I am excited that Gordon Lightfoot will be appearing at the Lowell Summer Music Series on Saturday, August 1 as part of his ’50 Years on the Carefree Highway’ tour! I have never seen this living legend perform and am glad I finally have that opportunity to do so!

“After 50 active years of hit song making and international album sales well into the multi-millions, it’s safe to say that esteemed singer-songwriter and musician Gordon Lightfoot resides with some very exclusive company atop the list of all-time greats. His song catalog is incredibly vast and includes such immortals as “Early Morning Rain,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” “Sundown,” “(That’s What You Get) For Lovin Me,” “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Cold On The Shoulder”, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Beautiful,” “Song For A Winter’s Night”, “Shadows”, “Rainy Day People”, “Did She Mention My Name” and “Summertime Dream” to name just a few.

Gordon Lightfoot (Official Photo)

“But this year is special for the legendary artist who has announced plans for a cross-country USA tour entitled “Gordon Lightfoot – 50 Years On The Carefree Highway.” The tour will feature his well-known hits as well as some deep album cuts for the die-hard fans. All of which are woven together with some of Lightfoot’s own behind the scenes stories and personal anecdotes about his historic 50-year musical career. The event is sure to be a great thrill for live audiences and anyone who enjoys hearing great music and seeing a living legend in person.”

Tickets for the Gordon Lightfoot show are priced at $47 in advance (fee-free!), $55 on the day of the show (if available) and children 12 and under are always free courtesy of Eastern Bank. There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the Series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $147.  Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 15 at 9 a.m., through Lowell Summer Music Series.

For those of you who are unaware of the  Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable.

Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings, part of the Lowell National Historical Park, which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.

The Series generally runs from late June to early September.

This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be another excellent year!

I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.

Shows announced to date are:

June 19 (Friday) – Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang

June 20 (Saturday) – Ani DiFranco

June 26 (Friday) – Mike Gordon

July 9 (Thursday) – The Wood Brothers with Tall Heights

July 17 (Friday) – Chris Robinson Brotherhood

July 18 (Saturday) – Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam

July 31 (Friday) – The Official Blues Brothers Revue

August 1 (Saturday) – Gordon Lightfoot

August 7 (Friday) – Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

August 14 (Friday) – Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers

August 28 (Friday) – Lake Street Dive

August 29 (Saturday) – Melissa Etheridge