I just got back from attending all three of the Niagara Falls shows. It was a tough ride up there, we hit snow around Syracuse, but well worth it! The Avalon Ballroom is small, comfortable chairs, and has an amazing sound quality to it. I even asked later if there were new arrangements on some of the songs, as I heard parts that I've never heard before! There were none of the sound issues that seemed to rise during the New England shows I saw this fall. Gords vocals were clear and strong, and for some reason in this venue, I was able to hear Terry and Mike clearer than I've ever heard them. I must say, the band was playing the best I think I have ever heard! I spoke to one of the other Lightheads that were there, and he commented on the same thing.
One surprising thing to me was the lack of Lightheads there! Out of the three nights, I only saw 4 other people that I knew. I heard that all three nights were sold out, although on Thursday night I did see a number of empty seats. Since that was the last night that was added, I wasn't surprised.
The audience was extremely appreciative! Friday night's show was probably the best out of the three, and the audience was the most lively. The first night there was a woman on the side that started after the first song yelling out for GL to play Sundown. C'mon, do ya really think he isn't going to play it? It started to get annoying, but Gl took it in stride. Friday night brought a lot more whooping and hollering, but not as annoying, just people having a great time. Lots of folks calling out "We love you Gord"! I did find that when I mentioned I was going to the shows, people like the hotel staff, and the customs agent, etc, all said that Gord was their National Treasure, and how proud they were of him! Lots better than mentioning him around here and getting a blank stare!
The set list for Thursday was:
Cotton Jenny
Carefree Highway
Sea of Tranquility
Never Too Close
Don Quixote
Minstrel of the Dawn
In My Fashion
Couchiching
Harmony
If You Could Read My Mind
Let it Ride
The Watchman's Gone
Alberta Bound
Sundown (which finally shut that woman up!)
Wreck
Spanish Moss/Shadows
Beautiful
Baby Step Back (around now he said how exciting it was, with a new Prime Minister, and how it was fun to be Canadian!)
Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Blackberry Wine
Endcore (Gord's word!) Old Dan's Records
Friday night:
Triangle
Cotton Jenny
14 Karat Gold
Never Too Close
Painter Passing Through
Waiting for You
Couchiching
Clouds of Lonliness
Rainy Day People
Let it Ride
Carefree Highway
Sundown
Hangdog Hotel Room
I Used to be a Country Singer
Wreck
If You Could Read My Mind
Don Quixote
Baby Step Back
Endcore Old Dan's Records & Early Morning Rain
Saturday night:
Cotton Jenny
Carefree Highway
Sea of Tranquility
Never Too Close
Don Quixote
Ghosts of Cape Horn
In My Fashion
Couchiching
Painter Passing Through
If You Could Read My Mind
Let it Ride
The Watchman's Gone
Alberta Bound
Sundown
Wreck
Spanish Moss/Shadows
Rainy Day People
Baby Step Back (
Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Blackberry Wine
Endcore Bitter Green & Old Dan's Records
The set lists for Thursday and Saturday were very similar, Friday's brought a few twists. One interesting thing was a fellow near me kept yelling out Dark as a Dungeon, then Daisy Doo! Gord looked pensive for a bit, then stepped up to the mic and started softly singing Dark as a Dungeon! He did a few verses, I don't thing that many people knew what he was singing, but there were some die hard fans around me that knew exactly what he was doing! It was pretty interesting!
I did have one embarrasing moment when my mother upon meeting Rick Haynes told him that his bass was shining in his eyes, and he ought to take some steel wool or sandpaper to it to dull it down. Or he could try putting Comet on it and work it in. He was very polite, but later told me to tell my mother that he was NOT going to take sandpaper to his new bass! Hey, if it's not one thing, it's your mother.....
Glad I made the trip, wish more Lightheads had been able to go. This has to be nice and easy for Gord to do, and the reception was wonderful. I would'nt be surprised if we see this on his schedule more often.
Jenney
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