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Old 03-17-2003, 06:31 PM   #1
poldo
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I know we have had topics about the first time you heard GL, but when was the first time you saw him? And is there anything special about that first time that you would like to mention? I think this would be an interesting for all of us.

The first time I saw him was in October (10th I think) of 1973. He played at John Carroll University which is an eastern suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. He peformed in their gymnasium. Band consisted of Haynes and Clements. That was the only time I ever heard him play live my favorite song, "It's Worth Believen".

He played his two sets and there was not one disappointed fan in the audience. It will be something I will always remember. We sat relatively close, and I was simply amazed at his guitar work and his vocals...Wow!

I believe he was REALLY coming in to his own then.

Wes
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Old 03-17-2003, 06:31 PM   #2
Wes Steele
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I know we have had topics about the first time you heard GL, but when was the first time you saw him? And is there anything special about that first time that you would like to mention? I think this would be an interesting for all of us.

The first time I saw him was in October (10th I think) of 1973. He played at John Carroll University which is an eastern suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. He peformed in their gymnasium. Band consisted of Haynes and Clements. That was the only time I ever heard him play live my favorite song, "It's Worth Believen".

He played his two sets and there was not one disappointed fan in the audience. It will be something I will always remember. We sat relatively close, and I was simply amazed at his guitar work and his vocals...Wow!

I believe he was REALLY coming in to his own then.

Wes
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Old 03-17-2003, 06:46 PM   #3
Auburn Annie
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May 3, 1974 at Monroe Community College in Rochester NY. Also a gymnasium. I got the feeling he'd been having a rough go of it before he even got to the stage. He had a guitar string break mid-song (sorry, I don't remember which one) and stopped to restring. The crowd got a little restless (this was the Frisbee-throwing era) but he resumed and won the audience over with a rousing version of The Auctioneer. Sundown had been recently released and got a roar of approval when he launched into it. I was maybe fifteen feet from the platform they used as a stage. Great night.
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Old 03-17-2003, 06:46 PM   #4
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May 3, 1974 at Monroe Community College in Rochester NY. Also a gymnasium. I got the feeling he'd been having a rough go of it before he even got to the stage. He had a guitar string break mid-song (sorry, I don't remember which one) and stopped to restring. The crowd got a little restless (this was the Frisbee-throwing era) but he resumed and won the audience over with a rousing version of The Auctioneer. Sundown had been recently released and got a roar of approval when he launched into it. I was maybe fifteen feet from the platform they used as a stage. Great night.
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Old 03-17-2003, 08:04 PM   #5
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You might not believe this, I have been a fan of Gords' since the seventies and never saw him in concert until 1996 in Cleveland, Oh.. He spoke about having just left his 6 week old daughter at home and how wonderful it was that he had this young daughter...I sat there for a long time thinking I had heard him wrong, then, I realized I had not heard him wrong. I have not had the good fortune of following his tours etc., we moved back from Japan in 1994 and only after that time did I start actively pursuing every Gord concert I could find tickets to and had time to go to (well, I made time and went wherever he was), if I heard about the concert. Some great concerts and lots of fun!
The first was very special to me because i saw Gord! It was a funny revelation to see him and hear him!?!
Gwen
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Old 03-17-2003, 08:04 PM   #6
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You might not believe this, I have been a fan of Gords' since the seventies and never saw him in concert until 1996 in Cleveland, Oh.. He spoke about having just left his 6 week old daughter at home and how wonderful it was that he had this young daughter...I sat there for a long time thinking I had heard him wrong, then, I realized I had not heard him wrong. I have not had the good fortune of following his tours etc., we moved back from Japan in 1994 and only after that time did I start actively pursuing every Gord concert I could find tickets to and had time to go to (well, I made time and went wherever he was), if I heard about the concert. Some great concerts and lots of fun!
The first was very special to me because i saw Gord! It was a funny revelation to see him and hear him!?!
Gwen
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Old 03-17-2003, 08:07 PM   #7
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I first saw him in Casper Wyoming. He was coming to town, I had two little kids and we really couldn't afford to get a babysitter and go to the concert, so my husband and I didn't even talk about it. My husband died in his sleep about a month before GL was to play. Putting things away one day I found an envelope in Tex's drawer-two tickets to Gord's concert. What a guy, and the concert was wonderful, mid 80's and a lot of new material that I didn't know if I liked at the time but there was Gord on stage!
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Old 03-17-2003, 08:07 PM   #8
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I first saw him in Casper Wyoming. He was coming to town, I had two little kids and we really couldn't afford to get a babysitter and go to the concert, so my husband and I didn't even talk about it. My husband died in his sleep about a month before GL was to play. Putting things away one day I found an envelope in Tex's drawer-two tickets to Gord's concert. What a guy, and the concert was wonderful, mid 80's and a lot of new material that I didn't know if I liked at the time but there was Gord on stage!
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Old 03-17-2003, 10:02 PM   #9
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Brink, that must have been a VERY emotional concert.

Thanks for sharing the story.

Wes
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Old 03-18-2003, 07:08 AM   #10
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Brink, very touching. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 03-18-2003, 11:56 AM   #11
gwen sue snyder
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My First Time
I guess I am luckier than most here as well as being among the oldest<no grin>.
My first Gord experience was way back in 1966. the new fangled FM/VHF radio stations must have started in Montreal that year
allowing high quality broadcasts of good music. But my diet of Herb Alpert, The Fifth Dimension and even Andy Williams was shook up that year when the FM version of the Montreal station CJAD-FM (i.e.CJFM now I understand called Mix96 ) played a pair of fantastic records by Gord the single Spin Spin and then a track from his new album The First Time Ever I saw Your Face. I was hooked!!!It so happenned that at that time each week I played badminton with another ex-pat from England one David Moxey David ran a Folk-singing group which included Peter Wright newly in Montreal from Toronto where he had seen Gord perform live at the Riverboat. I acquired Lightfoot! early in 1967.Then One Sunday May 21 1967 an excited Peter phoned David and I to tell us that he had just heard that Gordon would be appearing at a small Coffee bar (The New Penelope) that evening after an afternoon concert at the Expo67 Worlds Fair site (just possibly the concert depicted on page 22 of the excellent Songbook box set accompanying book. We all three went and sat enraptured on seats I recall made from scaffolding poles and planks. Peter had said that he was hoping that Gord he would sing a great railway/railroad song he had heard in Toronto
And that evening as in every concert I have seen since I was not disappointed. I was fortunate to see gord in Canada 4 more times before returning to England in 1970 then although I did hear of and get to the Royal Albert Hall London concerts in June 1972 and May 1981 there was a long deprived period until the wonders of the internet enabled me to attend the fabulous 1999 Massey Hall Convention.And he rest as they say is history
I have attempted to display below a poster
for that coffee bar

I have talked to Gord about that place and he recalled being there after such luminaries as Tim Hardin and Judy Collins

[This message has been edited by fowlesjohn (edited June 07, 2004) to correct the picture link]

[This message has been edited by fowlesjohn (edited June 07, 2004).]
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Old 03-18-2003, 11:56 AM   #12
fowlesjohn
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My First Time
I guess I am luckier than most here as well as being among the oldest<no grin>.
My first Gord experience was way back in 1966. the new fangled FM/VHF radio stations must have started in Montreal that year
allowing high quality broadcasts of good music. But my diet of Herb Alpert, The Fifth Dimension and even Andy Williams was shook up that year when the FM version of the Montreal station CJAD-FM (i.e.CJFM now I understand called Mix96 ) played a pair of fantastic records by Gord the single Spin Spin and then a track from his new album The First Time Ever I saw Your Face. I was hooked!!!It so happenned that at that time each week I played badminton with another ex-pat from England one David Moxey David ran a Folk-singing group which included Peter Wright newly in Montreal from Toronto where he had seen Gord perform live at the Riverboat. I acquired Lightfoot! early in 1967.Then One Sunday May 21 1967 an excited Peter phoned David and I to tell us that he had just heard that Gordon would be appearing at a small Coffee bar (The New Penelope) that evening after an afternoon concert at the Expo67 Worlds Fair site (just possibly the concert depicted on page 22 of the excellent Songbook box set accompanying book. We all three went and sat enraptured on seats I recall made from scaffolding poles and planks. Peter had said that he was hoping that Gord he would sing a great railway/railroad song he had heard in Toronto
And that evening as in every concert I have seen since I was not disappointed. I was fortunate to see gord in Canada 4 more times before returning to England in 1970 then although I did hear of and get to the Royal Albert Hall London concerts in June 1972 and May 1981 there was a long deprived period until the wonders of the internet enabled me to attend the fabulous 1999 Massey Hall Convention.And he rest as they say is history
I have attempted to display below a poster
for that coffee bar

I have talked to Gord about that place and he recalled being there after such luminaries as Tim Hardin and Judy Collins

[This message has been edited by fowlesjohn (edited June 07, 2004) to correct the picture link]

[This message has been edited by fowlesjohn (edited June 07, 2004).]
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Old 03-18-2003, 01:25 PM   #13
Steve DeRosa
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Brink, A true love story...I can't get enough of "real" love stories! Thanks for sharing.

My first time to see GL would have been last October. I had the tickets, but it wasn't to be.
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Old 03-18-2003, 01:25 PM   #14
Oma
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Brink, A true love story...I can't get enough of "real" love stories! Thanks for sharing.

My first time to see GL would have been last October. I had the tickets, but it wasn't to be.
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Old 03-18-2003, 02:28 PM   #15
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My first time attending a GL concert was when he was touring for "Waiting For You". I had no idea that he was even touring, much less still writing.

It was during college and I was working at West Branch State Park in Ravenna, Ohio. Everybody that I worked with knew that I was a big fan because I always talked about his music and played it. One day as I was eating my lunch, a co-worker asked me if I was going to see him the following week in NY. He couldn't remember where at but the next day he brought me the paper with the ad for the concert. Needless to say, I got on the phone right away and bought 2 tickets for my brother and I.

Once there, we soon learned that he was promoting a new album which made a great day all that much better. He was playing at The Chautauqua Institute in Chautauqua NY. It was an amphitheatre and was in July, I think it was July. I still have the stub tucked away somewhere. We were both in awe as we couldn't believe that we were sitting in front of this man that we have listened to for so long. The concert was great but I guess that goes without saying.

I left work at 3:00 pm the day of the concert and drove to my brother's apartment. The plan was that I would shower at his place and then we would drive up to NY which was only about 1.5 hours away. The thing that sticks in my mind the most is that my brother hadn't a single clean wash rag or towel. I had to use paper towels to clean and dry myself. Not a very easy thing to do.

Since then I have seen him about a dozen times. I had tickets to his Palace Theatre show last October and had front row, center seats. I bought the tickets before they were offered on the internet to ensure that I would get good seats. My wife and I were so looking forward to that concert but as we all know it was cancelled.
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Old 03-18-2003, 02:48 PM   #16
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Great Story Watchman...

Isn't it surprising how you remember certain details of those special days?

I will also remember to bring my own towels if your brother ever has me over for the weekend?

My question to you is how many paper towels did it take to get you dry????????

Wes
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Old 03-18-2003, 05:43 PM   #17
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Brink
What a bittersweet concert that must have been for you. How wonderful that you were able to go, thanks for sharing that with us.
Like each of us can attest, it was Gord on the stage and incredibly awesome. I was so glad to go to that first concert.
I have heard a lot of people talk about the Front Row concerts, they sound awesome, also.
We, who have had the good fortune can all identify with the Gord on stage awe inspiring event...wow!
Gwen
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Old 03-18-2003, 05:43 PM   #18
gwen snyder
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Brink
What a bittersweet concert that must have been for you. How wonderful that you were able to go, thanks for sharing that with us.
Like each of us can attest, it was Gord on the stage and incredibly awesome. I was so glad to go to that first concert.
I have heard a lot of people talk about the Front Row concerts, they sound awesome, also.
We, who have had the good fortune can all identify with the Gord on stage awe inspiring event...wow!
Gwen
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Old 03-18-2003, 08:30 PM   #19
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07/13/2016 Edit / 6:55pm.

Was reading some older posts and found
the message here matched Soutern Gl fan's below, somehow.

I did't actually 'see' Gordon' until 2002 at my first concert here in Phoenix 8/6/2002. Saw the show, then met him in person after. Great moment.

I'd go into detail but my description of this is on many threads.

Last edited by Borderstone; 07-13-2016 at 09:55 PM.
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Old 03-18-2003, 08:30 PM   #20
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Although I'd been a Lightfoot fan since 1970, my first concert was at the Orpheum in Memphis in 1991. What a thrill to hear that voice I'd been listening to all those years in person. My wife was 7 months pregnant with our second child and gamely sat through the performance without too much discomfort. I had missed GL a few times before and kicked myself for that. I've since seen him in Salt Lake City in 2000 & 2001 and I had 4th row tickets for the St Louis concert last October. My prayers are foremost for his recovery and hopefully for another chance to take my family to see him.
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Old 03-18-2003, 09:11 PM   #21
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I've been to so many GL concerts over the years that I, honestly, don't remember the very first one. (Guess it could be the Alzheimer's.) As best I can recall it must have been in Detroit in about 70 or 71. I'm guessing at the old "Olympia" ice arena (where the Red Wings used to play), or it could have been at the Masonic Auditorium. He played both places back in those early days. Seems I went with my older brother and one or two others. I remember very little of the actual details. But now that I get thinking about it, here's another question for everyone to ponder...How many times have you seen Gord in concert and at how many different venues? I'm guessing it is about 8 and 6 for me.
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Old 03-18-2003, 09:24 PM   #22
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Somewhere,
4 and 4 for me
gwen
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Old 03-18-2003, 09:24 PM   #23
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Somewhere,
4 and 4 for me
gwen
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Old 03-18-2003, 09:38 PM   #24
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Once and one-on-hold (tickets for Massey)
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Old 03-18-2003, 09:38 PM   #25
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Once and one-on-hold (tickets for Massey)
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