Gordon In Cedar Rapids
 

This is our impression of the night:

First time in downtown Cedar Rapids since the devastating flood of 2008.
The Paramount Theatre had 10’ of water up to and over the stage and now they restored it to a beautiful showplace. It’s just beautiful what they did to it.

We went up there and met a friend of ours Darla that we haven’t seen since 2009 where we met her at a Gordon Lightfoot concert in Davenport at the Alder Theatre. It was extremely cold then.

We’ve been corresponding with each other via email and Facebook. We were able to get meet and greet/back stage passes.

Outside the theater waiting to get in we ran into a Local Quad City TV Meteorologist Erik Maitland in our Hometown. He made a trip to Cedar Rapids to see Gordon for the first time. We were able to get him back stage to meet Gordon and he was totally thrilled. Erik wrote a thesis when he was in college largely based on The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald. A meteorological thesis on the weather’s impact of the sinking of the Fitz and how improved weather forecasting could prevent this from happening again. Erik would love to send a copy of his thesis to Gordon so it could be autographed. I told him that should be no problem.

Gordon came out and took a bow and announced, “I’m Gordon Lightfoot and the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” and with Hal Holbrook being here tomorrow night 3/22
doing Mark Twain. Mark Twain first used this statement back in 1897, when he was reported to have died.

Gordon sounded great and the band was phenomenal.
3/21/2014 Gordon Lightfoot’s Song Set List at the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids:
1. The Watchman’s Gone
2. Waiting for You
3. 14 Karat Gold
4. Rather press on
5. Painter Passing Through
6. Christian Island
7. Rainy Day People
8. Shadows
9. Beautiful
10. Carefree Highway
11. Cotton Jenny
12. Ribbon of Darkness
13. Sundown
14. Sweet Guinevere
15. The Fitz 16 Never too Close
17 All the Lovely Ladies 18 Clouds of Loneliness
19 Wild Strawberries . 20 Let it Ride
21 Minstrel of the Dawn
20. If You Could Read My Mind 21 Restless
22 Baby Step Back
23. Canadian Railroad Trilogy
24. Song for the Winters night
Carter was outstanding as usual. He got several prolonged applause after his solos during Sundown, Baby Step Back. He has added his very special touches to Gordon’s music.
Red Shea was great, Terry Clements was outstanding, but Carter is truly wonderful also.

We were seated in the balcony. We had a different view and we were able to watch Rick, Mike and Barry and saw all the details they do that we never saw before. In Restless, it was fascinating to watch Barry play the chimes, the block, the shaker, the triangle, the drums, he was constantly changing his sounds without missing a beat and dropping anything.

The spotlight they used has changed in recognizing whoever plays the solo in various songs. It’s nice to see the band get the recognition they have so longed deserved.

It was a wonderful and memorable evening. Not too many pictures as the camera police were very active in our section.