BBKings-Manhattan NY-Frid.Sept.14,2012

[charlene]

Gordon Lightfoot @ B B King’s Blues Club, Manhattan, New York
Friday September 14, 2012

Planes, Trains and Automobiles – The Manhattan, New York episode

After several hours of air travel on Thursday from Toronto to Detroit to Hartford I arrived to a hearty greeting and warm hug from Jenney and thus we began our newest adventure. She picked me up at the airport in her trusty little red RAV and we headed out on the beautiful roads of Connecticut. At her home I got to meet her two pups who were not in the family the last time I took advantage of the welcoming hospitality of Jenney and her husband in 2004. After a short while both dogs fell in love with me and apparently are now missing me terribly. The three of us enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner at a local family restaurant (thanks Skip!) and headed back to the house to chat for a bit and then get some sleep. Around 10 a.m. on Friday morning Jenney and I headed to the train station in Greenwich which is about 90 minutes south of her place. After finding a place to park overnight we boarded the train for about 45 minutes and headed to Manhattan and Grand Central Station.

Let the fun begin! Char and Jenney are here New York! Lol..

We made our way off the train and into the main concourse of the station. WOW. What a beautiful place. Marble and brass and painted ceilings, chandeliers and lots of people! We found our exit out to 42nd street and after asking a few people we made our way to our hotel. The lobby was the epitome of sleek and modern and bustling with tourists and guests. This was some kinda luxury! Thank gawd we were splitting the cost of a room! After unpacking we headed back out to Broadway and 42nd street on a mission to find Times Square and Macy’s. Oh yeah! I think everyone who lives in New York was out walking around on Friday afternoon! In Battery Park there was an Old Navy fashion show ready to start with hostess Jenney McCarthy and musical guests “The Backstreet Boys” !!! We kept on moving tho and into Macy’s after seeing a crowd gathered near the doors. Lady Gaga was expected any minute to promote her new perfume! We were outta there and upstairs before it got nuts!
After some shopping we started back to the hotel to get tarted up for the evening to come. We walked through Times Square, overwhelmed by the noise and crowds..Sensory overload!! We wanted to be early at BB Kings Club to get good seats for the dinner/show as it was a first come/first seat venue. We received our ticket number and went downstairs to wait for admission to the room. We came upon Sir John and Susan who were already there, and our dinner companions, Melanie and Chris showed up a little later. We were early enough to see the guys onstage still rehearsing altho couldn’t really hear because the room was walled at the admission point with floor to ceiling glass. I did snap a few pics.

We were taken in shortly after and seated by a hostess according to our ticket number. The room holds approximately 600 people with tables in the first area in front of a very small stage. More tables were set to each side. There was a bar at the back of the room where patrons could sit or stand to watch the show. We were taken to a table that abutted the stage right in front of Michael. He would be sitting about 3 feet from our elbows. Because the stage was so tiny the guys were compacted into a little cluster of bodies and instruments, cables, monitors, speakers and microphones. Very cozy to say the least. We ordered our dinners and drinks and just as the show started we received our meals.

The show started at 8 and the band slipped into their spots prior to Lightfoot coming out to a loud and prolonged ovation. With them onstage it suddenly seemed even smaller up there! This was going to be a very special evening for sure! As reported earlier there were a few ‘new’ tunes in the sets so we were anxiously waiting to hear what they would be. Lightfoot mentioned that he had played at the Bitter End with Paul Butterfield in 1968, played Avery Fisher Hall, Fillmore East and Carnegie Hall as well and BBKing’s a year ago. He sounded fabulous right from the first song and it just got better. Rick and Carter chimed in on a few tunes and because of the room size could be heard clearly. Carter has a lovely new guitar – very pretty and sounding sharp/clear/precise/present. His flourishes on many songs are astounding and outstanding, especially on Beautiful.

Due to peer pressure and possibly alcohol the four of us at our table opted to chime in when Lightfoot ends Ribbon of Darkness and waits for someone to sing ‘Over Me”…well we did it, we did it badly and he just shook his head…possibly in shame..lol..He carried on and we all had a good laugh as the band did too. He sang 13 tunes, took a break and came back with 11 more before the encore making it a 25 song evening. He did receive a standing “O” after IYCRMM. He never fails to make that THE song of the night for me. And obviously for many others in attendance.

At the break we said HI and got big hugs from dear Bill Hall and his buddy Frank who were sitting near the back of the room. It is so so fabulous to meet up with old friends who we’ve met through our mutual love of Lightfoot music. Michael, who was 3 feet from us, turned at one point, looked at our table and raising both hands shoulder high he 'waved' at us with a "look Ma, no hands!" smile on his face as he was playing his part of Restless....that one note can be held with his keyboard pedal so he doesn't overuse his finger on the key.lolol.. When Gordon sang Drink Yer Glasses Empty after the break the only other band member onstage was Michael.

Before the show Jenney and I received our passes and I saw that there were only about 20 people on The List. After the show that turned into about 40 people with no passes mobbing him as he came out to say HI to what he thought was going to be 20 people. It is always fun to see fans so excited to meet him, say hi and thankyou, a quick picture and autograph. It’s clear to see how much it means. One young couple was vacationing and in from Saskatchewan to see the show and were thrilled to get the chance to meet Lightfoot. They hadn’t seen the postcard like ads for the show at the front desk so I gave them a couple I had for their autograph. Wayne Francis and his companions spoke with Gordon for a few moments and got a quick picture. It was apparent that we weren’t going to get a chance to say HI as time was running out due to another band waiting to take the stage and many other ‘non-list’ folks still wanting a moment with Lightfoot! Gordon saw me, and leaning over some folks asked if I would be in Tarrytown the next night. I told him I would be and would see him there. How nice of him to ask!

We had said our goodbyes to Melanie and Chris after dinner so Jenney and I took a stroll back along 42nd Street to see Times Square at night. It was a gorgeous evening out and even more people were on the streets! It’s really hard to take it all in in such a short time period but I don’t know if I could take much more! Along the walk back we stopped to window shop and I picked up some t-shirts for my daughter Lisa. Through the din on the street we heard, “Hi Jenney, hi Char!” and turned to see Michael and Barry walking back to the hotel. “Hi boys!” lol

We met up with Bill and Frank and the boys in the band for a few drinks and chat and before we knew it, it was very late and we all dispersed to our rooms for a well needed sleep. One show down…one more to go….what a start to this trip!

SETLIST – Friday September 14,2012-BBKings Blues Club-Manhattan, NY.
1. Triangle
2. The Watchman’s Gone
3. All The Lovely Ladies
4. I’d Rather Press On
5. Let It Ride
6. Wild Strawberries
7. Rainy Day People
8. Shadows
9. Beautiful
10. Sweet Guinevere
11. Hangdog Hotel
12. Ribbon Of Darkness
13. Sundown
BREAK
14. Drink Yer Glasses Empty
15. The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
16. Race Among The Ruins
17. Clouds Of Loneliness
18. A Painter Passing Through
19. Waiting For You
20. If You Could Read My Mind
21. Restless
22. Baby Step Back
23. Early Morning Rain
24. Song For A Winters Night
ENCORE
25. Cold On The Shoulder

[charlene]

pics #1

[charlene]

pics #2

[charlene]

pics #3

[charlene]

pics #4

[charlene]

VIDEO - Drink Yer Glasses Empty -http://youtu.be/41oF_b6Mw4U

http://youtu.be/41oF_b6Mw4U

You Tube

[formerlylavender]

Thanks for the report, Char. It would be cool to see the band in that kind of setting. I'm loving the new setlist...Race Among the Ruins, I'd Rather Press on...wow!

Looking forward to reading night #2!

[jj]

i haven't read all of your recaps but what a venue to see him in and with such good company

pics just wonderful... this one is perhaps the best recent capture of Gordon I've seen!!! i gave it a very mild tweak

so happy for you

[formerlylavender]

Originally Posted by jj

this one is perhaps the best recent capture of Gordon I've seen!!!

Totally agree, jj. That's my fave as well!

[loveabiggibson]

Great pix! Looks like an amazing show. And for guitar geeks, pretty incredible to see such a big change in the equipment lineup--Carter with a Gibson ES-335, rather than the Gretsch Country Gent that has been part of the live sound since Terry joined.

The Gibson is a fantastic, versatile guitar, but sounds quite different from the Gretsch. I hope they hit NorCal again so I can hear it in the mix.

Bob Spector

[KHester]

Char,

Great pics and a wonderful report. We all think you do wonderful job modererating this mob.

I'm getting ready to see Gord tonight in Peoria. I'll try to send a setlist, report and maybe some pics. If I see Gord and the band after the show I'll tell them Char says hi.


Kevin

[charlene]

Have a great time in Peoria..! I LOVE saying that name..PEORIA! lol
Try to get a setlist so we can track the new tunes, what's dropped etc. Things like that will keep some of us out of trouble. If I knew how I'd do up some sort of chart..hmmmm....There's a challenge for those so inclined!

[Jenney]

We were served our dinner almost at the same time the band hit the stage. I was going to offer Mike a bite, or flick some mashed potato at him, but I was pretty hungry at that point and decided not to share.
When Gord came out in his red waistcoat, I do believe I heard someone at our table mutter "and Gord will be serving dessert". I'm not naming names, and I may be mistaken, as it sounded like a Canadian accent......

[charlene]

Originally Posted by Jenney

We were served our dinner almost at the same time the band hit the stage. I was going to offer Mike a bite, or flick some mashed potato at him, but I was pretty hungry at that point and decided not to share.
When Gord came out in his red waistcoat, I do believe I heard someone at our table mutter "and Gord will be serving dessert". I'm not naming names, and I may be mistaken, as it sounded like a Canadian accent......

geeze..I tried to disguise it...lol

[buzzard]

Thanks for the great report. Sounds like you had a great time in the Big Apple.

Guess what – you almost had a surprise guest visitor. I was in New York for a ball parks trip with a couple of buddies for the extended weekend. We saw the Yankees on Sunday afternoon and the Mets on Monday night.

We arrived in New York Saturday morning, so the show at the BB King theater wouldn’t work. I briefly considered trying to get to Tarrytown on Saturday night, but couldn’t make it happen.

In hindsight, I wish I’d left a day earlier, so I could have gone to the NYC show. The BB King theater was not far from our hotel. It would have been so great to walk up and surprise you and Jenney! Can never have enough of those Canadian accents around. Oh well, maybe next time.

Looking forward to the Massey Hall shows in November.

Brian

[jj]

Originally Posted by Jenney

"and Gord will be serving dessert"..

ha...you guys nailed it.... did he take your bags for you guys, also?

great report.... have fun, kevin! hey, sounds like fun ball trip, brian

[TC]

Originally Posted by loveabiggibson

Great pix! Looks like an amazing show. And for guitar geeks, pretty incredible to see such a big change in the equipment lineup--Carter with a Gibson ES-335, rather than the Gretsch Country Gent that has been part of the live sound since Terry joined.

The Gibson is a fantastic, versatile guitar, but sounds quite different from the Gretsch. I hope they hit NorCal again so I can hear it in the mix.

Bob Spector

I don't know anything about the guitar thing but getting to NorCal would be much appreciated.

TC