Its been over 7 years since we have reviewed one of Canada’s most beloved artists in Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot is on tour for his postponed ’80 Years Strong’ tour and stopped by the Warner Theater in Erie this past Saturday. Since that time that time, there was was a documentary about his life made and he recently was the chosen artist that reopened Massey Hall in Toronto (After a 3 year remodeling). In addition, Lightfoot also is now fully recovered from broken wrist that he suffered from falling in his home last summer.
Starting the set off with “Now and Then” off of the 1975 “Cold on the Shoulder,” Lightfoot played 14 songs encompassing mostly of hits and some deeper tracks. Even though his voice is thinner than it once was, you can tell the audience was hanging on every word she sang and spoke. He received a few “I love you Gordon’s” throughout the set. I think some background vocals could have helped at some points in the set to make the vocals more full. One of the highlights for the set was “Early Morning Rain.” Elvis covered this song in 1972 and really loved Lighfoot as an artist. Lightfoot told a story how he went to Buffalo to see Elvis at the old Buffalo Memorial Auditorium in the 1970’s. He was invited backstage and said when he got back there, he found out Elvis has left the building. This drew quite a few chuckles from the audience. Lightfoot also showed his appreciation for Erie as a hockey town. He talked about how the best hockey played in the world right now in Connor McDavid played his junior hockey here for the Otters.
Lightfoot was front and center and didn’t work from a traditional set list. His band needed to be up to the task of staying on cue. Bassist Rick Haynes, drummer Barry Keane, guitarist Carter Lancaster and keyboardist Mike Heffernan were all up to the challenge. There were no teleprompters either. Lightfoot worked all from memory. Even though he is very frail and sufferers from emphysema, he was able to easily navigate through the set without any assistance. He did take a a minute or two break to drink some fluids and take some nasal spray. Lightfoot remarked that he now is cigarette from for the last 3 years.
Erie had a big snowstorm the day before so between that and people still trying to navigate through Covid, the attendance was a little light. For us, it was worth the travel to see him through sleet or snow. At age 83, you don’t know how many more opportunities you will get to see one of the greatest story tellers of all time!
Setlist:
Now and Then
Sweet Guinevere
Ribbon of Darkness
Too Many Clues in This Room
14 KT Gold
If You Could Read my Mind
Home From the Forest
Beautiful
Song for a Winters Night
Baby Step Back
Carefree Highway
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Early Morning Rain
Encore:
Rainy Day People
We would like to thank Dawn Betza from Erie Events, Michael Elko from Elko Concerts and Gordon Lightfoot assistant Anne Leibold for the credentials to review the show.
