Gord's Gift to the Massey [article]

[Auburn Annie]

Gord's gift to the Massey
Canadian legend's return to stage rewards the faithful

Sharon Dunn
National Post


Friday, May 20, 2005


CREDIT: Peter J. Thompson, National Post
Gordon Lightfoot is playing a hero's return at Massey Hall this week.

I fall into my seat at Massey Hall after climbing over four irate concertgoers.

"Odd time to get here," barks the man on my left.

I apologize. He's right, the show started at 8 o'clock and it's now 8:20. The concert hall is full, which explains why the only ticket for Gordon Lightfoot I could get at the last minute was behind a pole. "Fifty percent obstructed view," the box office had told me, still planning to charge the full $55.00 fare. After some complaining and threatening to buy from a scalper, they give it up for half price, but lucky for me it was then that I run into Lightfoot's manager, Barry Harvey. Harvey hands me a ticket.

"I've already got one," I tell him, but then I think of the obstructed view and take the extra ticket. "How's Gordon doing?" I ask. It's no secret that Lightfoot was off work for two-and-a-half years due to an abdominal aneurysm, and wasn't expected to survive.

"He's doing very well", says Harvey, his manager for the past 25 years. "Thirty-five shows this year, half his usual schedule. This is the first time he's playing Massey Hall since his illness. Did you know he's done more performances here than any other artist?" I didn't know. "You'd better get in," Harvey adds.

And lo and behold, here I am sitting in an unobstructed viewseat, albeit late.

"We're going to do the big one here," says a relaxed Lightfoot, "about a ship that went down." A roar goes up among the crowd for The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

"I live where that ship went down," whispers the man on my left, who had growled at me. "Lake Superior. Hi, I'm Mike Nutini, I'm a friend of Gordon's."

"I'm a friend, too," says the guy on my right. Maybe I'm forgiven. People on all sides quietly sing along. And Lightfoot's enjoying himself, looking relaxed and confident. The voice, the movements, everything is good. I sing along with the songs I know and enjoy the ballads I don't. It seems I'm the only one who doesn't know all the words to all the songs (astonishing, really, since the man has written over 400 songs, including ones that have been sung by the likes of Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Anne Murray and Elvis Presley).

"He's really chipper," says the man to my right, and no wonder. He tells me that the 66-year-old legend walked out earlier to a three-minute standing ovation. Gord, as I'm already starting to call him, starts his next song, and the guy on my right calls it. "This is from three albums ago," he says. "This is the lead song".

From the stage, Lightfoot intimately addresses his audience. "An aneurysm is something that grows if you want to go look for it. It's like the radiator hose on my car," he laughs. "Requests?" he asks, and another roar goes up.

"All the Lovely Ladies," shouts someone in front of me.

"If You Could Read my Mind," shouts someone behind.

"That's for sure", quips Lightfoot. He starts gently: "If you could read my mind, love ..."

"There's a lot going on in this song," says Mike, on my left."The ultimate love song." I sing along, easily swept up in the Lightfoot frenzy.

"You're friends," says Lightfoot warmly to the crowd between songs. "I'd welcome you all individually if I could." He seems moved by the warm response from the crowd. "I'm just separated, I'm not divorced," he throws in. "I just want to straighten that out."

"What happened to his marriage?" I ask Mike.

"No one knows. Gord keeps his personal life really tight".

"When they put a new belly button on me ..." Gord is saying.

"That's kind of personal."

"The surgery," says my seat mate.

"We love your body," yells a member of the audience.

It' s coming to the end of a solid, nostalgic performance. "I'm going to try to make my way through this one," says a humble Lightfoot with a grin. "I need air." He starts the Canadian Railroad Trilogy.

"Canada's other national anthem," says the man on my left, or my right -- or it is the people in front of me? I'm not sure. How did this happen at Massey Hall, I wonder? The mood is more like an intimate coffeehouse. The Trilogy goes beautifully, a great way to end the show, although the audience isn't ready to let Gord go yet. He comes back for two encores and a third bow.

I run into Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson with her husband, John Ralston Saul, and her two adult daughters.

"I've been his fan for 40 years," Clarkson gushes. "We're friends." I don't mention that everyone in the room considers Lightfoot his friend. And although it's an older crowd, there are young poeple here as well. Says a 29-year-old, "my parents always listened to Lightfoot in the car. I grew up with this music." Adds a 17-year-old, "I listen to hip hop, this isn't my kind of music, but it's nice."

After the show, Lightfoot is ecstatic. He tells me, "I'm very happy that I was able to recover from this mechanical failure." I tell him he was wonderful, and he seems appreciative. As far as hip hop is concerned, "I love it," he tells me.

All comments about his performance are glowing, even from his long-time band. Says guitarist Terry Clements, "He's 99.5% back." Bassist Rick Haynes does him one better: "Tonight, Gord proved beyond a doubt he's back".

Lightfoot plays sold-out shows at Massey Hall in Toronto tonight and tomorrow.

© National Post 2005

[Auburn Annie]

Gord's gift to the Massey
Canadian legend's return to stage rewards the faithful

Sharon Dunn
National Post


Friday, May 20, 2005


CREDIT: Peter J. Thompson, National Post
Gordon Lightfoot is playing a hero's return at Massey Hall this week.

I fall into my seat at Massey Hall after climbing over four irate concertgoers.

"Odd time to get here," barks the man on my left.

I apologize. He's right, the show started at 8 o'clock and it's now 8:20. The concert hall is full, which explains why the only ticket for Gordon Lightfoot I could get at the last minute was behind a pole. "Fifty percent obstructed view," the box office had told me, still planning to charge the full $55.00 fare. After some complaining and threatening to buy from a scalper, they give it up for half price, but lucky for me it was then that I run into Lightfoot's manager, Barry Harvey. Harvey hands me a ticket.

"I've already got one," I tell him, but then I think of the obstructed view and take the extra ticket. "How's Gordon doing?" I ask. It's no secret that Lightfoot was off work for two-and-a-half years due to an abdominal aneurysm, and wasn't expected to survive.

"He's doing very well", says Harvey, his manager for the past 25 years. "Thirty-five shows this year, half his usual schedule. This is the first time he's playing Massey Hall since his illness. Did you know he's done more performances here than any other artist?" I didn't know. "You'd better get in," Harvey adds.

And lo and behold, here I am sitting in an unobstructed viewseat, albeit late.

"We're going to do the big one here," says a relaxed Lightfoot, "about a ship that went down." A roar goes up among the crowd for The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

"I live where that ship went down," whispers the man on my left, who had growled at me. "Lake Superior. Hi, I'm Mike Nutini, I'm a friend of Gordon's."

"I'm a friend, too," says the guy on my right. Maybe I'm forgiven. People on all sides quietly sing along. And Lightfoot's enjoying himself, looking relaxed and confident. The voice, the movements, everything is good. I sing along with the songs I know and enjoy the ballads I don't. It seems I'm the only one who doesn't know all the words to all the songs (astonishing, really, since the man has written over 400 songs, including ones that have been sung by the likes of Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Anne Murray and Elvis Presley).

"He's really chipper," says the man to my right, and no wonder. He tells me that the 66-year-old legend walked out earlier to a three-minute standing ovation. Gord, as I'm already starting to call him, starts his next song, and the guy on my right calls it. "This is from three albums ago," he says. "This is the lead song".

From the stage, Lightfoot intimately addresses his audience. "An aneurysm is something that grows if you want to go look for it. It's like the radiator hose on my car," he laughs. "Requests?" he asks, and another roar goes up.

"All the Lovely Ladies," shouts someone in front of me.

"If You Could Read my Mind," shouts someone behind.

"That's for sure", quips Lightfoot. He starts gently: "If you could read my mind, love ..."

"There's a lot going on in this song," says Mike, on my left."The ultimate love song." I sing along, easily swept up in the Lightfoot frenzy.

"You're friends," says Lightfoot warmly to the crowd between songs. "I'd welcome you all individually if I could." He seems moved by the warm response from the crowd. "I'm just separated, I'm not divorced," he throws in. "I just want to straighten that out."

"What happened to his marriage?" I ask Mike.

"No one knows. Gord keeps his personal life really tight".

"When they put a new belly button on me ..." Gord is saying.

"That's kind of personal."

"The surgery," says my seat mate.

"We love your body," yells a member of the audience.

It' s coming to the end of a solid, nostalgic performance. "I'm going to try to make my way through this one," says a humble Lightfoot with a grin. "I need air." He starts the Canadian Railroad Trilogy.

"Canada's other national anthem," says the man on my left, or my right -- or it is the people in front of me? I'm not sure. How did this happen at Massey Hall, I wonder? The mood is more like an intimate coffeehouse. The Trilogy goes beautifully, a great way to end the show, although the audience isn't ready to let Gord go yet. He comes back for two encores and a third bow.

I run into Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson with her husband, John Ralston Saul, and her two adult daughters.

"I've been his fan for 40 years," Clarkson gushes. "We're friends." I don't mention that everyone in the room considers Lightfoot his friend. And although it's an older crowd, there are young poeple here as well. Says a 29-year-old, "my parents always listened to Lightfoot in the car. I grew up with this music." Adds a 17-year-old, "I listen to hip hop, this isn't my kind of music, but it's nice."

After the show, Lightfoot is ecstatic. He tells me, "I'm very happy that I was able to recover from this mechanical failure." I tell him he was wonderful, and he seems appreciative. As far as hip hop is concerned, "I love it," he tells me.

All comments about his performance are glowing, even from his long-time band. Says guitarist Terry Clements, "He's 99.5% back." Bassist Rick Haynes does him one better: "Tonight, Gord proved beyond a doubt he's back".

Lightfoot plays sold-out shows at Massey Hall in Toronto tonight and tomorrow.

© National Post 2005

[Erika]

With every review i read, i get more excited for tomorrow night!

[Travis]

With every review i read, i get more excited for tomorrow night!

[Sheryl]

THANKS, ANNIE!! <BIG KISS TO ANNIE>