I kind of wish I didn’t know the score last night. I wonder
if I didn’t know that this was Glen Campbell‘s final tour, or that the
entertainer has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, whether the show would have
impacted me as deeply as it did. I guess in the end it added to the achingly
poignant sting of his lyrics and this bittersweet goodbye.
For his packed show at the beautiful State Theatre in
Ithaca, Campbell came out swinging and strong, opening with “Forever Gentle On My Mind.” The song proved that he still has the guitar
chops, as he dug in to his neon blue guitar with a terse and tight twang. And
at 76, the man’s voice — both range and tone — are still intact. He rolled out
all the hits, including “Galveston,” “By The Time I Get To
Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Country Boy,” “Southern Nights,” and of course
“Rhinestone Cowboy,” along with his most excellent band, which included his
daughter Ashley on banjo and keys, son Shannon on guitar, and son Cal on drums.
Ashley and Shannon opened the show with their
bluegrass/Americana trio, Victoria Ghost. This group was fantastic in its simplicity, and well worth the price of admission alone. Once
Glen came on stage, Ashley was particularly impressive as she kept a constant
eye on her dad, feeding him lines, keys, and generally keeping him focused.
There were some subtle cracks in the veneer and every now and then it was clear
something wasn’t quite right, but the audience rolled with it, because when Glen
dug in and played, he was there 100 percent. There were a few dropped lyrics
here and there, and Campbell accidently started “Rhinestone Cowboy” a second
time (hell, we would have gladly sat through it again), but overall the show
was strong and dignified. He brought out his wife, and mother of his children,
and presented her flowers as last night was their 30th wedding anniversary. I’m
so glad I was there.
Campbell is to be lauded for his courage as he faces
uncertainty with a smile and a wave. It was an honor to be there to wave back.
This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2012.
Great story. We saw him last January in New York, and this past May in Albany. The show had changed quite a bit as they dropped most all of the new released songs from Ghost on the canvas. Glen remembers all of the old stuff but struggled with the newer material. But as you’ve said, it didn’t matter. He was great. I got to meet him the next morning in Albany which I’ll never forget, but I missed him just 45 minutes in my backyard last night.
His kids did a great job with “heyyyyyyy, little one”. I felt like I was 9 again glued to the tv watching his variety show. There’s only one Glen Campbell, and he is the rhinestone cowboy.
I was there at the concert, and travelled many hours from Canada to see it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime show for so many reasons. It is true that Ashley kept an “eagle eye” on her father. It was wonderful to see such a loving, talented, and protective family in action. Glen has been God’s gift to the world and he will be surely missed, but perhaps through Victoria Ghost, his melodies, his memories, and his music will live on, albeit somehow different. God bless Glen Campbell, and the talent he produced.