Gordon Lightfoot still has the old magic
Contributed by: Daniel Smith, YourHub.com on 8/21/2007
The Canadian troubadour, Gordon Lightfoot, came to the Botanic Gardens Aug. 16 to sing memories to a garden full of fans.
Having followed his career since the late 60s I figured I'd take a stab at getting a pre-concert interview, take some photographs during and do a review.
Well, here's the review - only.
While my request for an interview through the promoter NIPP, was indeed late -someone I spoke to there suggested two weeks out would have been a better - I figured the usual photos only during the first two numbers, the way it's handled with a lot of media, would be approved. No way - NIPPed in the bud as well, though I didn't get word (a message actually, since I was already in line an hour or so before the gates opened) until the next morning.
I took some shots from our hillside seats near the sidewalk, thinking they could be alright for online use anyway - but no, no photos allowed. Go figure is just too gracious a term - what the hell? Is more like it. It would have been a nice interview, Gordon.
That aside, the concert was superbly crafted and enjoyable.
Lightfoot is the most honored folk singer in Canadian music history - he, Anne Murray, Joni Mitchell and Paul Anka were honored this past June with commerative stamps issued by the Canadian postal service.
Gordon's fame came around the mid to late 60s when a couple of his compositions, For Lovin' Me and Early Morning Rain, were recorded by Ian and Sylvia - other artists, including Elvis, would later appreciate his sensitive lyrics and musical prowess and record many of his songs.
About a half-hour past officials start time, Lightfoot came to the stage looking more youthful that his 69 years, and while his voice seemed to lack some of the youthful timbre, his emotive treatment of the verses was as adept as ever, as was his guitar work, along with his always finely rehearsed backup band.
With few words of introduction, he opened with the classic Cotton Jenny a big hit for Anne Murray, and moved right into his own hit Carefree Highway. The audience, relaxed in the green surroundings on blankets and low event chairs enjoyed their picnic dinners and libations and warmly welcomed the troubadour back to Denver after about a decade.
About a third of the way through his selections, moving into Rainy Day People, people began dancing in the limited room at stage front to some of the more upbeat tunes, including Sundown. One classic, Ribbon of Darkness, which Marty Robbins made a hit, produced appreciative clapping in unison from the sold-out audience.
The largest reaction was to his historical classic The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, about the ship which sank in a Lake Superior storm with the loss of all 29 crewmen in 1975.
He talked little of his personal life, never mentioning his surviving an abdominal aneurysm a few years back that required three surgeries and a long time away from touring, but he did mention having to raise "two unruly teenagers" with an ex-wife.
The last of the 23 numbers played straight through included If You Could Read My Mind, and Don Quixote and his encore was Old Dan's Records. Personally, I would have loved hearing Softly, Home from the Forest and especially, Affair on Eight Avenue -three of my all- time favorites.
Lightfoot moved on to Boulder the next night, part of an 11-concert stint in a 54-concert tour of Canada and the U.S.
Lightfoot has lost little of his poetic gift, is a treat to hear on tour, and hopefully will keep writing fine tunes for many more years.
http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Blo...og~350822.aspx
Colorado blogger's review
