Iowa Concerts (July 19-20)

[seafarer62]

Something is terribly screwed up with Lightfoot's booking agent.

Ticketmaster is still selling tickets for Davenport ( July 19).

I have two tickets in hand for Clear Lake, IA (July 20). I just had an email from the Surf Ballroom Ticket Office. They report that the Lightfoot concert is on, and they continue to sell tickets.

Yet, Wayne Francis of the Lightfoot.ca website reports that Gord will not be touring until August.

Char- do you have any explanation for what is going on? Thanks for the help anyone.

John-Minnesota

[charlene]

July 18,19,20 are scheduled.. www.lightfoot.ca..

[seafarer62]

Thanks, Char. My wife and I are going to road trip it in July.

We have tickets to Davenport (July 19) and Surf Ballroom (Clear Lake, Iowa) on July 20. I splurged and got a room at the Black Hawk Hotel, right next to the Adler Theatre.

Going to be strange seeing Gordon play the stage where Buddy Holly last played. The Day Music Died, according to Don McLean.

I'll post set lists when we get back. John- Minnesota

[Melissa]

Very happy to see that these shows are happening.
Can't wait to hear something about them.
I hope someone was there tonight and will report.
Hard to believe Gord and the guys haven't been on the road in 17 months!
Perhaps things might get back to normal after all. Fingers crossed!
Melissa

[seafarer62]

Hello everyone- back from our Iowa trip.

Visited the lovely Art Deco Adler Theatre on July 19 in downtown Davenport, Iowa, on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Gord came out very strong, promptly at 8:00 p.m.

First Set:

1) Now and Then
2) Waiting for You
3) The Watchman's Gone
4) All the Lovely Ladies (verses 1,2, 4 and 5)
5) Drifters
6) I'd Rather Press On
7) A Painter Passing Through
8) Ring Them Bells (mentioned folk revival and Bob Dylan)
9) Beautiful
10) Much to My Surprise
11) Cold on the Shoulder
12) Did She Mention My Name
13) Ribbon of Darkness
14) Sundown
15) Carefree Highway

2nd set:

16) Race Among the Ruins (verses 1 and 2 only)
17) Wreck of the E.F.
18) Never Too Close
19) Shadows
20) Don Quixote
21) Minstrel of the Dawn (shortened)
22) Let It Ride
23) If You Could Read My Mind
24) Restless
25) Baby Step Back
26) Early Morning Rain
Encore:
27) Rainy Day People

Gord mentioned that they were happy to be back and that things were going well with the band. He has changed one lyric that I noticed on "Let It Ride" after the lobster pots line. The following line now goes: "It might be nuclear fission man, but that ain't where it stops." Not sure what it means?

The acoustics were fantastic in the hall. I couldn't see the balcony but the main floor was about 3/4 full from what I could see. He had only one rough spot after Never Too Close. He had to go to the rear of the stage to clear his sinuses and take a spray shot. Dumb oafs in the crowd laughed when he took a swig of his biotene. But he was able to keep going.

Overall, he sounded better than what I may have thought with all the rust on him from the pandemic.

I have some work I must do now, but I will write tomorrow about the Surf Ballroom performance. John - Minnesota

[seafarer62]

Surf Ballroom

[seafarer62]

Surf Ballroom
July 20, 2021

Single Set:

1) The Watchman's Gone
2) Too Many Clues in this Room
3) Never Too Close
4) Shadows
5) Don Quixote
6) Wild Strawberries
7) I'd Rather Press On
8) Beautiful
9) Let It Ride
10) Carefree Highway
11) Did She Mention My Name
12) Ribbon of Darkness
13) Sundown
14) Race Among the Ruins
15) Wreck of E. F.
16) The Pony Man
17) Rainy Day People
18) A Painter Passing Through
19) If You Could Read My Mind
20) Baby Step Back
21) Early Morning Rain
Encore:
22) Waiting for You.

I don't think Gord mentioned Buddy Holly or the history of this venue at all. It is a glorified high-school gym, not really designed for great acoustics.

Overall, I give the Iowa trip 8 stars out of 10. Great seeing Gord again, but wasn't happy he didn't do anything from the "Solo" album.

[charlene]

thanks for posting!!
He has been singing 'nuclear fission'' for quite some time now..no idea what it means.
lol

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

Thank you, Seafarer John, for another excellent Gord Road Trip report. Considering the Jul19 and Jul20 venues were 200 miles apart (3-and-a-half hours by car) and therefore not many people would have attended both, I found it interesting that only 18 of the 27 Davenport songs were performed on the following night. I suggest that after 1-and-a-half years of COVID preventing concerts (and still threatening future concerts) and being 82 years old, Gord may be in a hurry to perform as much of his repertoire as possible.

[seafarer62]

Hello Dave: Good to hear from you. I very well recall meeting you when you were in Appleton, Wisconsin. 2008, I believe.
I made the same observation that Gord rotated songs noticably between the two nights. He sings with no video screen and made only a couple of minor lyric flubs. Incredible for a 82-yr old man. His guitar playing on the opening verse of the Edmund Fitzgerald held the attention of all.
I just think there are some songs that have been in the set list for a long time, "Never Too Close," "Let It Ride," and "I'd Rather Press On" could have been rotated out for a couple of new ones from the "Solo" album. Several of his CDs were on sale in the lobby, including "Solo." I just found it odd to have a new album and nothing played from either "Harmony" or "Solo." Maybe that is yet to come later this year as the band shakes the rust off from their long hiatus?

I really do miss "In My Fashion" and "Old Dan's Records" from the set lists in the last 5 years or so. Those songs really carry some energy for me. But I imagine Gord has picked his set list carefully with a mixture of keys and tempos. So I will not gripe too much, as he is a heck of a lot smarter than I am.

Hope all is well in Australia and great to hear from you. John-Minnesota

[BILLW]

Thanks for the reviews. Nice to hear that he's back on the road. Some people, oafs as you called them, can't help themselves. Having said that I really appreciate some hooting and hollering and some good interaction with the audience. I go to have a good time, support Gord and his band and show our respect for a living legend.
There's nothing worse than people sitting silently and acting like they're in church on a Sunday morning. Gord loves his silly jokes and he can take a few laughs here and there.

Ya gotta love him! Thanks again John.

Peace,
Bill

[formerlylavender]

[QUOTE=seafarer62;193406] Dumb oafs in the crowd laughed when he took a swig of his biotene.

They probably thought it was vodka

Thanks for the reviews and setlists. I'm glad you had a good road trip.