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When Gordon Lightfoot took the stage at the Victory Theatre on Tuesday night, his voice might have been slightly weaker than it was during his last appearance in Evansville 25 years ago.
However, it was still beautiful and unmistakably Lightfoot.
He often spoke to the audience between songs and showed the same sharp wit he displayed in the 15 previous concerts that I have seen over the years, including Mesker Amphitheatre in 1983.
As the audience heard the introduction to "Cotton Jenny," the cheers of recognition were immediate. Every long-time Lightfoot fan has a personal favorite. One man shouted out "Beautiful," which happens to be one of the most romantic songs in Lightfoot's catalog.
Lightfoot played his trademark acoustic guitar and was backed by the tasteful, understated playing of his four-piece band.
At one point, Lightfoot explained to the audience that back in the 1970s, he could stay up all night jamming after a gig and come back and play the next night. "Hangdog Hotel Room," which had kind of a honky-tonk feel, recounts those experiences.
Among the many hits Lightfoot played were "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," "If You Could Read My Mind," and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," all which brought tremendous applause. Probably the biggest ovation was for "Canadian Railroad Trilogy," traditionally his last song before the encore, which on this night was "Old Dan's Records."
Before he began playing "Restless (Waiting For You)" I was astounded when unexpectedly, I heard him say it was dedicated to me. From the stage Lightfoot said, "This is for Julie from the newspaper. I volunteered to play this song and I hope I get a good review."
After the show, I had the opportunity to speak alone with Lightfoot in his dressing room for a few minutes. He said he received a better reception Tuesday night than in his previous appearance in Evansville.
"We've improved a lot," Lightfoot said. "In the old days we were more disjointed. The show was not paced as well. I thought it was a really good show tonight."
I went to Tuesday's concert with a bit of trepidation. Since it had been so many years since I had seen Lightfoot, I was worried I might be depressed because he would not be the same folk music icon that I remembered.
My trepidation was unwarranted. Although his voice might not have been quite as strong - he will be 70 years old in November and he overcame a life-threatening illness earlier this decade - Lightfoot is still a dynamic performer.
CONCERT REVIEW: Lightfoot still dynamic performer
