Well after leaving Whitby early on Friday morning to take a taxi, GO train, subway, and bus to Buffalo Lisa and I spent time with Dan and his family, had a great dinner, took in a concert, had a sleep and got up, reversed the travel and were home in time to have supper at home today!
Lightfoot was last at the beautiful Shea's Performing Arts Centre in Buffalo 2 years ago. I'm sure a search will find my report from that time.
I hadn't seen him since that glorious day in July at the Mariposa Festival in Orillia when he was the much deserved headliner at the closing mainstage concert.
Spending time with dear friends who are now like family is always a precious time. Add in their love for Lightfoot, big hugs, cocktails and Lightfoot himself...well it's damn near perfect. Even if it's a bitch to get there. Leaving is always hard.
The theatre in Buffalo is a beautiful grand old place, similar to The Elgin and Pantages in Toronto with grand side balconies, carvings, high and ornate gilded ceilings. Truly works of art on their own.
We arrived about 10 minutes prior to the 8 p.m. start time and made our way to our front row, dead centre seats, 6 feet from the microphone Lightfoot was about to use.
Good grief it was like Calgary all over! I LOVED it!
lol
At precisely 8 p.m. the band (with a trimmed down Terry) walked to their designated spots and with a roar and huge applause, Lightfoot walked out to that microphone 6 feet away. Dan was sitting dead centre during the first half...but he so selflessly offered that seat to me for the second half...and I took it!
As usual Lightfoot didn't let the applause go on for long and started right into the first song. He was full of energy and huge smiles...they were fresh on their first night of shows on this leg of their tour having flown for less than 20 minutes from Toronto to Buffalo..man I wish that plane held a couple more people!
SET LIST:
1. Did She Mention My Name
2. Carefree Highway
3. Sea Of Tranquility
4. 14K Gold
5. Never Too Close
6. A Painter Passing Through
7. Let It Ride
8. Rainy Day People
at this point he said he was going to do a "C" shape tune...which prompted Terry to begin the first notes of the "Deliverance" song.. Which apparently was a surprise to Gordon who wagged his finger and shook his head at Terry with a wee bit of a smile..Terry had a big grin.
9. Shadows
10. Beautiful
11. The Watchman's Gone
12. Ribbon of Darkness (and I dared to 'quietly' sing out 'over me')
13. Sundown - big reaction and applause
He mentioned that there'd be a 20 minute break after the next song..
14. The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald
BREAK
15. Triangle
16. Cotton Jenny
17. Restless
18. Home From The Forest (mentioned that Ronnie Hawkins was going to be at a show and had a hit with it)
19. Minstrel of The Dawn
20. In My Fashion
"this is how I felt after I got re-scheduled on the David Letterman show." (next song)
21. Make Way For The Lady (clue to performer who bumped him? and again another sublime rendition)
22. Fine As Fine Can Be (asked audience if there were any daughters?..then laughed and said half probably were)
23. If You Could Read My Mind - another big reception and again it was sublime.
24. Don Quixote
25. Baby Step Back
26. Early Morning Rain (spoke about artists who covered it)
turned to Terry and said ' move it up' and Terry moved the capo down towards the guitar - I guess that's 'up'..) Then spoke about it being October already and all the sports on TV..The Jays finishing their season, basketball, the baseball playoffs coming up, The Leafs and Buffalo playing. He mentioned there were probably some folks from Toronto in the audience.. well of course I made it known that yes indeed there was!) (during the first half, one by one each of the band and Gordon acknowledged me sitting there like I'd never been to a Lightfoot concert before with a nod, look of surprise and smile... so nice..)
(oh yeah - Lisa had on her Toronto Maple Leafs fleece hoodie..in Buffalo Sabres country.. we Leafs fans are a brave lot..well at least Lisa is. lol)
27. Song For A Winter's Night
ENCORE
28. Old Dan's Records
As he left the stage he had his arm outstretched and his hand open, sort of scanning the front row as he looked, when we made eye contact he pointed his finger at me in recognition and made his way off stage...oh yeah...
Standing ovation and Gordon came back for a few bows.
We met up with Rick, Barry, Michael and Gordon with a few others in the theatre about 20 minutes after the show ended. I had with me the beautiful new children's book with artwork depicting the CRT song by Lightfoot and it had previously been signed by the artist and Jory Nash who sang it at a reception in Toronto. Gordon was quite pleased with the book and artwork. I told him Jory sang a magnificent CRT and the artist was very emotional and thrilled with the video message he left for him. He signed the page that had previously been signed by the artist and Jory in the tiniest signature I've ever seen. Mike, Rick and Barry looked through the book after it was signed. I thanked Gordon with a hug for singing 'my' song at Mariposa and he said 'we needed that!"..I am not sure what he meant but he was happy about it so I was too! lol
We snapped some pics with everyone, chatted for a bit, gave and got some lovely hugs and then we were off.
Well another concert is over...I'm somewhere upwards of 85/90 since 1975... while i am aware of the changes in a Lightfoot concert I am beyond humbled in relation to the changes in my life in relation to the passion, dedication and love that I feel coming at me at a Lightfoot concert in the last 10 years.. and especially since his 'comeback' after his illness.
It is glaringly apparent that there is a man and his treasured orchestra up there, he no longer needs to be up there..but there he is - EIGHTY dates on the road this year..that's MORE than last year !! He's almost 72..omigoodness..
I can't, and I'm sure you can't imagine doing what he does at that age.. with the grace and dignity, perfection and pride that an artist of his calibre expects of himself. He more than exceeds my expectations and I hope with all of my heart that he meets his. I think he does.
Ya gotta love him. (and The Leafs)
And I do.
some pics from Dan and some from me... and a few as we headed outta Gordtown...
Buffalo-Oct.1,2010-set list/pics
Allan Havey" />Allan Havey 
