Lightfoot at Ronnie Hawkins Concert

[T.G.]

Lightfoot made a brief appearance onstage at the Ronnie Hawkins concert at Hamilton's Festival of Friends Saturday night. He didn't perform, but came onstage to say hello.

[charlene]

I saw in yesterdays paper that Ronnie was in concert there. Gord sure gets around...lol..
I was surprised because Ronnie's not been feeling too good.
A Festival moment for the ages: Gordon Lightfoot joins his friend - and fellow legend - Ronnie Hawkins on stage.

http://www.ronniehawkins.com/

[charlene]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11...usaolp00000008

[T.G.]

Hawkins was sitting for the whole show and read from a large teleprompter. But what a backup band -- two guitarists, two keyboardists, two drummers, bass and a harmonica player. A cool jam on Hey, Bo Diddley to end the night.

[charlene]

He had sent word he wasn't coming at one point from what I heard but then was able to come.. He has been doing these sorts of shows for a while now-sitting and chatting, singing 4 or 5 tunes..bless his heart...
His son Robin was performing as well...
You know he'd have a great 'band' ! lol
Did you get any pics/video??

[charlene]

http://newseastwest.com/canadian-roc...own-the-skies/

By Lachman Balani

TORONTO: It was total nirvana at the Festival of Friends in Ancaster, Ontario, on August 9 when rock legend Ronnie Hawkins – he was popular in India in the 60s – came on stage dressed to the hilt in a tuxedo complete with bow-tie and broke into his song ‘Sick and Tired’.

“Man, is this for real? A rock king all dressed up to kill?’ exclaimed questioningly a very dressed down fan.

No matter the garb, this rock icon really socked it to the crowd punctuating his songs with anecdotes from the past.

Ronnie Hawkins is originally from Arkansas in the US and on the insistence of a friend came to Canada to seek his fortune. At his very first gig in the late 50s in Canada, he chuckled to the audience, “Only nine people were present and all left after our first song. However, another friend of mine promised to bus down 60 people for the next gig and sure enough 60 people showed up and that was the biggest crowd that club had seen since World War II!”

The rest is history as over the years Ronnie gained recognition for recruiting and grooming outstanding Canadian talent. The membership of his band, The Hawks, kept changing as the talent flowed in and out, but the name stayed the same.

One edition of The Hawks (with Canadians Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, and drummer Levon Helm) moved on to become Bob Dylan’s backup band and later achieved super-stardom as The Band, who were one of the 3 bands that played at America’s largest concert, Summer Jam, in 1973 at Watkins Glen, New York.

Another incarnation became Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band, and another Robbie Lane and the Disciples. Other famous Hawk alumni include David Clayton Thomas of Blood Sweat and Tears and fellow Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee Burton Cummings (of The Guess Who). There are innumerable more. It is said that former POTUS Bill Clinton’s (also from Arkansas) favourite musician was Ronnie Hawkins and he did indeed make reference to “my friend Bill Clinton.”

Ronnie and his ultra talented band (still called The Hawks) continued regaling the crowd with many timeless favourites, including ‘Mary Lou’ (that shot Ronnie to stardom originally), ‘Days Gone By’, ‘Forty Days’ and also including songs from Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, John Fogerty and The Band’s all time favourite , ‘The Weight’, with the storied lyrics ‘you put the load right on me…’

At one point of the concert, the festival pulled a surprise as another great Canadian legend, billed internationally as Canada’s greatest songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, came up on stage briefly to join Canada’s greatest rock mentor, Ronnie.

“Man, you think we can get a better moment than this!?! Two Canadian granddaddies on one stage!!!” a fan burst out.

Well, the real über moment came when Ronnie and his band came out for an encore and treated the enthusiastic crowd to an overwhelming rendition of one of the greatest rock anthems of all time -‘Who Do You Love?’ The crowd went wild and joined in singing and dancing like nobody was watching.

This was it! Ronnie and The Hawks brought down the night shrouded skies with that one!

- See more at: http://newseastwest.com/canadian-roc....FP3EfqrO.dpuf

[T.G.]

Originally Posted by charlene

He had sent word he wasn't coming at one point from what I heard but then was able to come.. He has been doing these sorts of shows for a while now-sitting and chatting, singing 4 or 5 tunes..bless his heart...
His son Robin was performing as well...
You know he'd have a great 'band' ! lol
Did you get any pics/video??

Ah, unfortunately I didn't bring a camera. I actually had never seen Hawkins live and figured what good would an octogenarian be? I certainly didn't expect Lightfoot to make an appearance. Wrong on both counts LOL.

[T.G.]

Gordon Lightfoot Surprise Appearance with Ronnie...

Gordon Lightfoot wailing on guitar with Ronnie...

[charlene]

at youtube: Mike Eastman3 hours ago

That's me on guitar. Gordon Lightfoot doesn't play lead guitar!

[jj]

Cool TG. Did you ever attend when it was at Gage?

[T.G.]

Originally Posted by charlene

at youtube: Mike Eastman3 hours ago

That's me on guitar. Gordon Lightfoot doesn't play lead guitar!

That was riotously funny!

[T.G.]

Originally Posted by jj

Cool TG. Did you ever attend when it was at Gage?

I did and I remember a Lightfoot tribute by several folk artists at that time. I have to say, Loren Lieberman has really gutted the spirit of the event and it's become just another corporatized mass festival with lots of T-shirt and sunglass vendors, etc. The kicker is a house of horrors where they were flashing bloody body parts on a big screen to passersby. Geez.

[jj]

yeah, that's what i'm hearing TG, but i guess the new Ancaster and local blood doesnt have anything to compare it to… i hope This Is Your Festival still has the spirit… speaking of folk artists, did you ever see the Burchill tribute? with Shawn Trotter helping out so nicely? this was 2004 and the first "concert" I took my kid to… he was 4 months old, lol … i rated the camera on the baby carrier thingie, great tripod

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dSO...LQU3w2n3w2IlpA

[jj]

i thought that Loren said that Ronnie has specials guestS joining him on stage… i figured multiple and also figure it would be a musical joining, not just a quick wave (and whatever Gord said into the mic) … it's about 2 minutes into this video I watched before the event and had me consider making the trek to the new fairgrounds (which lacks in the atmosphere I seek) http://www.chch.com/matt-hayes-checks-festival-friends/ ….BUT see to see Gordon going out of his way to keep visible everywhere and to support the Hawk too … i think I would have enjoyed Pam Tillis … i wouldn't have got too excited over Emmanuel Lewis cameo …cheers and thanks for the first hand account…thanks for article and pic, char

[T.G.]

Originally Posted by jj

yeah, that's what i'm hearing TG, but i guess the new Ancaster and local blood doesnt have anything to compare it to… i hope This Is Your Festival still has the spirit… speaking of folk artists, did you ever see the Burchill tribute? with Shawn Trotter helping out so nicely? this was 2004 and the first "concert" I took my kid to… he was 4 months old, lol … i rated the camera on the baby carrier thingie, great tripod

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dSO...LQU3w2n3w2IlpA

It's Your Festival does have a lot less of the corporate/T-shirt/sunglasses atmosphere yes ... community groups from various cultures getting together with some good food and entertainment. I haven't had the good fortune to see the Burchill tribute ...

[T.G.]

Originally Posted by jj

i thought that Loren said that Ronnie has specials guestS joining him on stage… i figured multiple and also figure it would be a musical joining, not just a quick wave (and whatever Gord said into the mic) … it's about 2 minutes into this video I watched before the event and had me consider making the trek to the new fairgrounds (which lacks in the atmosphere I seek) http://www.chch.com/matt-hayes-checks-festival-friends/ ….BUT see to see Gordon going out of his way to keep visible everywhere and to support the Hawk too … i think I would have enjoyed Pam Tillis … i wouldn't have got too excited over Emmanuel Lewis cameo …cheers and thanks for the first hand account…thanks for article and pic, char

Actually there were several other guests on stage, whose names escape me at the moment, and they actually performed whereas Gord just said hello.

By the way, if anyone's out Ajax way on Saturday, I'll be playing "Great Songs of the 60s and 70s" at an anniversary bash for the Symposium Cafe and Restaurant, 338 Rossland Rd. E., from 4 - 9 p.m., probably on the patio if the weather's good. There'll be a good dose of Lightfoot (or at least my take on his music ).

[jj]

all the best with the gig, Tony! ..that's not far from char… you are likely already doing sound check, but i wondered if you use recorded tracks (iPad?) and/or played guitar or keys or bass or what?

i've not heard of that chain, but it looks classy and that's probably why, lol…. perfect fit for you…you are always best dressed at the pub jams… break a leg!

[charlene]

Mariel Hemingway introduced Ronnie:

[T.G.]

Originally Posted by jj

all the best with the gig, Tony! ..that's not far from char… you are likely already doing sound check, but i wondered if you use recorded tracks (iPad?) and/or played guitar or keys or bass or what?

i've not heard of that chain, but it looks classy and that's probably why, lol…. perfect fit for you…you are always best dressed at the pub jams… break a leg!

I don't have recorded tracks as yet, so just used guitar and voice. Had a keyboard on hand, but couldn't use it as there wasn't enough room.

It turned into a six-hour show with encores, etc. so needless to say, I'm pretty exhausted LOL But had a great time, the staff were very nice and listeners seemed to enjoy themselves.

[jj]

TERRIFIC stuff, Tony! …wow, what stamina … what a catalogue you must tackle

i didnt even realize that we had that restaurant chain in town, but when i went out to golf the other night, their sign was on the board as I approached (i guess they had just had their event this week)

hey, I was in the Hammer yesterday and stopped by the original Tim Horton site (now gone, reno for the new museum) and good old Gage… why would anyone move an event from that green space? I relived a few memories

[T.G.]

Don't know, there was a big ruckus when they renovated Store #1 awhile back; many thought it should have been left in its original state for historical purposes. Oh well, they've torn down so much in this town, what's one more ...

I hear a Joni Mitchell song coming on LOL

[jj]

lol…yes, perfect…. Joni 2014

"They took all the coffee beans
Put 'em in a Tim's museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to brew 'em"

I can't call that Store#1 a reno, not when there is nothing at all on that poor site except dirt and big trucks … I had thought they were just redoing the inside to make it look like it did decades ago, and then adding on a museum section

that lawn in front of the Gage bandshell, sure would be a big paving job if they wanted to make it into a parking lot!

[jj]

photos don't seem to load… have to click on the ?

[johnfowles]

sample screenshot from one of the YouTube videos shown below


see below the attachment does not appear, despite such niceties functioning earlier in this very thread