Gordon Lightfoot
Seneca Allegany Casino
Salamanca, NY
September 10, 2011
By Joseph Suto
In his first outing since a run of shows at Massey Hall in Toronto back in May, Gordon Lightfoot played to an appreciative Seneca Allegany Casino crowd. Lightfoot has often been referred to as Canada’s greatest songwriter and looking at his catalog one finds it hard to argue the claim. With so many songs in his arsenal to choose from, Lightfoot gave the crowd that element of surprise as you never knew what song would be played next. It was no surprise that he drew heavily from Gord’s Gold, a compilation released in 1975.
Opening up with “Did She Mention My Name” which led directly into the mega-hit “Carefree Highway,” Lightfoot got the crowd’s attention and never lost it through the ninety-five minute set. Whenever a standard came up the crowd immediately responded and Gordon seemed to glow and build off each applause. Perhaps the biggest applause came after a stirring rendition of “Beautiful,” one of Gordon’s most under-appreciated songs. Another song that stood out was the Lightfoot classic “Cotton Jenny,” that was also recorded by fellow Canadian Anne Murray. Other highlights were “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Early Morning Rain,” and of course the epic “Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.”
Despite two major health scares and an internet death hoax, the rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. He continues to perform because he feels connected to the crowd. He has the zest to perform, and it appears he will never get that out of his system. As long as he can get on that stage it appears he will do so for as long as he can. One bit of advice, if you have the opportunity to see this legend, do not pass it up as you would surely regret it.
| Set List | |
|---|---|
| 1. Did She Mention My Name | 14. Sundown |
| 2. Carefree Highway | 15. Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald |
| 3. Sea Of Tranquility | 16. Hangdog Hotel Room |
| 4. 14 Karat Gold | 17. Restless |
| 5. Never Too Close | 18. Fine As Fine Can Be |
| 6. A Painter Passing Through | 19. Home From The Forest |
| 7. Let It Ride | 20. If You Could Read My Mind |
| 8. Spanish Moss | 21. Don Quixote |
| 9. Shadows | 22. Baby Step Back |
| 10. Beautiful | 23. Early Morning Rain |
| 11. Sweet Guinevere | 24. Song For A Winter’s Night |
| 12. Cotton Jenny | Encore |
| 13. Ribbon Of Darkness | 25. In My Fashion |
Special Thanks to Tony Astran!
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