Gordon Lightfoot Forums - SPRINGFIELD MA pics-review

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Gordon Lightfoot makes grand return to Symphony Hall

By Ray Kelly | rkelly@repub.com

on May 12, 2017 at 11:11 PM, updated May 12, 2017 at 11:27 PM

Gordon Lightfoot returned to Springfield on Friday night for his first concert at Symphony Hall in 30 years.

Lightfoot received a warm greeting from the 1,000 concert-goers and acknowledged it was his first time back in Springfield since a 1994 show at the Paramount Theatre. He said he last played Symphony Hall in 1987.

The Canadian singer-songwriter kicked off his two-hour show with "Now and Then" from his 1975 album "Cold on the Shoulder."

At first, the 78-year-old Lightfoot seemed to struggle with the vocals, but his voice improved a few numbers into his 26-song set.

Backed by his longtime touring band, Lightfoot divided the night into two 50-minute sets.

Among the gems offered during the first half of the night were "Beautiful," "Much to My Surprise" and "Did She Mention My Name."

As he did at a performance at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton last September, Lightfoot maddeningly chose to perform an abridged version of one his greatest songs, "Carefree Highway."

He closed out the first set with the classic radio-hit "Sundown."

After a 20-minute intermission, Lightfoot returned for a dozen more tunes beginning with "The Pony Man" from his 1970 album "Sit Down Stranger."

Standout numbers in the second set were the sea shanty "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," the haunting "If You Could Read My Mind" and the toe-tapping "Baby Step Back."

He brought the night to a close with "Early Mornin' Rain," which appeared on his 1966 debut album "Lightfoot!" It was twice covered by Elvis Presley, first on the 1972 album "Elvis Now" and again on the posthumous release "Mahalo from Elvis."

Lightfoot returned to the Symphony Hall stage for a single encore, "Rainy Day People," amid calls from the audience for more.

Hopefully, it will not take another 30 years for Lightfoot to return.