Peoria, IL setlist review

[Kelly Davis]

Peoria Civic Center Theatre , Peoria, IL Sept. 20, 2012

1. Sweet Guinevere
2. The Watchman's Gone
3. Waiting For You
4. All The Lovely Ladies
5. I'd Rather Press On
6. Wild Strawberries
7. Let It Ride
8. Rainy Day People
9. Shadows
10. Beautiful
11. Carefree Highway
12. Hangdog Hotel Room
13. Ribbon Of Darkness
14. Sundown

(Intermission)

15. Drink Yer Glasses Empty (Just Gord and Mike onstage - neat way to open the 2nd set!)
16. Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
17. Cotton Jenny
18. Restless
19. Clouds Of Loneliness
20. In My Fashion
21. A Painter Passing Through
22. If You Could Read My Mind (standing ovation - deservedly so)
23. Baby Step Back
24. Early Morning Rain (standing ovation by only a few - what's wrong with you people!!!)
25. Song For A Winter's Night

(Encore)

26. Cold On The Shoulder


Gord's voice was in fine form tonight, although he sometimes forgot a word or two. He later talked about adding in the different songs to the rotation and having to re-learn them.
Of course the fans are always forgiving - we're just so lucky to have Gordon still having the desire to tour.

My wife and I have met Gord and the band maybe 14 times now, but it never gets old. We took my uncle who lives in Peoria with us this time (his first Lightfoot concert ever!) He said it was so nice to be able to hear all the instruments and to hear every word that Gordon was singing - I couldn't agree more.

We got to meet all the guys after the show. Gordon slipped out before we could get to him, so Barry Keane told us where to wait outside. Gordon came out about 10 minutes later and we finished our 'afterglow' moments. Got my new 'live' c.d. and 'Don Quixote' c.d. signed, plus autographs for my uncle (wish we could have met Gordon ofter our first concert back in 1991!! - oh well, it was our pleasure).

Hope we have many more GL concerts down the road - of course he will be 74 in November, so we treasure every chance we get!!!!!

So glad to meet fellow Corfidians Kevin and Erin Hester - he gave me a copy of his poem he wrote for Gordon that sits on Gordon's office desk - what an honor.

[joveski]

he seems to be liking the Waiting for you album lately!

[charlene]

I can't imagine how difficult it must be to start remembering the words to songs you haven't performed in years and years. It's quite remarkable.
Sounds like another top notch show and 'after-show' for you! thanks for the recap!

[KHester]

Thanks Kelly for posting the setlist. It was basically the same setlist from the Charleston
West Virginia concert.


I agree that it was one of the top concerts. (this was my 12th).
Gord and the guys were terrific
Of course the Davis's and Hester's each have a very special moments from previous concerts (When Gord dedicated "Beautiful" to us. Gord was very talkative, making comments before almost every song. I filled in the Over me during Ribbon of Darkness
I took some video clips along with some pics that I'll try to post when I get them the right size.
Though we all miss Terry, Carter has been a great addition. Carter has definitly added his own touch on the classics.
I like Cold on the Shoulder as an encore. Old Dan's Records has never really been on my must hear list.

Met Gord, Rick,Barry and Carter after the show.
Talked to Gordon about the interview I did with Mickey Jones (drummer with Kenny Rogers & the First Edition) where Mickey raved about Gord's talent.

Barry mentioned that he was there when Rollin on the River was taped in Toronto in the early 70's.

Yes Char I did say Hi for you, Gord said she's a netperson

It was great to meet Kelly and Loretta Davis, we shared some great stories

Kevin

[charlene]

One day I'll turn Gord into a NETPERSON..
lol
Carter sure has added his own sound to the tunes...it's all good.
I agree about Cold On The Shoulder...more of a 'toe-tapper' to my ear.

[charlene]

PHOTOS -http://www.pjstar.com/photos/x1547509912/Gordon-Lightfoot

REVIEW from newspaper - http://www.pjstar.com/news/x32676849...ion-to-details
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.