First Concert Reviews for the Year 2000

wmmartin · 03-02-2000, 02:34 PM

Well, I hope someone posts them here to let us unfortunate ones who can't attend in person hear what it was like.

Florian · 03-02-2000, 02:34 PM

Well, I hope someone posts them here to let us unfortunate ones who can't attend in person hear what it was like.

LouiseAnne · 03-02-2000, 04:41 PM

FLORIAN!!!!!
How could you do that!!! I ran over here to this topic -- breathless with anticipation ---- and NO REVIEWS!! You had me going. Thought you'd be the early bird to catch the morning paper from York!!!

I'll see what I can do. I'm sure SOMETHING was written about it. Maybe I can find out the name of the town newspaper or something. Does anyone know the name?

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

loveandmaplesyrup · 03-02-2000, 04:41 PM

FLORIAN!!!!!
How could you do that!!! I ran over here to this topic -- breathless with anticipation ---- and NO REVIEWS!! You had me going. Thought you'd be the early bird to catch the morning paper from York!!!

I'll see what I can do. I'm sure SOMETHING was written about it. Maybe I can find out the name of the town newspaper or something. Does anyone know the name?

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

chris · 03-02-2000, 05:06 PM

Ok,Ok -- Here it is. I'll do a quick one now because I have to run, but continue it later. Last night's concert in York was FANTASTIC! GL was up, his voice was clear and strong, that great understated sense of humor was there. Just a great show.

You all know the routine. One by one the band members come out and take there places and then out comes Gordon. Wearing all black and the boots he picked up his guitar, walked up the mike and without a word sang a beautiful 14 Karat Gold. Then right into the next song. (I'll post the set list later.) He did 12 songs before the break and twelve or so after with one encore and he came out one final time to take a bow.

He looked fantastic. Not too different from last year about this time when I saw him at the Birchmere. (I like to call his look tight and healthy.) The mustache is still there and I could see his eyes sparkle from my seat in the 12 row.

He really nailed a couple of songs. DOn't get me wrong there wasn't one that was not up there but a few were really something. I remember thinking after he did Restless that that song couldn't be done any better. Same with Never Too Close.

Some of the arrangements are slightly different then the recordings, to accomodate the changes in his voice, but even tho unexpected sometimes it added to the enjoyment of the song for me. CRT seemed to be a tad slower in tempo than we're used to on disc, but again, somehow it seemd to make it even more moving and majestic. CRT was not don for the encore, but was in the 2nd set, and when he finished I just shook my head at the energy and feeling that he so obviously put into it. (There were a fair number of radio Lightfoot fans there -- folks who really only know his big radio hits -- but after that concert I really believe he may have won some true converts.)

For the second set he came out in the familiar hawaiin print shirt and white tennis shoes. Big treats for me were hearing THe House you Live In and Cherokee Bend, the latter I don't think I have heard in concert in a while. DOn't let me forget Shadows. That one was just beautiful.

He didn't talk any more or less between songs than he has in the recent past. I know some poeple wish he would do more banter. My husband makes that comment every time we see him. Only about 4 or 5 songs get any commentary. I just tell him if he were up there yammering between songs about this or that or why I wrote this or that, then he would be Gordon Lightfoot.

I gotta go -- later tonight I will post the set list and try to decipher my notes on what he had to say. In closing it was a great, great show.

Later,

chris

------------------
"It took most of my time to do what never was done" -- GL

chris · 03-02-2000, 05:10 PM

Ok,Ok -- Here it is. I'll do a quick one now because I have to run, but continue it later. Last night's concert in York was FANTASTIC! GL was up, his voice was clear and strong, that great understated sense of humor was there. Just a great show.

You all know the routine. One by one the band members come out and take there places and then out comes Gordon. Wearing all black and the boots he picked up his guitar, walked up the mike and without a word sang a beautiful 14 Karat Gold. Then right into the next song. (I'll post the set list later.) He did 12 songs before the break and twelve or so after with one encore and he came out one final time to take a bow.

He looked fantastic. Not too different from last year about this time when I saw him at the Birchmere. (I like to call his look tight and healthy.) The mustache is still there and I could see his eyes sparkle from my seat in the 12 row.

He really nailed a couple of songs. DOn't get me wrong there wasn't one that was not up there but a few were really something. I remember thinking after he did Restless that that song couldn't be done any better. Same with Never Too Close.

Some of the arrangements are slightly different then the recordings, to accomodate the changes in his voice, but even tho unexpected sometimes it added to the enjoyment of the song for me. CRT seemed to be a tad slower in tempo than we're used to on disc, but again, somehow it seemd to make it even more moving and majestic. CRT was not don for the encore, but was in the 2nd set, and when he finished I just shook my head at the energy and feeling that he so obviously put into it. (There were a fair number of radio Lightfoot fans there -- folks who really only know his big radio hits -- but after that concert I really believe he may have won some true converts.)

For the second set he came out in the familiar hawaiin print shirt and white tennis shoes. Big treats for me were hearing THe House you Live In and Cherokee Bend, the latter I don't think I have heard in concert in a while. DOn't let me forget Shadows. That one was just beautiful.

He didn't talk any more or less between songs than he has in the recent past. I know some poeple wish he would do more banter. My husband makes that comment every time we see him. Only about 4 or 5 songs get any commentary. I just tell him if he were up there yammering between songs about this or that or why I wrote this or that, then he would be Gordon Lightfoot.

I gotta go -- later tonight I will post the set list and try to decipher my notes on what he had to say. In closing it was a great, great show.

Later,

chris

OOOPS, Up in the second to last para. I meant to say "he wouldn't be Gordon Lightfoot", but you all probably figured that out right?

------------------
"It took most of my time to do what never was done" -- GL

Florian · 03-02-2000, 06:43 PM

Hi chris,

Thank you for your review.

Just a quick note on the technical side:

As a registered Member, you can edit your posts even after they have been sent.

You just need to click on the tiny icon (the third one, with the pencil) and the you can edit your post to correct any typos.

LouiseAnne · 03-03-2000, 12:25 AM

Chris,
Thanks so much for sharing that with us. It's great to hear Gord is still going just as strong as ever. I really enjoyed your review. It was very kind of you to take the time to write when you're so busy right now. Thanks again. It is much appreciated, believe me! Can't wait til April when he gets here to California.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

loveandmaplesyrup · 03-03-2000, 12:25 AM

Chris,
Thanks so much for sharing that with us. It's great to hear Gord is still going just as strong as ever. I really enjoyed your review. It was very kind of you to take the time to write when you're so busy right now. Thanks again. It is much appreciated, believe me! Can't wait til April when he gets here to California.

Stay loose, eh?

LAMS

------------------
"Love and maple syrup
go together like the
sticky winds of winter
when they meet....
If you go into the forest
Gaze up through the trees
The sky is white.
You can understand
What makes the forest
Greet the man
Like a mother's only
child ..."

paradoxides · 03-03-2000, 12:52 AM

Wow, how cool to log on today and find a review! Thanks Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to tell us, I enjoyed your review.

Sadly, I may not end up being able to see him inconcert this year after all due to confusion in my schedule and date mix ups and such. So my mom e-mails me today and says that she and my dad were talking and I wouldn't mind if they went to Gordon Lightfoot even if I can't make it, would I? So of course I said yes, I would mind, but I will get over it. Hopefully we will all be there together. Well, just had to rant that one for a bit.... Thanks again for the review Chris.

Pirate Queen · 03-03-2000, 12:52 AM

Wow, how cool to log on today and find a review! Thanks Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to tell us, I enjoyed your review.

Sadly, I may not end up being able to see him inconcert this year after all due to confusion in my schedule and date mix ups and such. So my mom e-mails me today and says that she and my dad were talking and I wouldn't mind if they went to Gordon Lightfoot even if I can't make it, would I? So of course I said yes, I would mind, but I will get over it. Hopefully we will all be there together. Well, just had to rant that one for a bit.... Thanks again for the review Chris.

Algeh · 03-03-2000, 05:37 AM

will Gord be coming down south anytime soon?
South being Louisiana. I'm new to him and his music, but the more I hear, the more I actually relate and connect.
Thanks.

earlybird · 03-03-2000, 05:37 AM

will Gord be coming down south anytime soon?
South being Louisiana. I'm new to him and his music, but the more I hear, the more I actually relate and connect.
Thanks.

chris · 03-03-2000, 12:29 PM

Florian,
Thanks, I couldn't figure out how I could edit. Honest, I didn't intend to post it twice. FOr those of you who care the set list follows:
14 Karat Gold
Prove My Love
In My Fashion
The House You Live In
Sundown
Carefree Highwy
Restless
Beautiful
Painter...
Blackberry Wine
(I think the intermission came here, but I can't swear to it...)
For Lovin Me/Did She Mention My Name
Wreck
Never Too Close
Waiting For you
Fading Away
CHerokee Bend
Rainy Day People
If You Could Read...
Shadows
Don Quixote
Early Morning Rain
Song for a Winters Night
Baby Step Back
Canadian Rail. Trio.

Encore
(Introductio of Band)
Old Dan's REcords
Final Bow from GL

Before Cherokee Bend, he said how he had read a story in Reader's Digest Condensed Books (!) and the song is a sort of continuation of that story.

Before Wreck, he stated how he had seen the story on the evening news (I'd always heard he read a story in Newsweek) and decided to write a story about it. Related how all the men perished and no bodies were ever recovered. He was about to start and then stopped and said he wanted to say one more thing-- that there had been other terrible wrecks on the Great Lakes -- that there had been a terrible storm in the 1920s where 11 (?) ships went down and over 200 men died.

THen before Shadows, related how he had been fooling around with a C chord and came up with with an interesting variation (can't remember the word he used) and he said when you only know 5 chords like him that's pretty big stuff.

THen before APPT, he said that he could play this next song with just one finger -- sometimes he uses the middle finger and then sometimes he uses the next finger and sometimes he even uses the little finger (demonstrating on the guitar as he says this) -- and closed with "Pretty soft way to make a livin, eh?" The crowd liked that.

Of course all of this was said in that very distinctive speaking style of his -- which in and of itself is worth the price of admission.

Only one other thing, before the concert my husband and I met with a few newsgroupers from alt.music.lightfoot for dinner. It was great to sit and share concert stories and ruminate about how misunderstood we are. It was an opportunity for my husband to see there really are other people like me! One of them had gone to the Massey concerts in November and had pictures to share. She said it was great and would do it again in a minute. So, everyone keep the month of May 2001 open, as that is when Massey should happen again.

chris

------------------
"It took most of my time to do what never was done" -- GL


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