Judy Collins Concert Appearances - Attended by the web page author

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I have attended Judy Collins Concerts since 1968, but I took a 16-year hiatus after leaving New York. I saw her in December 1980 at Carnegie Hall and then not again until October 18, 1996 at Beckman Auditorium at Caltech in Pasadena, California. She was even better than I remembered from 1968-1980! She was so good, in fact, that this search for her albums and discography was rekindled by the 1996 concert. Up until 1980, I had all of her albums but along with not going to concerts, I had also not kept acquiring all the albums, either. I now have in my collection all the albums (with a few noted exceptions) in the Discography section of these web pages. I was again hooked on Judy! My wife and I jumped at the opportunity to hear Judy again and again! Below is a list of Judy's concerts that I have attended with setlists where I kept them. This list, of course, does not begin to touch the true magnitude of Judy's concert-giving. She has had many years, as I understand it, with 60 concerts and one article indicates twice that number!

We have seen Judy Collins several times at the sadly now-closed Hugh's Room in Toronto:
        December, 2008
        March 12, 2016
        May 18, 2019

As an aside, we saw Joan Baez at Babeville in Buffalo, NY on March 26, 2016
and at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on September 18, 2018.

Cal State University, Northridge, Performing Arts Center, March 22, 2003, 8:00 PM
The Magical Judy Collins Back to Ireland concert

In the first set, Judy takes you on a musical journey through her life and the influences of her father's chosen nationality, Irish. Apologies for any errors, these items were graffitied into a Palm Vx during the show and cleaned up later.

Russel Walden continues to support Judy, and George Williamson continues as sound and tour director.

First set

Kerry Dancers
Gypsy Rover
Both Sides Now
You've Got to be Carefully Taught (from South Pacific)
This Land is Your Land
A discussion of "sons and daughters" and why a hockey team almost murdered her...
Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
Pretty Saro - She sang this for the Kiwanis in Atlantic City
Mountain Girl
Bold Finian Man
How Are Things in Glocca Morra (from Finian's Rainbow)
Drink A Round to Ireland
Kingdom Come, the Fireman Song (9-11, by Judy Collins, available on her Web site)
Danny Boy

Second Set

He Moved Through the Fair
Lark in the Morning
Since You Asked (Judy moves to the piano for this)
Houses
Song for Bernadette
Innisfree
Born to the Breed
Send in the Clowns (Judy center stage again)
Amazing Grace (encore)

We attended the September 26, 1998 in Torrance, California. We attended the December 3, 1998 Holiday concert at Claremont, CA, and I attended the last holiday concert of the season at the Alex theater in Glendale on December 21, 1998. We also attended a concert at the University of Redlands, CA in 1998 or 1999. We saw Judy for a second time at the Irvine Barclay Theater on April 8, 2000.

Irvine Barclay Theatre at University of California, Irvine, December 7, 1997, 7:00 PM
The Judy Collins Holiday Concert
With Special Guests: Mitch Hanlon Singers

The Choir Opened with several selections, including:

Happy Holidays
Christmas Is Here
Santa Claus is Coming To Town
A Tom Leher humorous song about Christmas
Blow Blow by John Rutter
Alleluya, a new work is come on hand (Peter Wishart)
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Judy then joined the choir who then disappeared after a few songs

I'll Be Home For Christmas
Joy To The World
Silver Bells
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Someday Soon
What Child Is This
Come Rejoice
Since You Asked (She acknowledged a debt to Leonard Cohen)
Walls - We Are Not Forgotten
Both Sides Now (again the slower version from Amazing GraceHCA180)
Intermission
Cherry Tree Carol
Song For Sarajevo
Good King Wenceslas (Her Dad's favorite)
All On A Wintry Night
Send In The Clowns
Let It Snow
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Amazing Grace

Again, scribbling notes in the dark may have caused some errors or omissions. I did not find it odd that perhaps "Santa Claus is Coming To Town" happened twice in the concert, but my notes seem to indicate that. Judy's support team remained the same as the Haugh concert listed below. This was a spectacular and fun concert. If you have a chance to go to a Judy Collins Holiday Concert DO IT!

Haugh Performing Arts Center at Citrus College, Glendora, California, October 25, 1997, 8:00 PM

Amazing Grace (sung from offstage) (Whales and Nightingales HCA090)
Someday Soon (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Cats In The Cradle (Wind Beneath My Wings HCC080)
Mountain Girl (Shameless HCA270)
Medley of songs her father sang
- My Funny Valentine
- Kerry Dancers
Both Sides Now (Wildflowers HCA070)
Since You Asked (Wildflowers HCA070)
Song For Judith (Living HCA100)
She discussed starting in the folk business and hinted at a record of folk songs coming out with an orchestra [can't wait!]. She acknowledged never recording "This Land Is Your Land" (well, see HCA005 1960 Folk Festival at the Exodus--but that was not widely distributed!) and then indicated that the other two of the following three songs will be on that album. She sang portions of:
- Barbara Allen (She indicated that was the first folk song she learned)
- This Land Is Your Land
- Black Is the Color of my True Love's Hair
Judy then talked of her trip to Bosnia and offered congratulations to Jody Foster and sang
Song For Sarajevo
Judy dedicated the following "To the memory of a wonderful friend."
- Leaving on a Jet Plane
- Country Roads
Intermission
Judy mentioned that Leonard Cohen is a monk now
- Suzanne (In My Life HCA060)
- Song For Bernadette
Judy then went through short versions of the following
- Thirsty Boots
- Summertime
- Oh Had I A Golden Thread
- Blowin In The Wind
- Mr. Tambourine Man
- Just Like A Woman
There was a problem with the microphone and she burst into a short chorus of
- There's No Business Like Show Business
Dark Eyes
Bird On A Wire
Nothing Lasts Forever
Walls - We Are Not Forgotten
Encore Request: Michael From Mountains
Encore: Send In The Clowns

Russell Walden was wonderful again. Judy played the guitar, piano and synthesizers. George Williamson continues as Judy's personal audio expert and Andrea was Judy's personal assistant. Again, I hope I got the set list correct.

This was a very emotional concert as "Dark Eyes" was indirectly dedicated to Princess Diana and John Denver had just been killed in an airplane crash. Although Judy is always good, she was in superb form that night!

Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Cerritos, California, Saturday, September 20, 1997, 8:00 PM

Amazing Grace (sung from offstage) (Whales and Nightingales HCA090)
Someday Soon (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Cats In The Cradle (Wind Beneath My Wings HCC080)
Mountain Girl (Shameless HCA270)
Medley of songs her father sang
- My Funny Valentine
- O Danny Boy
Suzanne (In My Life HCA060)
She acknowledged Leonard Cohen's influence--that he told her to write her own songs. She also acknowledged recording ten of Leonard's songs. She then talked about Bob Dylan and then called him "The best there is." She recalled recording "Masters of War," "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll," and "Tomorrow is a Long Time."
Blowin' In the Wind (part)
Just Like A Woman (Judy Sings Dylan .. Just Like a Woman HCA240)
Both Sides Now (Amazing Grace HCA180) The version she sang is not available other than on the very rare Amazing Grace Telstar release. It is similar in some respects to Joni Mitchell's original version.
Voices (Voices HCA280) (part - she said she has to learn that song)
My Father (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Born To The Breed (Judith HCA120)
Judy discussed returning from her second visit to Sarajevo via London and that she was in London when Princess Diana was killed.
Chelsea Morning (Living HCA100)
Judy then talked about her brother, Denver John, and how they met another John, John Denver and these are songs he sings:
- Leaving on a Jet Plane
- Country Roads
Intermission (first set ran a long 1:15)
Since You Asked (Wildflowers HCA070)
Home Before Dark (Fires of Eden HCA230)
Secret Gardens (with letter) (Voices HCA280)
Walls (A New Judy Collins Song inspired by Louis Nelson's Korean War Memorial; later released on Forever HCA300)
Send in the Clowns (Judith HCA120)
Amazing Grace (Whales and Nightingales HCA090) singalong encore

Russell Walden was a wonderful one-man orchestra supporting Judy. Judy played the guitar, piano and synthesizers. George Williamson continues as Judy's personal audio expert and Andrea was Judy's personal assistant. Again, I hope I got the set list correct. I thought she had done "Song for Sarajevo" as well, but my notes are not clear on that. She certainly discussed her experiences there.

Charles E. Probst Center for the Performing Arts, Thousand Oaks, California, April 18, 1997, 8:00 PM

Amazing Grace (sung from offstage) (Whales and Nightingales HCA090)
Someday Soon (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Cats In The Cradle (Wind Beneath My Wings HCC080)
Mountain Girl (Shameless HCA270)
Chelsea Morning (Living HCA100)
Leaving On A Jet Plane/Country Roads Medley
My Funny Valentine (reminiscence of singing this with her Dad)
Kerry Dancers (Shameless HCA270)
Song for Sarajevo (Shameless HCA270)
Since You Asked (Wildflowers HCA070)
Suzanne (In My Life HCA060)
[New Leonard Cohen Song]
Bird on the Wire (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Intermission
Home Before Dark (Fires of Eden HCA230)
Born To The Breed (Judith HCA120)
Bard Of My Heart (Shameless HCA270)
The Blizzard (Fires of Eden HCA230)
Walls (A New Judy Collins Song inspired by Louis Nelson's Korean War Memorial; later released on Forever HCA300)
Send In The Clowns (Judith HCA120)
Both Sides Now (Amazing Grace HCA180) encore - The version she sang as an encore is not available other than on the very rare Amazing Grace Telstar release.

I hope that I got these correct. I don't see "My Father" in my notes, but I thought she sung it...perhaps that was the previous Pasadena concert. I know she sang it then as my Dad at age 81 had just had a heart valve replacement and it was difficult to deal with.

Russell Walden was a wonderful one-man orchestra supporting Judy. Judy played the piano for much of the second set. George Williamson continues as Judy's personal audio expert and Andrea was Judy's personal assistant. Louis was in attendance at the concert.

Beckman Auditorium, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, October 18, 1996, 8:00 PM

Carnegie Hall, New York City, December, 1980

Okay, I did not keep a set list, but Phil Saviano did. Please see this page.

Carnegie Hall, New York City, December 15, 1974, 8:00 PM

Oh Had I A Golden Thread (Whales and Nightingales HCA090)
Someday Soon (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
City Of New Orleans (Later released on Judith HCA120)
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (In My Life HCA060)
Story Of Isaac (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
My Father (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
The Lovin' Of The Game (Later released on Judith HCA120)
The Hostage (True Stories and Other Dreams HCA110)
Easy Times (Living HCA100)
Anti-War song/poem (unidentified)
Sons Of (Whales and Nightingales HCA090)
Farewell to Tarwathie (Whales and Nightingales HCA090)
Intermission
Famous Blue Raincoat (Living HCA100)
Secret Gardens (True Stories and Other Dreams HCA110)
Out Of Control (Later released on Bread and Roses HCA130)
Houses (Later released on Judith HCA120)
Song For Judith (Open the Door) (Living HCA100)
How'd You Get So Beautiful, So Young (Later released on Judith HCA120 as Song For Duke)
Pirate Ships (Later released on Judith HCA120)
Born To The Breed (Later released on Judith HCA120)
Chelsea Morning (Living HCA100)
Bird On The Wire (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)

Carnegie Hall, New York City, December 19 or 20, 1970, 8:00 PM

Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh, December 12, 1969, 8:30 PM

With Gene Taylor, Bass and Band Leader; Susan Evans, Drums; and Richard Bell, Piano

Philharmonic [now Avery Fisher] Hall, New York City, May 11, 1969, 3:00 PM

With Gene Taylor, Bass and Band Leader; Susan Evans, Drums; and Michael Sahl, Piano

Both Sides Now (Wildflowers HCA070)
Chelsea Morning (Later released on Living HCA100)
My Father (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (In My Life HCA060)
Met You on the Midway (A Joni Mitchell Song that Judy has never recorded)
Since You Asked (Wildflowers HCA070, Judy played piano and sang)
Albatross (Wildflowers HCA070, Judy played piano and sang)
Golden Apples Of The Sun (Golden Apples Of The Sun HCA020, Judy played guitar and sang, no band)
First Boy I Loved (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Hello, Hooray (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Someday Soon (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Poor Immigrant (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Pretty Polly (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Michael From Mountains (Wildflowers HCA070)
It Seems So Long Ago (A Leonard Cohen song I don't think Judy has ever recorded)
La Chanson des vieux amants (Wildflowers HCA070, Judy played piano and sang)
Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Bird on the Wire (Who Knows Where The Time Goes HCA080)
Suzanne (In My Life HCA060, Judy played guitar and sang, no band)

Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Forest Hills, New York, circa Summer 1968

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