Alberta Bound
Hangdog Hotel Room
All The Lovely Ladies
Shadows
Rainy Day People
In My Fashion
Make Way for the Lady
If You Could Read My Mind
Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Sit Down Young Stranger (AMAZING!)
Baby Step Back
Early Morning Rain
Old Dan's Records

Highlights included Hangdog Hotel Room (Gord spoke of staying up all night with Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Dan Kershaw), Sit Down Young Stranger (spot on!), The Wreck (31st anniversary of the sinking last night and Gord mentioned that), CRT was note for note perfect, and The Watchman's Gone was perfect too. I think Mike Heffernan is using some new string sounds because the strings on 14 Karat Gold sounded like a real orchestra was playing with the band rather that the usual synthesized strings. Very cool!

A great show overall! Can't wait for Massey next week!

Kenyon

[culverd]

Yes the Sit Down Yong Stranger was amazing, this was performed as well as any song I seem him perform in the 35 years I have seen his concerts. Give me a new appreciation for the song.
Also mentioned it was I beleive his 45th concert this year and seemed proud that he was able to do 45 shows. As mentioned he seemed to really enjoy the second half of the show. Perhaps he feeds of the audience to get stronger.

[RM]

Another take on Friday's performance : Ottawa Sun Review

Thanks Culverd and Kenyon for your perspectives.

[ November 12, 2006, 03:01: Message edited by: RMD ]

[culverd]

The Suns article is pretty fair, the concert really improved after intermission. You would think if anything he would get tired as the concert goes on.

[johnfowles]

Originally posted by SilverHeels:
I am certain Kenyon will report in full and so wipe out the above negativity.

I was obviouly very pleased to read culverd and Kenyon's reports (the later in duplicate no less!) and then today to see that the other Ottawa newspaper has none of this superfluous requirement to register before they allow you to read their spiel.
I will not apologise for my "negativity" because I had a valid point to make and I was very miffed at the ridiculous and innefficient procedure that the stoopid Citizen put me through for absolutely nothing.
Anyway further to Ron M's posting above I have now looked at the Ottawa Sun and noted this

There is a nice slogon on the Ottawa Sun banner which I feel sure lighthead2toe (Ron Jones) will appreciate
"From head to toe and everything in between ... Your Health every Monday"

"Gordon Lightfoot plays at the Pantages Plyhouse (sic)(Winnipeg)Theatre Tuesday, October 10
2006. (MARCEL CRETAIN, Sun Media)"

[ November 12, 2006, 11:58: Message edited by: johnfowles ]