20-September-2015
Sony Center
For The Performing Arts
 Toronto, Canada

Dan Murray sends in his thoughts on night two in Toronto

Magic Time in Toronto
During two powerful shows at Toronto's Sony Centre for the Performing Arts over the weekend, Sir George Ivan Morrison demonstrated his continued vitality as supreme soul-sender and improvisational marvel.

I have been whining for a good year now that I thought Van had cut back considerably in the past year on his classic improvisational skills, musical dynamics and pure, unvarnished passion.

There were times of brilliance, but I thought things were becoming much too routine. I chalked it up to age, and death, and the ghosts, as poet John Berryman put it.

But the Cyprus Avenue birthday gigs showed major signs of the Van performance style I have known and will always love. The afternoon show finale of Ballerina, And the Healing and Garden were terrific songs delivered with drive and beauty.

The finale of Hyndford Street in the evening set summed up the day in gorgeous, dramatic style.

And then on to Toronto three weeks later, where a combination of a lovely venue, a great audience, pristine sound, a performer completely committed to the cause, and a finely tuned band added up to two wonderful evenings of music.

The sound of surprise as the music unfolded, the passion, the drama were all back in full force, and a relaxed Van sang with as much authority as I have ever heard.

The sets lists featured a diverse mix of Van tunes in the first half, nicely paced. The second half of the show brimmed each night with Morrison in full vocal flight, the lights of the cars on the overpass, shining like diamonds in the night, driving all night long, until the sun comes up.

Burn baby Burn, you're gonna make me high.

Morrison used all of his classic imagery, nature-based and mystical. I believe there was even a reference to his young children, as he repeated over and over "Daddy, take me down, please, to the burning ground. Daddy, take me across the river, across the water. Daddy, please."

The shows opened with the traditional songs to warm up the pipes, merely pleasant.

Then he mixed things up in the middle of the gigs, doing songs ranging from the greasy, grinding blues of Talk is Cheap and Keep Mediocrity at Bay and I Believe to My Soul, to a propulsive, sweeping version of Motherless Child, guitars strummed hard, and a wonderful, woozy In the Midnight.

The All in the Game both nights was epic, so much new revealed, despite the fact that he has sung it so often. The way he formed the words into exquisite shapes: "Make it real one more time....one more, one... one.... one... one."
"And you take my hand, and you walk with me, and sometimes it feels, like eternity."

Can it be said any better? And how much more pleasurable to hear it sung by a voice that is truly blessed. Van's enunciation at these gigs was the best I have ever heard.

The Ballerina was exquisite in its beauty and clarity.

The shows ended with Gloria, which the audience loved, and the great band absolutely pulverized it as Van got into his limo and took flight again.
-Dan Murray

Setlist (Thanks Mike S.)
Celtic Swing
Close Enough For Jazz
Moondance
Days Like This
Precious Time
Talk Is Cheap
Keep Mediocrity at Bay
Carrying A Torch
Enlightenment
Magic Time
Whenever God Shines His Light
In the Midnight
In the Afternoon/Raincheck
Think Twice Before You Go
Baby Please Don't Go/Parchman Farm/Don't Start Crying Now
Ballerina
And The Healing Has Begun
It's All In The Game
Gloria

Big Hand for The Band!
Dave Keary (Guitar)
Paul Moore (Bass)
Paul Moran (Keyboards)
Bobby Ruggiero (Drums)
Dana Masters (Vocals)