[The Horrible Esthete]

Now, I ask you, would a 55 dollar ticket to see a 68 year old Lightfoot be worth it? He is a living legend, but also, can he still perform? I realize that this show would be low energy, and for me and my financial situation, I'm not sure the ticket price would be worth it. Has anybody else seen him recently and knows what his shows are like?

If you have never seen Lightfoot and have the opportunity to do so, I would think that this decision has already been made for you, especially if you are Canadian. No way you even think of passing up this opportunity regardless of the specifics concerning quality of performance (which I advise you not to concern yourself with, given the nature of his songs and straightforwardness with which he performs them).

I've seen Lightfoot 3 times, and only once was I a wee bit disappointed, because he was apparently going through a "rough time" in his personal life, and I swear that he came back inebriated from intermission. He was having serious trouble annunciating and was forgetting lyrics, etc. He didn't sound good at that point, but at least he was funny. The good news it that the last time I did see him was probably the best of the three.

One huge reason to see him is that he actually takes requests. Now, maybe the shows in his native Canada do not afford him the opportunity to do this, but at each of the 3 shows I saw here in Ohio, people would write requests on slips of paper, and either place them in a jar on the front edge of the stage, or throw them directly onstage, and towards the end of the show, he would walk up an grab a handful and leaf through them, make a joke here and there (e.g. "I would love to play that if I remembered it" or "I'm pretty sure I was drunk when I wrote that one, and I'll need to be drunk to play it for you"), then play several of the requests.

I requested "The Watchman's Gone" and "Pony Man", and he played Pony Man (I would have rather he played Watchman) -- but warned us before starting it that he "might not remember all 25 verses" :lol: