For those that know me, I am an avid music lover. I listen to all types of music. I can listen to heavy metal, death metal, switch to country music, and then to follow up, I can listen to one of my favorite Christian music artists. But this type of music is different. It's called folk music. It's one of my all time favorites. It includes artists such as Harry Chapin (my all time favorite), Joan Baez, James Taylor, Paul Simon and so many others. But one that I should mention that this folk music group includes is one of my favorites. Gordon Lightfoot.
Many people are not familiar with his music that are under the age of 30. Many people couldn't tell you the name of one song that he's written, one concert he's played, or any single thing about him. Most don't realize that next month, November, he's going to be 80 years old. He's been performing on stage for 58 years. He's recorded dozens of albums. He's done live concerts, he's released live DVD videos, he had released live VHS videos, and he's performed all over the world.
In Saginaw, Michigan, on October 28, 2018, which was my 50th birthday, I finally had the opportunity to see one of my musical idols in concert. I'd waited a lifetime. And he did not disappoint.
One of the greatest songs of Gordon's career is "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" - I remember when I first heard it. My dad was into folk music. He liked Harry Chapin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Paul Simon, and so many more. Gordon's music was different. It was acoustic, with a soft gentle voice singing it. An amazing harmony behind it. The musicianship was brilliant. And when I heard that song. I was 12. I'd waited a lifetime to see that song performed in concert. And it was worth every minute of waiting.
Gordon took the stage right at 8pm as promised on the tickets. He played for approximately 55 minutes. He announced that he would take an intermission of approximately 20 minutes. And almost to the second, his band wandered back on stage. There was no flashy light show. There were no explosions. There was no smoke bomb going off in the background. There was no thumping, pumping crazy noise happening while his band walked on stage. Wearing normal clothes, walking casually onto the stage, they took their places. And then Gordon stepped back onto the stage. Wearing long blue jeans, suspenders, a blue shirt, and looking like he was 80 years old, the minute he opened his mouth to sing, I was transfixed.
It happened from the first moment he walked onstage. When he strolled across the stage, I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't do anything except stare at one of my musical idols. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. And when I say that, if you know my background, you'll realize how serious that is.
I've seen over a thousand concerts in my lifetime. It's probably closer to 1200 at this point and time. Death metal, heavy metal, country, rock, rap, Christian, you name it. I've been there. Progressive rock from the likes of Genesis, Yes, The Moody Blues, to country music like Travis Tritt and the "new" era of country like Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion, Jake Owen and so many more. But none of them compare to Gordon Lightfoot.
The minute he opened his mouth, I just stopped in time. I sat there with about 1500 people in the audience. The cheering grew louder. The hand clapping grew louder. And then the crowd sat back in their seats for an experience like no other.
Gordon did a setlist of nearly 30 songs in that two hour period. And in that time of two hours, I felt like I was there for a year. It went by so slowly, so wonderfully, listening to him sing those songs in a voice that sounded like it hadn't changed in almost 40 years since I first heard those wonderful songs.
Halfway through his first set, he announced that, "back in 1975, I wrote this song about an epic freightliner that went down in the middle of the night. I'm not sure why I wrote it. But I'm sure glad I wrote it. You always hear about that one particular song that makes someone's career. Makes a difference. That leaves a memory behind. Well, this is that song."
And from the opening guitar intro into that song, I was transfixed. I couldn't move. I couldn't believe that for the first time in my life, I was finally seeing one of my all time favorite songs being played in concert. It moved me. It affected me in a way no other song had ever affected me. And approximately 7 minutes later, when the song ended, I was speechless. I had never been affected in my life by a single performance of a single song.
The concert only got better from that point. A very respectful crowd. Very friendly people. Very well dressed. Very entertained. Very courteous and enjoyable to e around. Gordon kept playing. He would talk between songs. He would crack jokes. He would discuss the history of a song. He would get his acoustic guitar out, and start strumming. His guitar player was amazing. His drummer was talented beyond words. His bass player and keyboard player? Top notch musicians that made the songs stand out through the test of time.
And just over 2 hours later, when Gordon said that he'd played the last song of the set, his band stepped to the front of the stage. They took a bow. The hand clapping was loud. The audience was energetic. The mood was joyful. The people were happy to have seen a legend walk across stage. I'd waited a lifetime.
And it was worth every single minute of the waiting to see one of my idols perform on stage. This is a thank you. To Gordon Lightfoot. For doing something that touched me. That changed me. That impacted me. And that left a memory that will last a lifetime.
Your music has inspired me. It has moved me. It has touched me. And your concert changed me. You are one of my musical heroes. I have loved your music my entire lifetime. And I am so thankful, blessed and appreciative to have finally seen you in concert.
It isn't just another "bucket list" item that I've checked off a list. It is much more than that. It is an experience that I've wanted to live forever. And now I have.
Music - It has saved me through the roughest of times. It has helped me through strugglesI thought I could not win. And musicians like Gordon have helped me see a brighter tomorrow when I didn't know if tomorrow was going to exist.
I'd waited a lifetime. And it was worth every minute. Thank You Gordon Lightfoot. For an experience I will never forget...
