Hi everyone,
We too were at the concert last night. I bought tickets the minute they went on sale, so were most fortunate to be 5 rows from the stage. We've never been that close before, and we really enjoyed the experience.
Don's review is excellent. We too were surprised that he never introduced the band. I didn't have a sense "they all couldn't wait to get out." Obviously they have done all the songs a million times. The band may have looked a little bored, but Gord was in his glory all night. He commented "we do our best work live" and he clearly was having a great time.
Gord's voice was thin at the start. He missed a few notes in Spanish Moss. He really got going with a terrific rendition of In My Fashion.
As Don noted, somehow he forgot the words or where he was in Sundown. Everyone was singing along, and he just lost his place. He handled it was grace and a good laugh.
They seemed to have some equipment problems, which may have been most evident to us in front. The bass was all over the place. Gord had trouble with the microphone during Wreck, and some feedback cropped up when he tried to adjust the microphone. It was kind of fun to watch him deal with stuff like that, but it did nothing to diminish our enjoyment of the evening.
Gord made a funny comment before CRT. He said "I can't do the high notes, so I'll just fake it." That got a good laugh. Even better, I did not hear one person clap during the magnificent pause at the end of CRT. That is a first in the 10 or so concerts we've attended over 30 years.
The crowd was, well, old and white. I felt like a kid at 50, but I never mind that feeling! As Don indicated, the crowd was quiet at first. It warmed through the show, and was really into the second set. The show ended with a standing ovation.
As you see in the set list, he did a wonderful cross section of music spanning his career. Each set lasted about 50 minutes. The voice may not be what it was in the 70's, but his stage presence is as entertaining as always. Gord loves what he does. He seems almost shy on stage, but we could see the fire burns as strong as always in his heart. In many ways this was our best concert, and I can't wait until we see him again!
