With the exception of Joni Mitchell (who’s on an entirely different plane than everybody else), no Canadian has done more for the growth of contemporary folk music than Gordon Lightfoot. And that’s saying a lot, considering the country to the north also gave us Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Sarah McLaughlin, Ian Tyson...).
Lightfoot, who’s 71 now, has one of the most remarkably worn and comfortable voices in acoustic music, and his song catalog is vast, including such immortals as “Early Morning Rain,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” “Sundown,” “For Lovin’ Me,” “Ten Degrees and Getting Colder” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
He’s been touring almost constantly since the early ‘60s; the road brings him to the Johnny Mercer Theatre in Savannah Tuesday, March 9.
A native of Orilla, Ontario, Lightfoot has three platinum and four gold albums and 16 Juno Awards.
In 2003, he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honor. Four years later, Canada issued a Gordon Lightfoot postage stamp. He’s also in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Tickets, $55, $45 and $35, go on sale Saturday, Jan. 16 at www.etix.com.
Drawing the line
The first–ever Savannah International Animation Festival has been booked for Feb. 5 and 6 at the Coastal Georgia Center. With 143 entries from 15 countries, the categories include Stop Motion Animation, Computer Animation, Traditional Animation, Experimental Animation, Web Animation, Gaming Animation, Visual Effects and Student Animated Film.
Included are panel discussions and workshops for aspiring filmmakers. You can check it all out at www.savannahinternationalanimationfestival.com.
This, that, the other
...A touring show called “The Blues is Alright” has been booked into the Savannah Civic Center Feb. 14 (give your sweetie a bit o’blues for Valentine’s Day, anyone?) The marquee includes Clarence Carter, Bobby Rush, Shirley Brown, Marvin Sease and others, and tickets are $38 and $43. It’s also called the Savannah Blues Festival...
... Longtime faves scheduled to return shortly are American Aquarium (Jan. 16 at the Jinx), Miss Tess & the Bonton Parade (Feb. 4, Jazz’d Tapas Bar), John Brown’s Body (Feb. 16, Live Wire Music Hall) and Skeletonwitch (Feb. 25, Jinx)...
...The annual Psychotronic Film Festival (a full week of cult classics, weird indies and oddball stuff) opens Jan. 18 at the Sentient Bean ...
...The musical I Do, I Do opens the Savannah Community Theatre’s year, Jan. 23 and 24, at the Landings’ Plantation Club...
