Can't remember the last time I posted here, so I hope I'm doing this right!
The Florida shows were really fun, and I'm so glad I decided to join my friends for the great adventure. The Tampa show was so full of energy. I don't remember the last time I saw Gord and the band so enthusiastic. Lots of fun moments, many of which have already been written about here. I, for one, had never seen Gord do a solo number in any of the concerts I've attended, and I've attended quite a few. So the solo "I'll Tag Along" to open the second set was incredibly special to me. Not only is the song one of my favorites, but Gord did an absolutely superb job of it - complete with some almost flawless fingerpicking that certainly set the record straight about his ability to still be able to do that. Not only have I loved Gord's music for more years than I care to admit, but I've always been fascinated watching his fingers make the strings on that D-18 sound so beautiful. I've spent years trying to copy him and, sadly, continue to fall short of that smooth, rhythmic pattern that he mastered long ago.
It was also great to hear some seldom-heard songs brought out of the vault. I'd read that "Pony Man" and "If Children Had Wings" had been brought into the mix this year, and was thrilled at the thought of hearing those in Florida. While "Pony Man" was left out of the two shows I attended, "Children" was included in both of them, and was absolutely beautiful. It's not an easy song to sing, with the first 2 lines of the chorus reaching up high and requiring some vocal strength in the way the notes move up and down the scale in an almost classically operatic way. Gord did an awesome job singing it. What a treat to hear that one. As I think about it, I don't believe I've ever heard that one in concert.
Another wonderful treat in Tampa was one I don't believe anyone here has mentioned. (If I'm mistaken about that, please forgive me!) We've grown accustomed to the usual encores, ODR, CRT, EMR, Blackberry. But on this night, when Gord and the guys returned to the stage after thunderous applause, Gord picked up the D-18 and did "Song For a Winter's Night" to my total surprise and sheer delight! That one has always been on my Top 10 list and I haven't heard Gord do it in quite a while. It was beautiful, and Gord's voice accompanied by those soft bells behind him was breathtaking.
Thanks for enduring a long ramble from a rare poster! It's fun to read all the things you guys have posted as this tour has gotten underway. I'm so thrilled that Gord has continued with his "Ever Onward" philosophy and is still out there giving us his wonderful music. As I write this, I realize that the first concert of his I ever attended was 30 years ago tonight. Wow.
Thank you, Gord, for all the wonderful memories - and all the music still to come.
Ever onward!
Melissa in Austin, TX