Gordon in Kalamazoo--9-27-2008

[Oh, Linda]

Last night’s concert in Kalamazoo was fantastic! Absolutely fantastic. The only other concert of his I attended was 20 years ago, so to be here after all those years was very special indeed. I’m excited to share a few highlights with all of you. Best of all was the opportunity I had to meet Gordon after the show. More on that in a minute!

The Show:

We all wait with anticipation. The lights dim, the band walks onstage, followed by a beaming Gordon wearing a dark blue jacket. I got chills as he was welcomed with heartfelt applause and an audience on their feet. Without wasting any time, he launched right into Triangle, the first of 28 songs he’d sing. Here’s the entire set list.

Triangle
Cotton Jenny
14 Karat Gold
Minstrel of the Dawn
Never Too Close
A Painter Passing Through
In My Fashion
Rainy Day People
Shadows
Beautiful
Carefree Highway
Hangdog Hotel Room
Ribbon of Darkness
Sundown
The Watchman’s Gone

Break

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Alberta Bound
Don Quixote
Clouds of Loneliness
Waiting For You
If Children Had Wings
If You Could Read My Mind
Baby Step Back
The Pony Man
Blackberry Wine
Early Morning Rain

Band Introductions
Band exits the stage

Ovation!!!

Encore #1 Restless (then exists the stage )
Encore #2 Old Dan’s Records


Show highlights:

Gordon and the band were in fine form and Gordon spoke and smiled quite a bit throughout the show. From time to time someone would yell out between songs “we love you Gordon” or “welcome back.” And he’d respond with two thumbs up and a big smile. His voice was steady although he may have missed a few top notes now and then he was clearly able to hit the rich baritone notes with no problem whatsoever. With each passing song his voice got stronger throughout the night.

One thing was very clear. Gordon was in fine playing form, playing with great command of both his 6 and 12 string guitars. That in and of itself makes for a great show!

The crowd whooped loudly when he began Rainy Day People and clapped from start to finish during Carefree Highway, a song he introduced by saying “let’s play something less ethereal” as it followed Beautiful in the set list. Everyone sang along to Sundown, even Rick the bass player!

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald brought the house down and everyone to their feet! Gordon tells us “. . .the story of the cook needed to be in there to round out the song, but who knows what really happened.”

Old Dan’s Records was a great way to end the show with everyone cheering, clapping and standing in appreciation.


Post show--meeting Gordon:

It was a quick walk back to my car and about a dozen of us gathered on the sidewalk next to the tour bus (adjacent to back stage door). I’m a little anxious. No, make that a whole lot nervous.

About 30 minutes later Barry and Mike walked out, talked and signed autographs and drove off with Barry at the wheel.

About 20 minutes later out walks Gordon. Now I’m really nervous and I can feel my legs shaking. Oh boy. Oh, Linda! I take a quick count. There are only 10 of us so this should go quickly. As he approaches, we are met with a hearty “well howdy!” and he begins signing autographs.

One young man (in his early 20’s) phoned his mother on his cell phone and asked Gordon if he’d say hello to her, which of course he did. Everyone got a big kick out of that, and I think even Gordon did too. I captured a few photos having forgotten momentarily I’d brought along my camera.

The already small crowd is down to a just a couple of us in no time.

GL: “Anyone else?” Looking right at me.

Now I'm used to high-pressure speaking at work, but this is something else. I steel myself against my nerves....

Linda: “Hi Gordon. Would you mind signing these?” (I brought a 1985 Frets magazine from my old collection with Gordon on the cover and my copy of I Wish You Good Spaces, a rare book of published excerpts of his songs).

GL:: “Sure!” he says as he reaches for my Sharpie and looks down to sign them. As he does, I continue with…

Linda: “It was a great show tonight. I wanted to tell you that listening to your music growing up in the 70’s inspired me to learn how to play the guitar in later years.”

GL: “Really?”

Linda: “Yes.” He finishes signing my 2nd book and I continue “I know how much work it must take for you and the band to stay ready to play and perform at the level you do and to stay committed to doing it. All of us really appreciate that you do and that you can do it given all you’ve been through.”

GL: “Well we enjoy doing it!” (with enthusiasm)

Linda: I smile and ask “Outside of performing, do you still have to practice much?”

GL: Smiling, “Why, yes (emphatically). I play a little every day” he tells me.

He leans forward offering his left hand, fingertips pointed upward, compressed together, to show me his calluses. He continues…

GL: “I hardly have anything left!” as he points to his well worn but fully intact fingertips. We both laugh.

Linda: “Would you mind if I get a photo with you?”

GL: “Not at all.”

I take my place next to him, he puts his arm around me, and I put my arm around his shoulders. I can feel my knees knocking, hoping he doesn’t notice. The woman with my camera takes her time … and then “flash!”

Linda: "Thanks Gordon. I’m so glad to see the 2009 concert dates appearing on the internet. We’ll see you next year!”

GL: “OK! Anyone else?”

One more man got his photo taken and that was it. I walked 75ft to my car. Sitting in the driver’s seat I unload my magazine, my book, my camera, my sharpie, and realize I’m a nervous wreck. I even left my eyeglasses on the roof of the car. Why’d I put them there? I get out, retrieve them, and hop back in.

Back at my hotel (just a little too far to make the trek home last night) I jot down a few notes to later post here. Driving home this morning I realized just how much music affects our lives, how it leaves punctuation marks like little bookmarks to mark each passing memory. Many of them packed with powerful emotions when the words come from one of the truly great songwriters of our time.

There was one more question I wanted to ask, but took a pass so he could get going. I wonder if he realizes just how impactful his music is as even songs written over 30 years ago can still bring a lump to our throats or a tear to our eye. Does he notice it from the stage and what does he make of it? Does anyone know? If I'm lucky enough to meet him again maybe I'll ask him.

For those of us who admire and respect Gordon and his music, meeting him can be quite an experience as many of you have known for years and as I found out firsthand last night. How do you say thank you for a lifetime of work in two or three minutes? You simply can’t.

It was a real privilege to be there last night. And that I got to meet the man whose music I’ve enjoyed now for over 30 years, say thanks and express my appreciation made the evening all that more special. Trembling hands, knocking knees and all. Somehow I get the feeling Gordon didn’t mind. He could not have been kinder.

[joveski]

great story!. i felt the same way when i first met Jeff Tweedy of Wilco

[RM]

Oh, Linda

VERY, VERY, well done. A pleasure to read.

Thank You !

[charlene]

thanks for the report..glad to hear you had such a great time,..met The Man and got pics too!
wanna share??

[Dream Street Rose]

Hi Linda,

Thank you so much for the wonderful review. I totally understand about your anxiousness and all those feelings. Been there, done that and survived. I think I felt that way for at least 20 or more times meeting Gordon. One time seeing him backstage with a group of people I was so excited that I fainted. That was my first fainting and my last. Amazing what meeting him can do for a person. I was always on such a natural high before going to and after a concert that my boss made me take off 2 days before and 2 days after a concert. Talk about floating.

Sorry, I did not really mean to talk about me. I just wanted you to know that I know what you are talking about when it comes to Gordon and his music. I am so happy for you to have that wonderful experience. Hopefully during GordQuest 2009 you will meet him again. Best wishes and welcome to the group.

DSR

[Jesse Joe]

Very good update Linda, your a pro. Really enjoyable to read, thanks for sharing.

[jj]

sounds like Gord was in polished form...what a sparkling review, linda...i'm sure you were gleaming during your close encounter

all that glitters is not Gord, cheers

[christine75]

Thanks for the great review linda. Can't wait till next march when he comes back to michigan.

[formerlylavender]

Wow, you got two encores! I could picture the whole encounter outside...sounds like you held up really well. Thanks for posting your review.

[geodeticman.5]

Oh Linda - So well expressed- your 'letting us in on your totally human and *nervous* thoughts of meeting the Man, the Legend, its all so much... I know that feeling.... sometime, instead of telling my "Canoe Paddle I asked him to sign, and Beverly intervened on an overly enthusiastic security man who had his thumb stuck in my chest as a can't fail pressure point, as I brandished an obvious weapon (the oar) she removed his thumb and told him she was sure I only wanted it signed....as his presure point failed and I stood there glowering DOwn at him...lol... and the Man... came out and signed it. 40th birthday in 1998 at E-town Radio Live in Boulder Co show he did, Paddle one of my great prizes on the wall" - story now, I'll tell it sometime else may be off-line - the gangs heard it 3 -4 times..oops I sorta told it again....lol.... the abridged version lol....

I am very happy for you, and I know those feelings.. maybe a little different for a man.... while waiting I ws thinking of his larger-than -life Northern Territory sub-arctic waters 500-mile canoe and sea-kayak trips he took on occassion, until maybe around '84 or so I think.....and knowing personally the amount of stamina and personal inner strength it takes to get from pt a to pt b in that scenario, and all that happens in between - incuding his truly heroic method of stopiing drinking with such a trip, medic along with them for DT's or seizures, etc., but seeing a family member thru that myself, I am INCREDULOUS the Man was strong enough in heart, wind, limb, and hardest of all I'd assume for that scenario -gumption - eg "I don't feel up to paddling 10 miles today near the arctic circle.....I'M ..SICK....."

- NO, He pulled himself up by the bootstraps, and did something healthy robust men with no chemical habits would have a HELL of a time pulling off and came out of the trip a dry man. Absolutely incredible. All that ran through my head when I handed over my Canoe Paddle....he commented I'd do better with a bent Beaver-tail paddle - I laughed; agreed, and said I bought this for the autograph, and it as flat so i COULD HANG IT ON THE WALL....lol... 'Your wife'll let U do that ?" lol.... yes.. (thats when I knew he was human, too) my knees were a bit wobbly too. Meeting your heros is often best avoided is conventional wisdow, not so with Gord it seems, story after story...

i think because he does not purvey intentionally a larger-than-life demeanour, allthough his exploits are... so meeting him is not the let down you hear of when ppl meet their heros and they don't measure up to their imagination.... Gord does...as so...human....and therein I think is his strength, and his connection with us; he's just another guy..... 'The everyman's voice" (hardly - but I know what he meant) one DJ said once, flatteringly, out of context, but, his hardly everyman's voice seems moreso as an everyman's regular Joe friend...(allthough not Joe the Plummer, or Tito the ?Carpenter? - was that it, Ron ?" - the latest sound bite in campaigning rubrics...lol....no matter.... he is something again, as Dad would have said...

Thank you for sharing your innermost thoughts with us, its like being there with you to risk a cliche...but very apt...... I loved it Linda, thanks

[Oh, Linda]

Thanks Geo Steve. In my opinion, he's definitely 'not your ordinary man' but I think he would say that he is (he probably has along the way). But when it comes to ordinary people doing extraordinary things, he's at the top of the list for having done just that. I appreciate very much that I had the opportunity to meet him and I can still see him walking down the sidewalk toward us exclaiming that great big "howdy!" It doesn't get any better than that.

[BILLW]

Great review Linda, thanks very much for sharing it with us. Lovely imagery - felt like I was there beside you.

Bill

[geodeticman.5]

Howdy ! -And BTW Linda - WELCOME BACK !

[spocksbrain]

Geo Steve,
You always post with wonderful colors and fonts. Are you an artistic person? I never have taken the time to work with the posting software enough to do anything fancy.