HAMILTON-HamiltonPlace-May 7-2014-setlist-pics and video

[charlene]

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/45...-up-the-stage/
Lightfoot lights up the stage
Gordon Lightfoot

Kaz Novak,The Hamilton Spectator

Music legend Gordon Lightfoot, beloved by fans around the world, on Wednesday night felt the love only Hamilton can give. He performed his enduring brand of music before an adoring crowd at Hamilton Place.
By Amy Kenny

Christmas came in spring for Andrew Clarke, who received Gordon Lightfoot tickets from his wife Sarah Grill back in December.

The couple travelled to the city from outside Paris to see the singer play Hamilton Place Wednesday night.

Clarke, 44, is a long-time fan who said he was hooked from his first Lightfoot album.

"It's classic Canadian music," he said, noting the 75-year old musician's tunes always set the tone - whether for summer vacation, building a cottage (Lightfoot was the soundtrack to the construction of Grill's family cabin) or heading out on a road trip.

Those classic Canadian tunes got a big reception from the diverse crowd at Hamilton Place ("You look around and there is someone from every walk of life," Grill said, people-watching in the lobby before the show started).

"Nice to be back in Hamilton," Lightfoot told the audience after he and his four backing bandmates opened the show with Sweet Guinevere. "We all live in Toronto. We don't smoke crack cocaine."

He later joked about the number of bad songs he wrote before he started recording at Hamilton's Grant Avenue Studio.

Over the course of two sets of roughly 50 minutes each (a 20-minute intermission allowed the audience to grab a drink and Lightfoot to swap a cropped blue velvet jacket for its crimson counterpart), Lightfoot focused on the 70s era of his back catalogue.

Songs such as The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Sundown and Carefree Highway were highlights. He also played All the Lovely Ladies, Now and Then, Fine as Fine Can Be and If You Could Read My Mind, alternating them with 90s works including Restless, I'd Rather Press On, Wild Strawberries and A Painter Passing Through.

Between Baby Step Back, Drifters, Beautiful, Don Quixote, Cotton Jenny and Minstrel of the Dawn, the audience laughed, shouted out requests and generally enjoyed themselves, coaxing Lightfoot back to the stage for a single-song encore at 10 p.m.

"I'll surprise the heck out of you with this one," Lightfoot said before playing Rainy Day People from 1975's Cold on the Shoulder

With 15 Junos, five Grammy nominations and more than 50 years of touring under his belt, Lightfoot's voice isn't quite what it once was, but he's still legendary. Most people knew not to expect the rich warm baritone of decades past, but Hamilton Place was still packed with cheering fans.

Even Clarke, who had already seen Lightfoot a handful of times before Wednesday night, said he still hoped he might be able to bring his and Grill's 11-year old son out to his own first Lightfoot show someday soon.


akenny@thespec.com

905-526-2458 | @Amyatthespec

[charlene]

Hamilton Place-May 7,2014 - BEAUTIFUL -

BEAUTIFUL Hamilton Place - Gordon Lightfoot May7...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD9J...VgQ84WuKnjlYx5

[charlene]

Hamilton-Hamilton place-May 7,2014 - Band Intro and Don Quixote-

BandIntro Don Quixote Hamilton Place - Gordon...

[jj]

great stuff, char!

Sweet Guinevere is a new add isn't it?

[formerlylavender]

No, he played it a couple of times last year in PA. I think he actually opened with it.

[formerlylavender]

Just checked, yes he opened with it in Jim Thorpe, PA last October

[jj]

thanks Lisa, you've bang on as usual

i wondered if he might add something new for the 2014 tour…I'll keep watch

[charlene]

SHADOWS-Hamilton Place, Hamilton-May 7,2014

SHADOWS Hamilton Place - Gordon Lightfoot May7...

[charlene]

DRIFTERS - Hamilton PLace, Hamilton, May 7 - 2014

DRIFTERS Hamilton Place - Gordon Lightfoot May7...

[charlene]

CLOUDS of LONELINESS - Hamilton Place, Hamilton-May 7,2014

Clouds Of Loneliness Hamilton Place - Gordon...

[charlene]

http://www.liveinlimbo.com/2014/05/0...ml#prettyPhoto
BY TRENT RICHER CONCERT REVIEWS MAY 8, 2014
GORDON LIGHTFOOT AT HAMILTON PLACE

Photographs by Lee-Ann Richer.

Imagine being able to do something you love, at the age of 75, and bring so much happiness into so many hearts, all in one night! Well Canadian Icon singer/song writer Gordon Lightfoot will get that chance 85 times with his current 2014 tour schedule!

Over the course of Lightfoot’s career he has had greats like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Jr, Jerry Lee Lewis and Barbara Streisand (to mention a few) record his tunes. The international legend has been referred to as Canada’s greatest folk-rock songwriter and has shaped the sound of music of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

What a trip down memory lane! The first of two sets started off with the four band members entering the modest stage followed by the man everyone was there to see. He opened with “Sweet Guinevere”.

There was not a lot of talking between songs but if you wanted to take advantage of the humour and the stories you had to really listen. Lightfoot joked about all the bad songs he wrote. He said those songs happened in days before recording at Hamilton’s own Grant Avenue Studios.

He also told a story that while recording, Stompin’ Tom Connors poked his head into their studio and said, “That song sounds like a hit” after listening to only a few lines. Lightfoot said, “This was the song he heard”, and he started singing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

The audience was singing along and shouting out requests like they were at a friendly and intimate (but large!) coffee house. It would have been to your advantage if you were a true fan and knew all the lyrics as he was a bit hard to hear and understand. No one cared as many were singing out the lyrics!

There was a brief intermission so the audience could stretch their legs and Lightfoot traded his blue jacket for a flashy red one. All decked out with the snazzy white shoes, he returned to the stage with his band for another set. Everyone enjoyed ”Carefree Highway”, “If you Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown” but loved “Now and Then”, “All the Lovely Ladies”, Fine as Fine”, “A Painter Passing Through” and Wild Strawberries”. He told a joke referring to “I’d Rather Press On” just before the song, but it seemed the audience missed it or didn’t hear him.

Lightfoot says he changes his song list from night to night and from city to city. It keeps the band fresh! It also allows more “deep cuts” to be interchanged with the hits.

Other songs on the set list were, “Don Quixote”, “Baby Step Back”, “Drifters”, “Beautiful” and “Cotton Jenny”. The evening finished with Lightfoot returning to the stage for a single song encore. He said” I’ll surprise the heck out of you with this one” and started “Rain Day People” from his eleventh album, “Cold on the Shoulder” released in 1975.

On a final note I noticed that Mr. Lightfoot’s voice has matured and softened in his golden years. His songs are so instilled in us that our memory adds in the tone and power that was part of his more youthful voice. This is not a negative observation; things change in our lives as we age. I was pleasantly surprised that the melodies in his voice are still there.

While watching this concert I was thinking I hope I have half the stamina at his age. I walked away with some great memories and a feeling of happiness! I am proud Gordon Lightfoot is still delivering his stories, in song, to us.

Good work Gordon!

[charlene]

pics for your viewing pleasure - (pic of me with Gordon was under a wall light taken by BCFiedler-the worst place for photos!)

[charlene]

HAMILTON – Hamilton Place- Wednesday May 7, 2014
SETLIST
1. Sweet Guinevere
2. Cotton Jenny
3. Sea of Tranquility
4. Don Quixote
5. Minstrel of The Dawn
6. Clouds of Loneliness
7. Wild Strawberries
8. Christian Island
9. Shadows
10. Drifters
11. Beautiful
12. The Watchman’s Gone
13. The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald
14. Carefree Highway
BREAK
15. Now and Then
16. Ribbon of Darkness
17. Sundown
18. All The Lovely Ladies
19. I’d Rather Press On
20. Fine As Fine Can Be
21. Let It Ride
22. If You Could Read My Mind
23. Restless
24. Baby Step Back
25. Canadian Railroad Trilogy
ENCORE
26. Rainy Day People

[formerlylavender]

Thanks, jj. I hope he adds a new one to the rotation. I loved hearing SG, Home from the Forest and If children had wings live in concert over the past few years. They were highlights of the shows for me. I'll be heading to the Aston, PA show in July and it would be great if there was another "new" song to look forward to.

[jj]

yeah, L… he really has no reason to go outside of the pack of, maybe 3 dozen, songs the guys have rotated the past decade or so, but it's nice for some of us to be lifted with a treat now and then… i think Now and Then was the last… a few years ago in an article, he did tease that he was gonna challenge the guys with Go Go Round … how about I'm Not Supposed to Care? it may be voice friendly

hey, char's pics are terrific as usual… and isn't this a wonderful photo?!

[joveski]

maybe it was a dream, but i was looking at corfid recently and saw Only love would know got played.... maybe i was dreaming

[jj]

yeah, i recall that… i think char relayed that from someone else's review of the perceived setlist that night…I'm not sure what tune they confused it with

i wonder if Barry would play that percussion part or if it's sequenced/looped…like on Flying Blind… he doesnt join Gord and Mike for the percussion on the live version of Drink Your Glasses Empty

anyhow, Gord has played OLWK live but nobody seems to have a recording

[jj]

Originally Posted by joveski

Only love would know

"what can i say, that's just a good song"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9gr6JKb-Iw

[formerlylavender]

That's a great cover. I like OLWK too - might be hard for Gord to do that one now though, vocals wise. I'm Not supposed to care would be a contender for a new one in the rotation, I agree. I forgot to mention Now and Then as one I was thrilled to hear live.

That picture is a great one jj. It reminds me that it's a little over two months until my next show And thanks to Char for all the great pics/setlist etc.

[joveski]

good additions would be I'll tag along, Sea of tranquility, On the high seas, Biscuit city or Somewhere USA.

ok, i wont breath for the Auctioneer again!.

i feel he's adjusted his current vocal style to suit lots of the older songs.

[charlene]

http://www.isopix.be/persfotos_photo...232921-st.aspx