NORTHAMPTON _ It was billed as a "Home for the Holidays" performance at the Iron Horse on Thursday night but folk legend Judy Collins apparently wasn't in a seasonal frame of mind. Collins performed a perfectly-timed 90 minute set to a sold-out room and then stepped into a waiting minivan to be whisked to parts unknown (presumably New York...
NORTHAMPTON _ It was billed as a "Home for the Holidays" performance at the Iron Horse on Thursday night but folk legend Judy Collins apparently wasn't in a seasonal frame of mind. Collins performed a perfectly-timed 90 minute set to a sold-out room and then stepped into a waiting minivan to be whisked to parts unknown (presumably New York City where she was scheduled to perform the next night).
While she opened with Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning," a 60s folk song that fleetingly mentions Christmas, it could hardly be considered a festive holiday opening.
Collins was in story-telling mode and did talk briefly about her Christian upbringing as it pertained to the season before offering the only true holiday song of the night, her rendition of "What Child is This?"
She unfornately segued from that song to a story of her "hot affair" with Stephen Stills as an introduction to "Who Knows Where the Time Goes," which included an audience sing-along.
"Pretend you are trying out for 'Glee'," she said.
It was still early in the set but Collins lost her place, going on a rambling story that began with having Arlo Guthrie opening up for her in 1961, included tales of Bob Dylan, the Kennedys, and humpback whales, and ended with meeting the love child of Guthrie's wife and David Crosby.
Somehow the story was supposed to indicate she was too busy to watch movies in the 70s and missed out on "WIlly Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." She made up for it by reprising "Pure Imagination" from the movie soundtrack.
In lieu of anything resembling Christmas songs, Collins leaned heavily on new music from her latest release "Bohemian" while also plugging her book "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes"
Along with the Wonka ode, Collins offered "The Desperate Ones," "Campo de Encino" and "Veteran's Day" from the new release.
The tempo and tone of the performance was consistently subdued until she launched into the folk staple "The City of New Orleans." The song included audience participation with handclaps and singing.
Collins saved "Both Sides Now," for her set closer and then encored with the classic "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."