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Lovin’ Lightfoot
Audience appreciative of appearance by Canadian folk music icon
There was a time in this fair land when the prospect of another Gordon Lightfoot concert didn’t look good.
The legendary singer-songwriter suffered a serious abdominal hemorrhage in his hometown of Orillia, Ont., in the fall of 2002. Coincidentally, he had been booked to perform soon after the incident in the Maritimes.
Saturday night at the Metro Centre provided an opportunity for Lightfoot to apologize for being a little late for his Halifax engagement.
The gesture, which certainly wasn’t necessary, was noted appreciatively by the crowd that filled the arena’s lower bowl and floor set-up for the concert.
Does it have to be pointed out that there were no hard feelings? Lightfoot, 68, has a huge reservoir of good will he can draw on.
The first of two, 55-minute halves kicked off with popular favourite Cotton Jenny. Lightfoot didn’t say whether this was a conscious nod to being in Nova Scotia — Anne Murray had a big hit with the song — but the familiarity of the tune won over the crowd right off the bat.
Lightfoot’s voice certainly has picked up some creases in recent years. The higher register is noticeably thin, which is something that crops up more in his 1960s material. But all singers popular enough to still draw audiences in the third and fourth decades of their careers have run into this. Surely Elton John wishes that his 1970s chestnuts didn’t soar to the heavens.
Lightfoot, who strode purposefully to the front of the stage after his four band-mates assumed their positions, may have started a little slowly but he picked up steam in no time.
By the time he got to the loping classic Sundown, which featured a wickedly tasteful electric guitar seminar by Terry Clements, he was fully engaged.
Coffee house staple Ribbon of Darkness and narrative epic The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, arguably one of the unlikeliest hit songs ever, were other highlights of the first set.
Lightfoot returned after the 20-minute break with a set slightly heavier on his Sixties classics. If they were more challenging, he proved up to the task.
The lean Lightfoot may have reached the evening’s peak with his version of If You Could Read my Mind. The song is typical of his best material from those early years, combining carefully crafted poetry in the lyrics with the thoughtful intricacy of the melody.
Was it the Lightfoot of old in the spotlight on this night? It was the Lightfoot of experience, and he nailed every nuance.
It reinforced the notion that if Lightfoot’s career had been limited to the four albums he released between 1965 and 1968, it would still be legendary.
He appeared to really be in his comfort zone when he headed directly into the relaxed stride of Baby Step Back, which had a groove his voice could comfortably settle into.
Early Mornin’ Rain was another treat for the memory from late in the concert, but many fans who insisted on shouting requests might have left disappointed.
Lightfoot wasn’t always known as the cuddliest of public figures, but he addressed the crowd directly several times.
If anybody had a right to know, he pointed out that Saturday was International Nurses Day.
He remembered fondly playing the Privateer in Halifax practically a lifetime ago, and didn’t seem too bothered about recalling the partying, either.
At one point, he mentioned that there was a time when he thought he might never get to the Maritimes again. "But here we are," he said.
Lightfoot and his band still have a little more time to spend in Nova Scotia. Tonight, they’ll be at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in Sydney.
After that, there are about 30 shows lined up in the United States through the summer.
[ May 13, 2007, 06:21: Message edited by: Jesse-Joe. ]
