Lightfoot in Peterborough - Aug.11-01 part 3

[charlene]

Good morning to all!
lol
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO tired!
Bedtime was 3 a.m. and I got a full two hours sleep between then and 7:30 when I got up with the Rosatis a moment ago.
Danno and the girls have just left to head home, Kenyon is sleeping on the couch and David, Lisa and Darryl are in bed.
It was a GREAT day and night here in Gordland!
The weather was glorious - not too hot, no humidity and bright blue skies.

Kenyon took the GO train from Toronto and David picked him up at 3:15. Danno and his crew left Hamburg at 11:15 a.m. but due to an internet map site telling him to take the highway right through Toronto and along the lakefront and then the Don Valley Parkway - WHICH WAS CLOSED northbound, he was slightly delayed in getting to Whitby. He also had a 40 minute wait at the border due to heavy traffic. He arrived at 4:30 or so and we all headed out with fold-up chairs, blankets, snacks, cameras etc. in his wife's Big Red Bus. Lisa came along with us and was glad for the company of the two lovely blonde Rosati girls. Lots of giggles going on. David drove and Kenyon was co-pilot in charge of Lightfoot CD selections.

Peterborough is east and slightly north of Toronto (and Whitby) and it took about an hour to get to del Crary Park on Little Lake in downtown Peterborough. The area around there is known as the Kawarthas and is one of Ontario's major cottage countries. There is also Haliburton and Muskoka north of Toronto and around Georgian Bay. The Kawarthas is a rolling countryside of beautiful trees in large lush forests and small farms dotting the landscape as opposed to the other areas where the Canadian Shield is visible and the bare rock face creates a very different landscape. Peterborough has also been the home of Ronnie Hawkins for many, many years. He lives on a beautiful piece of property and has turned his huge old home into a B & B.

When we arrived in Peterborough and parked the car we were told that people had started filling in the lawn area at noon. It was now just after 6! We walked ten minutes to the park and couldn't believe how many people were filling the lawn. We sat to the left of the stage quite a distance away but where we could view the trailers and bus where Gord and the band were. Kenyon, Dan and I headed over and I got a note to Barry who was standing behind some fencing. I was requesting Sit Down Young Stranger for the "Net" people who were there today along with our names and hometowns. Barry read it and took it into the trailer and gave it to Gord. When he came out I waved and called him and he recognized me it seemed because he came past the fence to the three of us and we introduced ourselves and he said he remembered us. He thanked Kenyon for the article he wrote in a small local Toronto paper in May. We chatted about the two shows on Friday and Thursday nights and how it looks like it could be this spring that the final 4 are put on CD! Warner Bros. records seems to be on board with the idea nowand Barry was optimistic that it's going to happen. He also mentioned Gord is writing more new songs for a new album that will be out in a "couple of years." We didn't ask about these things, he offered that info! He said Gord was busy with "people" in his trailer but he did give him my note, so we headed back to our seats.

When we got back we looked over and out behind the trailer where Barry couldn't see him was Gord talking to fans! LOL !! Needless to say we headed back! There was a crowd of about 30 and he was signing stuff and chatting with everyone. The Festival people came out and gave him an official "Festival of Lights 2001" shirt and had some stuff signed as well. Shortly after that Gord said he had to get in and fine tune his guitars. Barry Keane was standing around so we went and talked with him. He's a lovely man. The night before they had seen Pee Wee at the concert near his hometown and we talked about the different sound with Mike Heffernan in the band. Terry was off in the back in a black tank top and shorts
and waved to us when we called his name. Mike walked by and said Hi as well. We were going to head back to our seats when Gord came back out! He only chatted for a few moments with one woman but he saw my picture of the two of us in May that I was holding and came over and signed it for me and then headed back into his trailer. His manager, Bernie Fiedler was there only as an observer Barry Harvey said, and he was chatting with some old friends who had come in from their cottage. One of the Festival guys showed him a framed picture they were going to present to Gord on stage just before the show started. It was a collage image of some of the performers at this years festival. Barry also mentioned they had been trying to get Gord to come for many years. This was mentioned by the emcee and he also mentioned that one particular old-timer on the committee was the reason Gord finally came. We went and sat down and the Saint had come back with pizza for us! Gord was introduced and presented with the picture to a standing ovation and then he left for a few moments and was formally introduced again. This time the band filed out and then Gord took the stage.

In the middle of typing this Kenyon has arisen and been fed and David is taking him to catch the GO train back to Toronto. That is one nice young man. He heads to Vancouver in 3 weeks to attend University but will be heading to Seattle to see Gord when he's there and Barry said he was looking forward to seeing him then.

While we were waiting for Gord there was a fellow with a convention shirt but we didn't recognize him. When Gord had signed it he turned around and saw Dan standing there with his Massey 2001 shirt on. We said Hi and introduced ourselves. He said he posts once in a while, lives in Toronto but didn't attend the convention. His name was Walter.

I am going back to bed now and will continue this when I wake up. Hopefully it will still be Sunday.
TTFN.
Char

[charlene]

Well I certainly feel better!
3 1/2 hours more sleep leaves me enough energy to finish this up I think!
lol
On with the show.....
Gord came out in his teal green/blue short sleeved shirt and new blue jeans to a standing ovation and began what Barry said earlier would be the first of two one hour sets with a break in the middle instead of one 90 minute set. They had talked about it earlier and Barry said he suggested two sets but until earlier that day Gord was doing 90 minutes. Then GORD suggested the two set arrangement! LOL! The one thing they were taking into consideration was that the boats in the parade and the fire works were set for approximately 9:45 after the show. He had a black T-shirt and black pants on for Set Two. Dan helped with the set list and Kenyon wandered around snapping pics. During the whole concert people were up and down and walking around which made me slightly crazy. It was a free concert so a lot of folks were there for a night out and some come in from their cottages for free entertainment on Wednesdays as well. For the most part judging by the age demographics people were Lightfoot fans but mostly back in his days of glory.

When he started and for most of the whole first set the sound was low and it seemed like our side was picking up mostly Gord and his guitar. I rather enjoyed that myself but folks 20 rows back were yelling "louder". When he broke for intermission someone announced they would fix the sound and the second half was louder but not annoyingly so. I would estimate there were between 5-6,000 people, possibly more. Across the street from the park was an apartment building that was about 5 stories high and had glass front balconies and people were sitting there enjoying the show. The top floor was a roof top garden area and folks were sitting there as well. Gord started just after 8 and ended at around 10:10 p.m.

SET ONE
1. Sea of Tranquility
2. Don Quixote
3. Never Too Close
4. In My Fashion
5. Beautiful
6. Forgive Me Lord
7. Sundown
8. Carefree Highway
9. Christian Island
10.Boathouse
11.Ribbon of Darkness
12.Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald
13.Alberta Bound

20 minute intermission

SET TWO
14.Waiting For you
15.Blackberry Wine
16.Let It Ride
17.No Hotel
18.If You Could Read My Mind
19.A Painter Passing Through
20.Early Morning Rain
21.Restless
22.Baby Step Back
23.Canadian Railroad Trilogy

ENCORE

24.Old Dan's Records

He talked about writing In My Fashion way back and so long ago it was the dark ages. He did Christian Island and Boathouse for the folks in cottage country who travel the Trent-Severn waterway from there all the way to Georgian Bay where there are some beautiful islands. He mentioned he had thought of a new name for Las Vegas - Lust Vegas and when he's out there in a few weeks he's looking forward to seeing if it's true. LOL! He told everyone if they saw The Hawk (Ronnie Hawkins) walking around town to say hi for him. He brought up the times he played in Peterborough at the Empress Hotel in town. He introduced Early Morning Rain as the song that bought the farm for him. The band seemed really relaxed and Gord sounded a bit tired on a few songs. He seemed to me to look even thinner than he was in May but he was his usual animated self when he was talking to people.

It was a beautiful evening to sit outside and revel in the glorious sky full of sparkling stars, feel the cool breeze off Little Lake and listen to the musical poetry of Gordon Lightfoot with family and new friends.
It doesn't get any better.
Or so you'd think......

[charlene]

We packed up our chairs, coolers and blankets and headed out to the van for the ride home. On our way we stopped along the ramp area to the highway and watched some of the fireworks in the distance over the lake. The sky was jet black and our view was framed by some beautiful trees. We listened to more Lightfoot and talked all the way home. Kenyon seemed really tired as did the girls. We got back to Whitby around 11:15 and sat around talking. Dan asked Kenyon to play some tunes for us so we then had another wonderful concert! David got out his guitar and played along and Dan provided back-up vocals. The girls watched for a while and Darryl even came down to listen and strum his guitar. He showed Kenyon some of his "stuff"! LOL After a bit of time the girls decided to go for a swim. It was after 1 a.m.!! David went to bed around 1:45 but Dan, Kenyon and I were up until 2:45! The girls got out of the pool and ready for bed. I made up beds for everyone and by the time we hit the hay it was 3a.m.!!! Dan and the girls were planning on leaving by 8 a.m. to head back to Hamburg for a family get together for his wife Nanci's birthday. Happy Birthday Nanci AND Ed!! It was great to listen to Kenyon - I didn't get much of a chance in May to just sit back and enjoy the wonderful music provided by our talented friends.
Kenyon was also getting up early - 8:30 to head back to Toronto to attend a company picnic today. Even as tired as he was he sounded terrific and we were willing to listen all night!

It was a magnificent afternoon, evening and night and we wish you all could have been here.

Char

[catmanron]

Thankyou Char.

I just love your Concert reviews / travelogues. The only thing missing was a report on the content of the Cooler, and the number of Mozzies, or does the City of Peterborough have that problem under control.

Thankyou for this report its and very much appreciated by those who cannot attend these events.

Keep Smiling Ron

[BILLW]

Char,

I second Ron's emotion! Your reviews are great. (and after taking my 9 yr old and her girlfriend to *NSYNC last night in DC reading all three installments was a needed dose of reality....)

Bill

[charlene]

Ron - there were no alcoholic beverages in the cooler!
lol
This is ONTARIO and that sort of thing isn't allowed in public parks!
And I'm a law-abiding citizen!
lol
Char

[catmanron]

Gosh !! Char..
That just blew a couple of my perceptions ( forgetting the law abiding bit.. lol )

I always thought that Ontario was a civilised place !!!.

What better on a warm summer evening than a nicely chilled bottle of Savignon Blanc, Gords Music, the stars and giant Ontario Mozzies.

P.S. it was pretty sad that you couldn't talk in the Chat Room on Friday night. But it was very interesting listening to Jerri's stories from the '60s. ( some amazing people appear in the Chat Room well worth a visit on Friday night or Sunday arvo. )

See you all soon

Keep Smiling Ron.

I am glad I found this page for Gordon Lightfoot, I was amoungst the 15,000 at the Peterborough Festival of Lights, came from Kingston with my husband and my daughter, who celebrated her 11th birthday this evening, in this setting, how very lucky she will realize she was!! Gordon Lightfoot, Canada's treasure, WAS simply amazing! Sounding as remarkable as ever.
tb

I wish more people would describe their concerts like this. I'll be danged if I didn't enjoy reading this .

...just thought I'd bring this up to the top of the board so everyone could read it...

I 3rd Catramons emotion! Reading this makes me want to visit a concert myself. I just hope they'll have food their because for some strange reason it makes me hungry too. If I go to heaven there will be lots of GL concerts!!! because a GL concert with good food pretty much IS heaven!!!

[Janice]

quote:Originally posted by DMD3:
I wish more people would describe their concerts like this. I'll be danged if I didn't enjoy reading this .

Yeah, Char does an awesome job of painting a picture and making you feel like you were sitting right there beside her - seeing what she saw, hearing what she heard. You should check out the archives for other reviews she has posted. You would enjoy them as well

Janice

[charlene]

pics -