VICTORIA BC-Oct.22-2014

[charlene]

RICK: After a picturesque drive down the Trans Canada / 1 from Nanaimo today, here we are, 15 years later, at the Royal Theater in Victoria, BC.

[Lisa J]

Can't wait!

[charlene]

RICK: the clouds parted and we got a great view of Victoria's harbour from the Empress Hotel this morning.

[charlene]

RICK:Yesterday, here in Victoria BC, was a tough load-in and set-up for our great crew. You see, in the first pic from the side of backstage, how we have to "share" the stage with the local opera company here, giving us a shortened stage in front of the opera's set; but that was the only way to get in to this Royal Theater on these days, when the opera is dark. Since we are rarely in the same place for more than one nite, the crew got it a bit easier (not having to load in and set up) today. it IS a beautiful theater.

[charlene]

Gordon Lightfoot

When: Tonight, 8 p.m.

Where: Royal Theatre-Victoria BC - Oct.22,23-2014

Tickets: $99.50, $75.00, $49.50 rmts.bc.ca or by phone 250-386-6121

Gordon Lightfoot’s tour of the U.S. began in West Wendover, Nevada, a city he had yet to visit during his 40 years as a professional performer.

The date, held in what Lightfoot called a “majestic” casino, was full of fans, some of who travelled a great distance to see the living legend in concert. While some musicians might consider a city at an old U.S. Air Force base near the Utah border easy to skip, Lightfoot was delighted to play there for good reason.

West Wendover, and other cities like it, serve as key dates on his concert schedule now.

“We like to work every night as we go along,” Lightfoot said from his home in Toronto. “These casinos come in handy.”

Lightfoot’s run through the U.S. finished Oct. 4 in Portland, Oregon. Facing a few weeks off before his Canadian dates were set to begin, he left his gear and tour bus stationed in Oregon while he and his band and crew flew home to Toronto. Lightfoot sent for it to be picked up over the weekend, in time for the 17-date Canadian run, which began Tuesday in Nanaimo and continues tonight in Victoria.

“It’s a bit of a scramble, I can tell you that,” Lightfoot, 75, said of life as a touring musician. “But you get used to it.”

None of this is new to Lightfoot, a Canadian icon and one of the most revered folk singers of his generation. He has been playing music, in one capacity or another, since the early 1950s.

In 1952, he received what would become his big break, a school recording session and performance. His school principal at the time had purchased a lathe recorder that recorded audio directly to acetate. Knowing that Lightfoot was already singing in places around his hometown of Orillia, Ont., he requested a meeting with the budding folk singer.

“He called me down to his office one day and I thought I was in trouble for something,” Lightfoot recalled. “I started getting scared because he used to strap kids. I thought I was going to get the strap, but instead he asked me to make a record.”

Lightfoot sang Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That’s an Irish Lullaby) in the principal’s office, with a teacher accompanying him on piano. Lightfoot’s principal liked the performance so much he played it four days later, over the intercom, during parents’ day.

“I heard myself as I was walking down the hall with my parents,” Lightfoot said.

The young Lightfoot began playing shows around Orillia with his sister, Beverley, on piano, all because of his intercom appearance. “We gained quite a bit of ground with that one,” he said with a laugh. “People had me singing at weddings, and ladies’ clubs, and mens’ clubs, and the Lions Club — everything you could imagine.”

He has done everything imaginable in the decades since, from simultaneously topping the U.S. singles and album charts in 1971 to having his songs recorded by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand and Johnny Cash.

Even though he has lived in both Los Angeles and London, his name is synonymous with Toronto. He made his mark in the early 1960s during the coffeehouse boom and expanded upon that with nine hit records during a seven-year period. For that, he was awarded 16 Juno Awards between 1965 and and 1976.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t write new material these days, and hasn’t issued a new recording in well over a decade. Lightfoot has said all he wants to say. His final studio album for Warner Bros., 1998’s A Painter Passing Through, brought to a close a contract with the label that began in 1970. He made one more album independently, 2004’s Harmony, after a ruptured artery nearly killed him. With that, he closed the book on his recording career.

His current tour has given him a chance to revisit his canon. For him, the highlights each night are the songs that weren’t chart-toppers. “We probably didn’t play them right when we put them down [to tape] in the first place, but the potential was there,” he said. “But when you get out front of a crowd, and do them a few times, they start to work and get you the momentum you were looking for.”

Included among the songs that “didn’t feel right” at the time of recording is perhaps his biggest hit. “There are some things I recorded — of the 220 originals I’ve written — that I wish to heck I would have had the chance to do over again. And you want to know what one of them is? If You Could Read My Mind. I wish they would have given me one more shot with that one. I had a hell of a hangover.” Mistakes were made in life as in his career, Lightfoot admitted. He stopped drinking in 1982 (“It was ruining my life,” Lightfoot said) but his legend as a songwriter has carried him through. He is now folk-music royalty, with some of the highest-ranking fans one could ever hope to have.

In recent years, Bob Dylan and Neil Young have pledged their respect by covering Lightfoot originals in the studio and on stage. The thought of his peers paying respect is a point of pride for Lightfoot.

“I certainly love the attention, but it’s a mutual thing. Both of them have been idols of mine for years. After getting to meet these people and sort of becoming acquainted with them, it was interesting, because it was the result of them being interested in doing my songs. I appreciated that a great deal.”

mdevlin@timescolonist.com

- See more at: http://www.westender.com/folk-legend-gordon-lightfoot-launches-canadian-tour-1.1454828#sthash.pka11RaS.dpuf

[Lisa J]

On Thursday morning I boarded the ferry from washington and headed to Victoria, BC in the pouring rain. As we pulled into Victoria, the sun broke through and we on the boat were greeted with a beautfiul rainbow...a good sign! We had a glorious day enjoying the sights of Victoria in full autumn colors, then at 7 pm we, along with hundreds of others, entered the theatre. At 8 pm, we had an incredible introduction of Gordon by a local DJ, followed by the entrance of the band and Gord. The audience was fully appreciative of Gordon, much more so than I am used to in the States. Not that we aren't appreciative of him here, but the feel was different. Gordon belongs to Canada and it was heartening to be in the audience.
After a couple of songs, Gordon made mention of the sadness of the event in Ottowa, then he played a song for Canada, the Trilogy. well done.
I do not remember the order of the songs because I was too enthralled with the show. Gordon was in fine form, his voice was great and he was in a great mood. He told jokes, some I hadn't heard, but just as goofy as the ones he usually does. He played the usual songs we all love, such as Sundown, Beautiful and IYCRMM, but he also played
many older songs, and some of the minor songs from his albums that we fans all know, but rarely hear live. He played Don Quixote, All the Lovely Ladies, Restless, Drink Your Glasses Empty, Cotton Jenny, I'd Rather Press On, Drifters, and a wonderful rendition of Wild Strawberries. His voice was excellent for the evening and I must say it was one of the best shows I have seen.
Several of us waited to see Gordon after the show, but it was late and he had to get back to the hotel for the next day's travels. Meredith came out with her dog and talked with us a while. She was very sweet and seemed surprised that I knew who she was and that I had heard her sing. she and her dog entertained us for a while, then off she went into the night.
Since the camera cops were out if force, there are no pictures from my end. I got a few that I snuck on my cell phone, but none worth posting.
The show was wonderful, just a glorious evening. Thanks again to Char for letting me know about this concert so many months ago.

[Jim Nasium]

Is it me? The first image on the first post works, the rest do not!

[charlene]

I'm working on the picture problem..something weird is happening! lol... all post but all don't open... hmmm...

[charlene]

13 fabulous photos - click on pic to enlarge and see all photos - if photos here don't open click on the link to see them at the photographers website.
http://concertaddicts.com/media/photos/gordon-lightfoot-royal-theatre-october-23rd-2014

[T.G.]

Great pics. Looks like Rick got rid of that godawful ponytail finally LOL.

[charlene]

his hair is still long - he just doesn't have it tied up in an elastic..