You Were There (Lightfoot '08)

[charlene]

lol Bev!

don't die yet - he's still on tour!
you may get another chance to speak gibberish to him!
lol

He certainly knows how to make you feel special doesn't he?

[DawnsMinstrel]

Great Story Bev!

[BILLW]

Nice tale Bev, thanks for sharing !

Bill

[SherylKat]

Originally Posted by Bev

Forgive me if this is a double post...I was trying to attach a photo and lost everything I had written to that point!

Hi Char...I feel as though you were talking to me. I've been meaning to share my tale, truly! I "post infrequently", and was at the Erie, PA show on June 22.

It. was. wonderful.

I had after-show guest passes, and my husband and I hung back and waited to be last to speak with Mr. Lightfoot. I had dragged along (from NC) the last poster I had that needed to be autographed. It is a large, heavy cardboard poster that can not be rolled up and carried inconspicuously. It was quite the conversation starter during intermission. Anyway, I'm attaching a photo of it to this post....

After I walked up and prefaced that anything stupid or incoherent I might utter was due to nervousness, I told him how happy I was to be there, as Erie is my hometown, and that I love the Warner Theatre (it is stunningly beautiful). I told him I waited a long time and had traveled over 550 miles to be there (his response: "I hope it was worth it!"). I told him that we had held second row seats for the ill-fated show at Seven Springs, PA a few years prior. We then recollected about the terrible thunderstorm that cancelled that evening's concert.

Well, when I presented the poster and asked him to sign it, he looked down at it...looked back up at me and said, "This photograph was taken during a party - at my house. Bob Dylan was there that night. We're good friends, you know..." I recall thanking him for sharing that with me...my hope is that I did it in English and not the fluent gibberish I have spoken in his presence in the past.

I know I "geeked" ...as my 19YO would say...hard as I tried not to. Although I was able to observe while we waited our turn to speak with him, that pretty much everyone does. That made me feel a bit better, and made me respect and admire him even more. He was unfailingly kind and gracious to everyone, and I thought, very generous as well to reveal that to me. I've owned that poster for a number of years, but now I have some backstory! And it's signed to me personally! With Love! - from Gordon Lightfoot!
<swoon!>

As the Erie show was the last until this month, everyone seemed excited about getting home. Gordon said he was catching a plane very shortly and would be home shortly after that. I could tell my time with him was ending (Bbb-b-b-but w-w-w-why? I want to talk with you for hours, if not days! Let's at least have a coffee!!! Come away!) Naturally, I didn't say any of that, much as I wanted to. Because after all, my husband was there and it just wouldn't be decent.

Long story shortened as an act of mercy to those of you reading this:
I knew my time with him was ending, so I related to him as briefly and eloquently as I could how much his music has meant to me lo these many years....and then I watched in horror as he turned away from me with what I was sure was complete dismay...and he turned to my husband and said, "She's really very lovely, isn't she?"

I can die now.

I've never seen this pic! Fantastic.

I think the nervousness you describe is not only being close to someone who has given you so much pleasure, it is also because you feel as though you have only a certain amount of time to try to communicate to him what you want to say, and there are about 20 other people standing around behind you waiting to do the same thing! You sure can't be a wallflower or you'll never get to say (or babble - LOL!) what you want to say to him. Hope you got to talk to the rest of the band - they are so fantastic; I've never seen any of the band rude to anyone. Guess they've learned from GML how "to work the room."

[formerlylavender]

I enjoyed reading your story, Bev. That picture is great! I'd never seen it before either. I know that nervous feeling you described - it's that you know you'll have his full attention and you have to say all you have to say in a minute or less. It's easy to flub under those circumstances. It sounds like you did well though, and got a nice compliment to boot.

[Jesse Joe]

Thanks for that nice story and great pic Bev.

[Jesse Joe]

Originally Posted by johnfowles

My personal list of concerts is up to date see:-
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFO...9_concerts.htm

the tally now is up to 12 this year to date with three more to follow yeehaw

That's a very impressive concert list of times you saw Gordie, Sir John !!!



Your gonna tie or maybe break your record this year, and may very well be the all time winner for seeing Gordon Lightfoot in concert the most times in a same year...

It's got a be between you and DSR !!!

[jj]

Originally Posted by Bev

...
Long story shortened as an act of mercy to those of you reading this...

oh, i'd really enjoy getting your long version

a glorious photo and an A1 anecdote that had me hanging on every word...thank you

[christine75]

going to see gordon on september 26th at the wharton in east lansing,mi. Can't wait 7 days to go and counting.

[charlene]

I was at the Buffalo show as was Dan, and Harold was there too..Sept.21/08

[RM]

What's Harold's screen name ?

[charlene]

Originally Posted by RM

What's Harold's screen name ?

oh geeze louise..here we go again.. Harold - will you tell him you exist!?!?!
he's listed under HAROLD CHRISTIE - joined - almost a year ago - 9/28/07..no posts.


and NO - Louise does not live here..

[RM]

Originally Posted by charlene

he's listed under HAROLD CHRISTIE - joined - almost a year ago - 9/28/07..no posts.

Ma'am, I hope you recall that after the "MAH Incident" I promised to never question your veracity again. I just needed a screen name.

It will be entered into the official record. Thank you.

[charlene]

I remember nuffink...

[Jenney]

I was in Purchase NY, Cambridge MA, and Northampton MA.

Jenney

[charlene]

Originally Posted by Jenney

I was in Purchase NY, Cambridge MA, and Northampton MA.

Jenney

Now we have to get Diane, John, Susan and Billyboy to log in their concerts..
hint, hint..

and those who were in Lansing too!

[Moosedog]

I was in East Lansing.

Vickie

[vlmagee]

Originally Posted by charlene

Now we have to get Diane, John, Susan and Billyboy to log in their concerts..
hint, hint..

and those who were in Lansing too!

Gee, out of sight, out of mind. I was at Northampton, as were the four people you name above. Bill was also planning to attend the Lansing concert (while on a business trip). I haven't heard from him since, so I can't be sure he made it, but I know he planned on it and it fit well with his travel schedule.

[charlene]

I've lost track of what side of the country you're on Val!
lol
Hurry back to the other side and catch a few more shows!

[vlmagee]

Originally Posted by charlene

I've lost track of what side of the country you're on Val!
lol
Hurry back to the other side and catch a few more shows!

Which side is the other side? I'm confused myself. I'm still in Saratoga (since racing season), but the Northeast shows are over for the year. We'll see what the future brings.

[charlene]

Originally Posted by vlmagee

Which side is the other side? I'm confused myself. I'm still in Saratoga (since racing season), but the Northeast shows are over for the year. We'll see what the future brings.

lol - geeze now I'm totally confused..lol

the other side, at this point in time with you in the east, would be 'out west'..

[Oh, Linda]

I was at last night's concert in Kalamazoo. I'll be posting highlights under a separate thread later this evening.

[OldDan]

I was at the Joliet concert on 9/28 at the Rialto Square Theatre

[Tim]

For the 1 Oct St. Louis show: Tim (and I also saw Gloria & Kelly there as well).

[charlene]

Melissa was at the Lansing show..