reviewvancouver: Judy Collins

On Saturday night I was seated in the Kay Meek Theatre with a sold out crowd to listen to the legendary Judy Collins, the iconic 60s folksinger who has over five decades interpreted the songs of such musical poets as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen, as well as penning her own powerful songs. Waiting for her to appear, I wondered how she would look now, picturing her in a blue hippie dress from one of her old 60s album covers. But as she stepped out on stage, I think I heard a collective gasp because at 72 years old, she now stood before us like a Country Western angel, her white mane of hair cascading over her shoulders, dressed all in black, right down to her high-heeled leather boots. She looked glamorous and timeless.

Her first song “Open the Door” showed the audience that her voice was still pure and resonant. Enthusiastic applause led to her next song, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”, and the lyrics, “Something’s lost and something’s gained in living every day”, couldn’t have seemed more true than in Collins’s beautiful rendition of this classic.

Collins was very relaxed on the stage, referring to Occupy Vancouver by saying that “the 60s are coming back”. She then proceeded to tell the audience a long story, weaving anecdotes about both her career and her musical influences, with songs from each era. She started with some memories about her father who had been a DJ in Seattle and the music that he played in their home, leading her to sing a stirring a cappella version of “Danny Boy”

Fifty years as a recording artist has given Collins the license to tell some very good stories about famous musicians, including an evening when she sat quietly in her terry cloth bathrobe outside a room in which Dylan was singing the lyrics out loud as he composed his famous “Mr. Tambourine Man”.

I don’t think I have ever seen a performer so natural on stage, as if she was just sharing some fondly remembered old-times with a group of friends. Often when Collins was singing, she would encourage the audience to join in with her, so it was a great pleasure to hear so many voices singing the lyrics of songs like “Early Morning Rain” and “Amazing Grace”.

At the end of this performance, Judy Collins received a well-deserved standing ovation and returned with “Send in the Clowns”, a moving final encore. For her fans, this was a magical evening.