I’m a newbie here, and I was thrilled to be directed to this thread. Thanks you RM! This was my first Gordon Lightfoot show, and my first concert in Red Rocks. I read all the comments, downloaded the show, and took my time finding the right time to listen to it from start to finish. With my ipod and headphones, I lay in bed and could almost see, smell, and feel like I was transported back in time. For GL, this was half a lifetime ago and 2/3 of my lifetime ago. Sorry if this post runs on, but I have a few very random memories-comments-observations.
-It was a fine July and a beautiful night. I know there are a lot of wonderful concert venues in the world but I can’t imagine too many better than Red Rocks. The huge red sandstone surrounding the natural amphitheater, the lights of Denver behind the stage after sundown (though it may have been cloudy that night), the perfect acoustics, even the walk from the parking lot is spectacular. Though I have not seen GL near enough over the years, I have returned to Red Rocks many times and have enjoyed every show.
-My wife and I attended this concert. However I didn’t meet her until five years later. When we met, we were talking about music we liked and figured out we probably sat pretty close to each other.
-The girl I did go to the concert with used to sing what to this day is one of the best covers of Beautiful I’ve ever heard. She owned a Gibson Hummingbird, which is one of the most beautiful guitars I’ve ever seen or heard. She never did let me touch it (or her).
-It was not me who Gordon said had the biggest joint he’d ever seen
. This was between my freshman and sophomore year of college and I was a partier, but I did not even drink one beer before or during this show. My love for the man’s music had me wanting to be of a totally clear mind (Stone Cold Sober) when I heard him live the first time.
-Even after 35 years I remembered most of the songs and much of his banter that night. “This song reminds me of the Great Lakes because it’s really erie!” I remembered him talking that night about the songs being in the wrong order on Cold on the Shoulder, which he also said during an interview in Rolling Stone that year. I’ve always liked that album. I did not remember him playing Now and Then, and it was kind of surprising to me that he played it. I love the song but it doesn't stand out as one to me that would be in the rotation. Has he played that live much over the years?
-Pretty good quality for an audience tape. Are there other shows in circulation? I have browsed archive.org and have seen nothing so I was kind of surprised to hear about this one.
-I couldn't help but feeling a bit of a sense of loss. Don’t get me wrong; I loved seeing GL last week in Denver as he still brings sincerity and authenticity to his performance. However, we will never hear that voice and feel that energy on a stage again.
-"Leave the driving to us." The fall before this concert, I had seen John Denver perform in Fort Collins. He asked people to not sing along as the crowd was there to hear him, and not their neighbors. True enough, and when Gordon asked us not to clap, I didn't clap. To this day, I resist the urge to sing along at a concert though sometimes I remember the lyrics better than the performer.
-The songs are timeless. So are the instrumental arrangements.
- His performance that night of The Last Time I Saw Her has been one of my fondest memories of all the concerts I’ve ever attended. Hearing it again only confirmed that though the audience voices were distracting.
-I also remembered that something got thrown on the stage near or at the end of the show. From where I sat, we thought it was beer can and my brother sitting much lower thought it was an orange. Between that, and maybe GL’s frustration with audience noise during the songs, he left after CRT abruptly with no encore. I think I even read in the Denver Post afterwards some comments from him that he would never play Red Rocks again, though I think he played the next summer. My memories may be clouded, was anybody else there that remembered any of this?
Like I said, it was quite an experience to re-live this event and it makes me appreciate and love his music even more. He was at his peak both creatively and vocally during this time, and I’m glad I got to hear him then as I hope to see him again soon.
Mark