Gordon Lightfoot Forums - MINNEAPOLIS,MN. June 20.2015

Fantastic! Gordon rebounds with a magnificent performance. He actually was better Saturday night than the last few times he was here. Whatever nasal and vocal difficulties that Gordon was experiencing in Mahnomen on Friday night were cured Saturday night in Minneapolis.

Hennepin Ave in downtown was awash in warm sunshine Saturday evening. Sidewalk cafes were packed and these new Pedal Pubs (16 customer drinking and pedaling in a makeshift vehicle) were snaking their way down the streets at the speed of an Amish wagon.

My wife and I had great seats. Second row of the balcony- front and center. Felt like royalty sitting in these box seats. Gordon came out promptly at 8:00 in his red velvet jacket. Here is the set list:

1) The Watchman's Gone
2) Waiting for You
3) Now and Then
4) Don Quixote
5) Minstrel of the Dawn
6) Make Way for the Lady
7) Let It Ride
8) I'd Rather Press On
9) Beautiful
10) Much to My Surprise
11) Carefree Highway
12) Did She Mention My Name
13) Ribbon of Darkness
14) Sundown
Intermission
15) Drink Yer Glasses Empty
16) Sweet Guinevere
17) Wreck of the E.F.
18) Drifters
19) Shadows
20) Rainy Day People
21) A Painter Passing Through
22) If You Could Read My Mind
23) Restless
24) Baby Step Back
25) Early Morning Rain
Encore
26) Cold on the Shoulder

The crowd was very responsive. Full house, very polite but firmly positive applause on nearly every song.

Before "Now and Then" and "I'd Rather Press On" he said that they had not dredged old material. He instead said that they had gone into the "catalog" of songs!

He joked about shortening some songs and said that unless you were familiar with his entire catalog, you probably wouldn't notice it. Wrong- I notice!

Before "Much to my Surpise" he asked the audience, "Did you ever write a song and not really know what it means?"

He said that he wrote "Drink Yer Glasses Empty" in 1991 and asked if the audience remembered what was going on that year. Flawless performance. He slightly modifies the lyrics- in verse 1 the last line was, "Kiss your wife and baby, we have other work for you."

He mentioned the 40-year anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald, all the interactions over the years with the crew's family, and the privilege of keeping the memory alive of this great ship.

When he grabbed the other 12-string, I thought "OK, his voice has been very good all night, we'll be getting Trilogy." Some fans began yelling out for "Trilogy" and "Cotton Jenny", but he said, "let's split the difference and do Early Morning Rain." He stood front and center, he started strumming the first few licks of "Trilogy" , then "Early Morning Rain." The audience was teased. He was clearly tempted, but opted to do "Early Morning Rain."

Loud applause- standing ovation. The guys came back and did a song that perhaps is life's simplest lesson and observation. "It's cold on the shoulder, and you know that you get a little older every day."

The current tour schedule indicates that I won't be able to see Gordon again this year. I hope there is a next time. But if there is not, he left me with one of the most pleasurable concerts I remember - and this was #67- going back to 1977.