Gordon Lightfoot was a world-renowned Canadian singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. Though Lightfoot passed in 2023, three of his touring band members, and two newer members, still travel and perform, keeping Lightfoot’s music pulsing through the veins of the world.

The Lightfood Band is comprised of Rick Haynes on bass, Barry Keane on drums and percussion, and Mike Heffernan on keys. Together the three musicians have 150 years of combined experience of playing with Lightfoot. Bill Bell, on lead guitar, and Andy Mauck, on vocals and six and 12 string rhythm guitars, are newer members of The Lightfoot Band.

On Thursday, October 8, the five-piece band hit the stage at the historic Edmond Town Hall for show that was just shy of being sold out. The band wove stories of performing with Lightfoot and his music together for an unforgettable experience, which all culminated with a meet and greet in the lobby after the performance.

The show began with an electrifying performance of “For Lovin’ Me” mixed with “Mention My Name.” The band also performed “Watchman,” “Rainy Day,” “Shadows,” and more in the first act. For the second act, only Haynes, Mauck, and Bill were on stage to begin.

Haynes explained that for those in the crowd who first saw Lightfoot perform, of which there were some in those seats, they may have remembered only a trio that performed. Haynes told the story of how if Lightfoot was to progress, they really needed a drummer, which started Keane’s 48-year long journey of working and touring with Lightfoot.

The trio played “Bitter Green” and “Second Cup” before Heffernan and Keane returned to the stage. Other songs played during the second act included “Summer Side,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Baby Step Back,” “Read My Mind,” and “Old Dans.”

During the first set, Haynes said the band is “very proud to be able to carry on that legacy" of Lightfoot and his phenomenal guitar parts. Haynes explained the guitar parts were an “interwoven ... back and forth” between the lead guitar and rhythm guitar.

Bell said Lightfoot’s music is a “master class” in folk guitar, noting it is a “very deep well,” and every time he studies the music, he picks up something new.

Mauck delighted the crowd with his stories of sneaking backstage to meet Lightfoot and the band, which he did on a few occasions, and told the story of meeting his idols and when he first heard Lightfoot’s music. He was working at a public pool and said that Lightfoot’s voice and music were the only things that came through clearly on the old tin can speakers at the pool.

“Did I ever dream about standing in for my idol?” Mauck asked out loud. “No … This is the honor of my life.”

Before the band played “Carefree Highway,” Haynes told the story of how Lightfoot wrote the song. He and the band's namesake were driving in Arizona and saw a sign that read Carefree Highway, he shared. Lightfoot reportedly turned to Haynes and said, “There’s a song in that!” Haynes said by the time they arrived in Flagstaff, the song was half-written.

Keane was given accolades for being the “most recorded percussionist” in Canada. He has worked with Dolly Parton, Shania Twain, and Overdrive. He grabbed the microphone and thanked everyone for attending the show.

“We’re very grateful you’re here on a Thursday night,” Keane said. “Gordon had, and still has, great fans.” He then shared a few very humorous stories about the different faces he met in all different kinds of places.

Keane said he once met Bob Dylan at a party Lightfoot hosted. When Bob Dylan “speaks to you, you never forget it,” he said.

“Bob Dylan looked at me and said bzzz bzz bzzz!” The crowd erupted in laughter. Keane was right, that was truly an unforgettable moment.

One time, for Canada Day in 1992, Lightfoot and his band played on parliament hill in Ottawa. Keane said there were about 100,000 people there, to which he added it might be hard to pick out faces from such a big crowd — except for one, sitting center in the front row: Queen Elizabeth.

Keane told the Edmond Town Hall crowd he could not help but keep looking at the Queen to see if she was “diggin’ it.” At one point, Queen Elizabeth looked at Keane, so he “did what any grown boy would do," he said: he winked at her.

The Queen was not a fan of the wink, he then said.

There were many other stories shared by the band members about Lightfoot and his legacy throughout the night, as well as Lisa Reiss, owner of Pearl Productions, which brought the show to Connecticut. After the show, audience members could be heard telling the band members that the stories were more valuable than the music and were worth the price of the tickets alone.

The band members met and chatted with many fans in the lobby afterwards. It took an extra 45 minutes after the show to speak with all those who chose to hang back.

Keane told The Newtown Bee in the lobby of Edmond Town Hall that the meet and greets are their “favorite part.” They get to talk with fans, share stories, take pictures, and create a truly unique, unforgettable, and intimate experience, he said.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.