Massey Hall-May 2008 starts today!

[charlene]

I am once again heading to Toronto to The Church of Gord for 4 exquisite nights of musical magnificence.
Adding to the Lightfoot experience over the last 7 years is the joy in sharing these concerts with so many "Net People."
The list of folks this time has many familiar names but as always there are those who are 'first timers.' It's always fun to see the city, the concerts and the whole experience through them even tho I've done it too many times to count.
For those who can't make it we'll be thinking about you and hope that you can get to a venue at some time in the coming year to see The Man..there's always November 2009 at Massey..Nothing has been set in stone but following his 18 month schedule for Massey shows that's the next date he'd be there..and I plan on being there! I hope you do too!
I will pass along your collective "Hi Gordon!" to The Man and try to get on a computer in the next couple of days..
Possible reviews of the concerts might be in these papers:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
http://www.nationalpost.com/
http://www.thestar.com/default
http://www.torontosun.com/

Possible 11 p.m. video clips online from news stations:
http://www.cp24.com/
http://www.ctv.ca/news
http://www.cbc.ca/
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/index.html

I hope Gord isn't too distracted by the news that The Leafs fired the coach today..
Gotta LOVE the Leafs!

Char

[Dream Street Rose]

Hi Char,

Thank you for all the information. Hopefully this year will be the best one yet. As you are drinking in the music know that I am there in spirit.

DSR

[Jesse Joe]

Have a great time Char. Lightfoot Rules !!!

[Sundown17]

I echo Char's excitment about the 4 days of Lightmagic! I remember my first Massey pilgrimage in 1999. I am not a city gal, but fell in love with Toronto. Seeing Gord do his thing at Massey is indescribable.

I am not able to make the trip this time , but that sting is soothed by the tickets I have for two New England concerts. I also have Nov '09 on my radar. I envy all you first timers and the well-traveled and wish you all the enjoyment there is to be had.

Yours in Gord,
Diane

[RM]

Originally Posted by charlene

I am once again heading to Toronto to The Church of Gord for 4 exquisite nights of musical magnificence.
Char

psst....the cat is away......whaddaya you guys wanna do ?

[Jesse Joe]

Any suggestions Ron... lol

[RM]

yeah......let's call it Operation "I wish I was there"......sshhh.....I think the first reports are almost here....stay loose

[brink-]

I think since Char is gone we should swear - like she did. Who will go first?

I am sitting here listening to Shadows - just thinking.......

[Melissa]

Oooooo, did Char swear??????
LOL
OK, I'm thinking about all our Lightheads that are up there on Shuter St., and I'm very envious. Although, at 7 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT), I had a moment of silence, as I imagined Gord walking out on that stage, and I could almost hear the thunderous applause all the way down here in Austin, Texas!
I know you guys are having a ball. Gord at Massey. All's right with the world.

Melissa

[lighthead2toe]

Originally Posted by Melissa

Oooooo, did Char swear??????
LOL
OK, I'm thinking about all our Lightheads that are up there on Shuter St., and I'm very envious. Although, at 7 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT), I had a moment of silence, as I imagined Gord walking out on that stage, and I could almost hear the thunderous applause all the way down here in Austin, Texas!
I know you guys are having a ball. Gord at Massey. All's right with the world.

Melissa

"Won't you reach out love and touch me, Let me hold you for a while" ..Hi there Melissa. Good to hear from you. I thought about you when those words began last night. You sing that song so beautifully. Gord said it's hard to describe the feeling of how good it really is playing here in his hometown. That's exactly my sentiment at this moment just being here in Toronto knowing that I will be here for all his performances. There's a lot filtering through my head right now so I have to hold off till it finds it's way through before I can say more. My regards to Deny. Ron J.

[charlene]

Melissa. - do NOT listen to those people saying those things about me..
You know how saintly I am..
Brink has memory probs so I understand her confusion about my use of the English language..

we missed all of you who weren't here - no bullshit 'bout that..

[johnfowles]

Yes well incredible is an excellent way of describing the Massey experience which is not atltogether indescribable.This year amongst other notable events was the enrolling of yet another UK fan Peter, from Swansea in "Welsh Wales",

from the left Peter (I was not the only one who thought he might be dear Barry Harvey's son!!, Martyn, Me and Paul
Swansea is I think also the hometown of corfid member Mair
Paul and I hope Peter will find his way here and introduce himself as yet another fan who hitherto thought he was the only one left!
Peter got roped in, as Paul told the story on Wednesday when, Paul having visited the Eaton Centre on Yonge Street, decided to take a look at the nearby Massey Hall. when he got there Gord was just unloading his guitars and there were a few fans gatherred round. In due course Gord approached him ,and he said he was "Paul from England", Gord replied "yes I know", whereupon the chap behind him introduced himself as another Brit, albeit not from England but that other place.
Peter attended all 4 nights and came to the final visit to the jam session pub late on Saturday night after the concert
One other remarkable occurence was by the well known Gordfan
Johnny Corcoran, who was sitting in the row behind me at Thursday's concert and who I overheard talking about "Ribbon Of Darkness" After Gord did his now usual dead halt before finishing ROD and before seguewaying into Sundown (To my mind this is distinctly the wrong way round because surely Darkness follows Sundown??
a loud voice rang out "Over Me"
Gord looked surprised then looking in Johnny's direction said simply "Thank You"!!
Johnny had apparently arranged to do this in unison with three mates, who were elsewhere in the Hall and themselves decided to let Johnny do his piece solo!! Priceless.
Another unexpected moment had previously occured on Thursday . I had already noted to myself that Carefree Highway had been number 3 on the setlist when at number 11 Gord repeated it. The Orchestra who I was once told never know in advance the exact setlist did not miss a beat but joined in almost immediately as usual.
After the interval Gord mentioned this fact with an "explanation" that he wanted "an alternative take", for a live recording presumably.Later he did refer to his producer Bob Doidge being "down below" and that Bob would be able to repair any mistakes or bad areas of recording by cutting and pasting.My other Massey 2008 anecdote concerns a visit we made so that the ladies could indulge in a quest for jewellery beads on Queen Street West. Now when we visited that area in November 2006 there was at that time a fine used book store as far as I remember directly opposite on the other side of the road.Well we arrived in an area containing a number of bead shops but I could see no book store. However opposite to Arton bead shop was an art framing store Off The Wall Art And Framing Gallery, where I was able to sit out the long wait for the beadossey to finish, and eventually I struck up a conversation with the owner Ross who said the shop next to Arton's had indeed been a used bookstore for 30 years but had folded last fall he let me use his computer so that I could check my email. Naturally I mentioned Gord and was told that Gord had bought Ross his very first drink back in 1967 at a concert venue in Peterborough ON. Naturally I ensured that corfid was added to Ross's favourites for his future surfing. Just maybe he might even read this and register here to reply??

[charlene]

I was glad to see Peter show up at the last concert as he was quite disappointed at times during the first ones with the volume in the various seats he had. Paul and I spoke with him for over an hour the previous day about all of my years of Massey experiences and those since finding the internet fans. Paul told him about his expectations back in 2001 so it was nice to see Peter come for the last show and have such a grand time and come to the pub afterwards. And I am also glad that Martyn decided to come to the last show as well! Coming all the way over the pond for one show is just not right!
lol
Johnny C.'s little solo number got me a glass of wine downstairs as he was right behind me and scared me half to death when he burst into song! lol
Seeing as I was keeping a set list you would think I would have caught the Carefree Highway encore but Anne asked me about it at the break, as did a couple of others and sure enough - there it was - song 2 and song 11 !!
DUH!

Speaking of drinking Sir John..in the taxi from the GO train station here in Whitby one of the usual drivers who I know asked why were in Toronto.. I told him about the concerts and he said his brother-in-law was doing the roof on the Lightfoot home in Rosedale years and years ago and he turned around at one point to see Lightfoot climbing out on the roof to sit and chat with a large tumbler of libation...

[BILLW]

Here's a fine shot of one of the blokes (standing with some nutter from the States)



Bill

[Jesse Joe]

Great pic, you look like 2 brothers, almost twins.

[Jesse Joe]

Originally Posted by charlene

Speaking of drinking Sir John..in the taxi from the GO train station here in Whitby one of the usual drivers who I know asked why were in Toronto.. I told him about the concerts and he said his brother-in-law was doing the roof on the Lightfoot home in Rosedale years and years ago and he turned around at one point to see Lightfoot climbing out on the roof to sit and chat with a large tumbler of libation...

Man what I would have given to see that, Gordon Lightfoot on the roof of his Rosedale Mansion ( with a large tumbler of libation ?) Not sure what this means, does it have anything to do with wine ???

I wonder what that Mansion looks like today, if anybody bought it ? If only the walls inside that place could talk.