Review: Gordon Lightfoot pays attention to details

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Review: Gordon Lightfoot pays attention to details
Folk legend plays tight show from prolific catalog covering five decades


PEORIA —

Gordon Lightfoot is a man obsessed.

You'd never guess it from his easygoing nature and his effortless chitchat, but I can see through all that. He is totally, completely fanatical about his craft, from how his guitar is tuned to how his music bounces off the back wall of the Peoria Civic Center Theater, where he played Thursday night in front of a crowd of nearly 1,000.

The lanky Canadian, 72, has earned the label "folk legend" for his singing and songwriting skills, which go back more than five decades. His music may be an acquired taste for some, but he has a devoted following.

The Peoria crowd was ready to receive him and he was extremely punctual, stepping on stage right at 8 p.m., clad in a blue velvet jacket with an acoustic guitar slung over it.

He played dozens of songs, from "Rainy Day People" to "Song for a Winter's Night." His prolific catalog included the gentle love song "Beautiful," the optimistic "I'd Rather Press On," and "Let It Ride," with hypnotizing, steady drum beats and intricate percussion flourishes. One of his most famous hits, "Sundown," infused an upbeat bluesiness into the evening.

The crowd was rather hushed, giving him applause in all the appropriate spots, with a shrill whistle here or there. After the applause would die down after a song, he would swig from a tiny bottle of water. I could almost hear him swallow.

He twiddled with his guitar before most songs, trying to get the sound just right. After ending one number, he said of the auditorium, "It's a beautiful sounding theater, but it has a little slap-back from the back wall."

I'm guessing few people would pick up on that sound effect, but Lightfoot has a very trained ear. That is evident in the hiring of his bandmates, who were all extremely tight, with perfect timing.

His voice, however, wasn't quite so flawless. He struggled to hit the high notes on several songs. But there were some songs he still filled out just fine, including "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," a tune that actually benefits from his weathered voice, which adds a dash of wisdom.

I think it was this wisdom that his fans turned out to see. After so many years on stage, having influenced countless musicians and collected awards for his poetic songwriting, he will draw a crowd as long as he wants to pick up a guitar.

Danielle Hatch can be reached at dhatch@pjstar.com or 686-3262. Follow her on Twitter @danielle_hatch.

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Concert Notes: Gordon Lightfoot

by Frederick Smith · 357 words, plus sound

Concert Review: Gordon Lightfoot at 73

At eight o'clock central time, the curtain rose at the Peoria Civic Center theater on a legend of the 1960's. Gordon Lightfoot, accompanied by keyboard, bass, lead guitar and drums, started out on his 12 string Epiphone and had the audience from the first note. Early Morning Rain, Ribbon of Darkness, Sundown, and the song you're listening to, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, were among the classics performed in timeless style and to the delight of an audience of about 1,600 people.

Gordon's voice started out a little thin, but about three songs in, you could see the old Gordon (the one I saw 22 years ago from almost the exact same seat) emerging, and by the time he was at number five, Lightfoot was back. At 73, 74 in November, he's a bit more frail than I remember, but it didn't seem to slow him down. His band was into the music, the audience was into the performance, and we were all just waiting for the next classic to roll off his tongue.

There weren't a lot of younger folks in the audience, which was to be expected, I imagine. I'm sure they might have been surprised by the lack of excessive volume and the fact that you could actually understand the words being sung. There was a little stage lighting as you can see from my two photos above (I have got to either get a better phone or remember to take my digital camera next concert.), but no lasers, no flashers, no strobes. Just some pleasant lighting for some pleasant music with a crowd of very pleasant people.

And some very good memories. If you get a chance to see Gordon, do make it a point to go. I can promise you will leave with your hearing intact and some very pleasant memories of an era when music was much more people friendly.

Only one disappointment. He didn't play “Second Cup of Coffee” which is one of my all time favorites, but what the heck. He played everything else. I guess I can forgive one miss.

~Fred~