If You Could Read My Mind - Honoring the Music of Gordon Lightfoot

About the show

“Minnesota’s acoustic music master” (Jon Bream, Star Tribune) and Emmy Award-winning acoustic tunesmith Michael Monroe presents an evening of favorite songs by Canadian folk/pop singer-songwriter and cherished troubadour Gordon Lightfoot.

Expect to hear the very best of Gordon Lightfoot, including “For Lovin’ Me,” “Beautiful,” and “Early Morning Rain,” as well as his top U.S. Hot 100 hits “If You Could Read My Mind” (1970), “Sundown” (1974), “Carefree Highway” (1974), “Rainy Day People” (1975) and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (1976). Graced with a dark-toned mellifluous voice (City Pages), Michael Monroe is honored to present this special tribute to the life and music of Gordon Lightfoot.

“I’ve never heard a song I didn’t like by Gordon Lightfoot. Whenever I hear a Gordon Lightfoot song, I never want it to end.” — Bob Dylan

From vinyl to digital, Monroe is celebrating his sixth decade performing acoustic music professionally. He plays hand-crafted Seaton guitars—“works of art” made from 200-year-old reclaimed wood from the bottom of Lake Superior. His rich vocals and crystal/bamboo flutes define his signature sound. Monroe has recorded 11 original albums and 6 more drawn from his popular CDT tribute shows Moonshadow – A Cat Stevens Tribute, I Dig Peter, Paul & Mary, You’ve Got a Friend (James Taylor), and Folk Legends, featuring favorites by John Denver, Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Simon & Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, and more.

Monroe’s award-winning instrumental soundtracks have been featured on PBS/CBC and at the Toronto Enviro and New York Indie Film Festivals in the documentary Chased By The Light, which showcased Jim Brandenburg’s stunning photography. Monroe also presented his music at his “Log Cabin Concerts” home with his manager and spouse on Grand Marais’ North Shore for 17 years. In 2021, they returned to the Twin Cities after 28 years on the shore. Their storied concerts were featured on Jason Davis’ On The Road on KSTP as well as in Lake Superior and Cabin Life magazines.