awesome concert-best of 3 I was at!
http://www.calgaryherald.com/enterta...698/story.html
Gordon Lightfoot, shown in concert in Edmonton on Friday, offered few surprises during his nostalgic show at the Jubilee Auditorium.
Photograph by: Larry Wong, Postmedia News, Calgary Herald
Review
Gordon Lightfoot played the Jubilee Auditorium on Monday night. Attendance: 2,300
It's unlikely many of the 2,300 who came to see Gordon Lightfoot on Monday night at the Jubilee Auditorium were unfamiliar with the iconic songwriter's canon of work.
But if there happened to be some uninitiated present, they may have been a tad perplexed at the distinctions Lightfoot himself pointed out from song to song. The appropriately titled Beautiful, for instance, was "as ethereal as we can get for this half," he said with a grin.
Prior to that, when launching into a similarly sublime 14 Karat Gold, he announced it was time to change the pace. A Painter Passing Through apparently required a good deal of adrenalin.
The lilting, fragile Ringneck Loon, he said, was something "different.' Lightfoot, the man behind a seemingly endless supply of gorgeous songs, is a lot of things.
He is purveyor of perfect, subtle melody. A poet of economy and craft and one of Bob Dylan's favourite songsmiths.
But he doesn't offer a whole lot of variety, except perhaps to those who possess the most discerning of ears.
Of course, those going to a Lightfoot show these days aren't really expecting the unexpected. This is an artist who hasn't released a new song since 2004 and his shows have become quiet, reverent odes to an astonishing collection of work, not journeys into new frontiers.
Sporting a bright red blazer (at least for the first half) backed by a tasteful band and lighting that at times made him look like he was playing in front of a church's giant stained-glass windows, Lightfoot trotted out his favourites like your friendly great uncle.
Opening with the soft, shuffling Sweet Guinevere, Lightfoot showed early on that while his voice may not be quite as hearty as it once was, it can occasionally offer a new, heartbreaking weariness.
Not unlike latecareer Johnny Cash or Levon Helm's recent work, Lightfoot's vocals can at times seem like a ghost of their past richness, but there's also an added gravity there that has come with age.
More importantly, he still knows how to wrap that baritone around those classic melodies: Carefree Highway, Rainy Day People, Ribbon of Darkness, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Don Quixote, Early Morning Rain and, particularly, If You Could Read My Mind.
While he may be able to sing these songs in his sleep, the results can still be quietly mesmerizing.
The show wasn't completely free of surprises. A run through pal Ian Tyson's Red Velvet was an offbeat treat. He revealed that the relatively lively Baby Step Back was inspired by a close encounter with Al Green.
And, not surprisingly, Alberta Bound seemed to generate the most passion from the often sleepy crowd - even inspiring a soft, clap-along.
Granted, there was the odd time when age did seem to creep in.
Sundown still packs a wallop, even when Lightfoot appeared to be whispering the lyrics. But it certainly missed that trademark snarl.
You could imagine the bluesy Hangdog Hotel Room as generating some serious heat at one time, but Monday night it just padded along politely.
No matter. Lightfoot delivered what was promised.
Most of his hits were covered. The audience left happy and no doubt nostalgic.
After he unleashed the sole encore, Blackberry Wine, they could have left the building humming any number of tunes.
evolmers@calgaryherald.com
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