Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

http://www.mpaconline.org/calendar/i...view&extid=147

low ticket demand.

Augusta Ga and Biloxi MS are still on.

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

Alabama is not good to Gord, it seems. Any Lightheads in attendance? This is from Huntsville (maybe they need to adjust their expectations?)

http://blog.al.com/go/2009/05/gordon...ot_up_t_1.html
Gordon Lightfoot show not up to expectations
Posted by Chris Welch May 13, 2009 11:55 PM

Legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot performed here for the first time since 1994 Wednesday night at the Von Braun Concert Hall and had many entertaining moments. His voice, unfortunately, also showed the effects of a near fatal aortic aneurysm in 2003 and being 70 years old.

Lightfoot looked gaunt as he took the stage, sort of resembling Billy Bob Thornton, who performed here last year at Merrimack Hall. As concert-goer Jann Holden observed: "He looks the same ... just a little older."

Dressed in a red jacket and grayish slacks, he and his four-piece band took the stage in front of a mostly older crowd of 1,500 or so - which probably included a few hippies who grew up on Lightfoot's ballads - on a sentimental journey of his 40-plus-year outstanding musical career.

The show started a little slow with songs like "Cotton Jenny," "Minstrel of the Dawn," "Triangle" and "14-Karat Gold," and although sometimes the lyrics were hard to decipher, Lightfoot's guitar-playing talents are still very obvious on both a 6-string and 12-string guitar.

"This is the third time I've been in Huntsville," Lightfoot told the crowd. "The last time was in 1994, that's been a while - 15 years. I just love being out here.

"We've got 10 shows in 11 days (he should fire the person who made this grueling schedule for a 70 year old) and this is the seventh show."

At that point, a fan in the crowd yelled, "We miss you!"

Most of the crowd seemed to enjoy the show and applauded his songs, but for the most part was pretty dead (it did give him a standing ovation at the end). There was very little clapping or any extra enthusiasm during the songs.

Of course, Lightfoot's long-time band didn't really do anything to get the crowd pumped. Terry Clements (lead guitar), Rick Haynes (base), Barry Keane (drums) and Mike Heffernan (keyboards) are certainly talented, but their role was obvious - play more of a background role to the star and not overshadow the star with any solos.

The crowd got excited when he finally played one of his more recognizable big hits - "Carefree Highway" - about 34 minutes into this show, then played "Spanish Moss," "Shadows" and "Beautiful" before taking a break.

Lightfoot returned to perform one of his biggest hits - and one of the highlights of the evening -"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." He really seem to shine on hits like this, his voice and lyrics rising to the occasion to match the caliber of the song.

He also sang "Sundown," "If You Could Read My Mind," "Don Quixote," "If Children Had Wings," and "Restless" before doing a tune Lightfoot seemed particularly proud of - a song Elvis recorded called "Early Morning Rain." He came back for one encore and played "Blackberry Wine" to end his nearly two-hour set.

For many in the crowd, just seeing and hearing Lightfoot was a thrill. And he certainly deserves respect for his career. Wednesday night's show just wasn't what I expected or hoped for.

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

I wonder what artists are on the reviewers ipod. Too many people really don't appeciate the type of quiet show that Gordon puts on. A show where the music and not theatrics
speaks to you. Do you really need the theatrics of a Kiss or Britney Spears (Lip Synching)
to make a concert. I sure that most of the fans knew what they were going to see and hear. Yes a Gordon Lightfoot Concert is about memories, we all know that
I'm sure we're going to get a lot of positive reviews from our fellow fans.

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

Very nice post KHester. Your sentiment reveals the same as many of us here.

Having gone back through the tour schedules on Wayne Francis' site I was unable to find a previous engagement in Montgomery Alabama for Gordon Lightfoot.

If this is the case then it's probably a justifiable reason why there wasn't enough interest generated to perform a concert there.

Also the demographics are changing everywhere and it seems very quickly as well and it's difficult to tell how wide the concert was advertised.

It's unfortunate though because Montgomery has no shortage of history as far as the arts community goes.

The Hank Williams Museum is a place I would love to visit some day.

But Gordon Lightfoot is not the kind of guy who would let something like this throw him off. He'll just soldier on like the true professional he is and enjoy his day off to catch up on any loose ends that maybe hanging about.

There'll be no shortage of fans lined up to watch him perform at future venues.

Just wait till the Massey Hall gigs happen this November in Toronto.

Stay loose,

Ron J.

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

In all the concerts that I went to see GL, only one was cancelled.

Had to be in the mid 80's in Youngstown, Ohio. A very small, depressed "steel town" hit hard by imported steel.

Didn't hear that it was cancelled until we got to the city. Only about 70 miles away though so it wasn't too far.

I wonder how they decide "where to go" when doing these gigs. GL hasn't played Alabama or some of these other places withen recent memory. Why go now?

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

I think Alabama does not deserve our Gordon!

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

Interesting review. The one thing I would give them is that if the last time someone heard him was 1994 and they don't pay attention that the voice would be a bit of a shock. Such is life.

The only time Gord canceled a show I was going to was in 1972. I was in college and he was coming to our campus! I was psyched. Had tickets. That's when the Bell's Palsy showed up and he had to cancel a bunch of shows.

Re: Montgomery AL show cancelled
 

According to Wayne Francis' website, Gordon was in Birmingham, AL on Feb. 16, 2008. With being in Huntsville a few days ago, the Montgomery cancellation was perhaps oversatuation of the Alabama market.

I would guess the economy is probably coming into play. Entertainment dollars are among the first to be cut. Another factor is that Gordon's audience is aging (and dying). I noticed this when my wife and I went to see Andy Williams in Branson, MO a few years ago. I think we were the only couple under 60 in the entire place.

Gord doing 10 concerts in 11 days is absolutely nuts. But I understand it costs big dollars to keep a tour on the road.

Gord- please book more in Minnesota and Wisconsin where your most loyal audience resides. I tried to get tickets for Wausau, Wisconsin three years ago and the thing was sold out in the first 30 minutes.