Jennifer's report:
When the first part of the 2015 tour was announced, I was very tempted by the March 15 show in Kalamazoo, my hometown. But driving in this part of the world is very iffy in mid-March, so I opted for the Green Bay show only, as it is much closer to where I live now. None of us would ever wish anything but the best for Gordon, but when the shows had to be rescheduled because of his illness and the new date for Kalamazoo just happened to be during the week I was planning to visit my mother anyway....it was very fortuitous for me. And, I still get to see him in Green Bay in November.
My childhood friend Bess picked me up at 6 and we headed out for dinner and the show. There was an event called Girls on the Go that was happening as we got close to the State Theatre - a 5K run for preteen girls that had several streets blocked off. Fortunately Bess still lives in town and navigated us to a parking ramp just down the street from the Theatre.
The State Theatre is a lovely old structure that was a movie theatre in a previous life. Bess and I though that perhaps it was the same place where we went to see The Sound of Music almost 50 years ago. It may not have been, but still a wonderful memory.
The band strode onstage right at 7:30. Gordon got a very warm welcome, and he launched right into the first song, Now and Then. His voice was a little weak during the first few lines, but warmed up quickly, we were sitting next to a man and woman who love his music but were seeing him live for he first time. I explained that his voice now is different than on his records, and takes a bit of getting used to. I thought he sounded very good; they left at intermission
He was less talkative than some times I have seen him (last night was show #19), but mentioned that his two 12-strings were both made in Kalamazoo. As he was introducing The Wreck, he mentioned that the tune was an old Irish dirge that had been rattling around in his head. He also said that without the song, the men would have been forgotten. Very true, but I don't think I had ever heard him say that before.
During Carefree Highway, after the line I wonder how the old folks are tonight, a man called out "We're all here!"
The band sounded great, Carter is doing some very subtle things during Restless and Never Too Close that were sublime.
Gordon drank water frequently between songs and bent over to clear his sinuses several times. I hope he can keep his strength up for the rest of the tour.
I am so thankful that I got to see him again in my hometown, where my love for him started more than 40 years ago. That I got to see him with my forever friend Bess. That I got to meet my Facebook friend Beth, and liked her even more than I expected to. And that I wore white pants to a Mexican restaurant before the show, and lived to tell the tale.