Footloose

During Bry Webb's performance at Massey Hall, he was extolling Gordon Lightfoot's 4-night run where he met the legendary troubadour. So when it was announced that Lightfoot will play this November, I got my ticket. Thursday night, I went down to Massey for the 2nd of his 4 performances.

With such a large oeuvre, Lightfoot did two sets instead of having an opener. The 76-year-old singer/guitarist can teach younger bands about punctuality and scheduling. His 1st set started at exactly 8, though people were still coming in, followed by a 20-minute break ("Be prompt cause we'll start without you", he quipped to laughter), and a 2nd set that ended 2 minutes to 10 pm. His songs were roughly in 2 categories. The first were the story-telling ones, with verse after verse of carefully observed details. The prime example was The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald to close out the first set. The pop songs (Rainy Day People, Sundown, Carefree Highway, If You Could Read My Mind) eschewed the typical melody verse and refrain and often added variation throughout the song. Lightfoot didn't do much banter but sang song after song. He did have a wry humour and a penchant for puns ("Come meet me by the rock pile where I'm bolder").

His voice isn't what it used to be: the light sweetness has been replaced with a strangled delivery in the upper register. So it was sometimes an effort to make out the lyrics. His music was evocative and in my opinion, didn't need the backing band. In fact, with the exception of a few songs, they detracted from the show with mundane, karaoke-esque arrangements. Lightfoot, his well-used guitar, and maybe a guitar lead would have been enough.