Tour Reviews and Other Memories from
LEONARD COHEN WORLD TOUR Spring 2009
Austin, Texas
Set List - April 1, 2009
Per Joey, Road Manager
First Set
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem
Second Set
Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation)
Take This Waltz
Encores
So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Democracy
Lullaby
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest
Austin, Texas
Set List - April 2, 2009
First Set
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem
Second Set
Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation)
Take This Waltz
Encores
So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Democracy
Lullaby
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest
Austin, Texas
Review: Leonard Cohen, night 1 at the Long Center
Leonard Cohen treated us to a night of blue elegance Wednesday night at the Long Center (he plays a second show Thursday night). More than any song, any moment, I’ll savor the evening for its spirit, for its languid, stylish, melancholy tone. That, and the sheer majesty of the Cohen musical canon, laid out over the course of a three-hour concert that featured four encores.
Cohen’s concert wasn’t so much a presentation of songs as a riveting poetry reading with a klezmer-caberet vibe, a little bluesy, a little jazzy and, above all, literate. For decades, his touring bands have taken pride in being “the quietest band in America.” We hear the words. Cohen’s drummer, Austin’s Rafael Gayol, likes to say it can get so quiet you can almost hear dust collide.
Yes.
Cohen, 74, is thinner, grayer, than that “60-year-old kid with a crazy dream” that passed through Austin on the 1988 and 1993 concert tours. But his ocean-deep bass voice - and his will - are strong. There were moments, in the muscular encore tunes “First We Take Manhattan” and “So Long, Marianne” when Cohen sang powerfully over the top of his angelic, swaying troupe of background singers, led by Sharon Robinson. If you shut your eyes: The voice and the energy suggested a singer whose heart was completely in the present, not the past.
There were great moments: “Bird on a Wire” was so delicate, so rich with quiet space and stately grace, timeless as moonlight. “Anthem,” the closer of the first set, was transcendent, orchestral, presented in celestial light. When Cohen sang “Can’t run no more with the lawless crowd/while the killers in high places say their prayers out loud,” it was not with resignation, but with grit and purpose.
Well, let’s see: Charley and Hattie Webb, his two new background singers, coyly removed their jackets - and then spun cartwheels when Cohen sang the line “You’ll see your women hanging upside down” (or was it “the blizzard of the world has overturned your soul”?) during “The Future.” “Hallelujah” drew a standing ovation in the second set.
Cohen’s spoken word rendition of “Recitation with N.L.”, poetry set to quavering synthesized keyboards, was a dramatic highpoint in the second set. There was a huge communal sigh in the house - more striking than any applause - when Cohen ended the first stanza with these words: “my mirrored twin, my next of kin, I’d know you in my sleep/. And who but you would take me in, a thousand kisses deep.”
A last word about the staging, the music, and the role of Cohen’s musical director - bassist Roscoe Beck. After working with Cohen for three decades, Beck has skillfully melded his own sophisticated instincts with Cohen’s lyrical power. Beck likes the blues, and he likes jazz. Both energies were palpable Wednesday. The band’s use of Hammond B-3 organ plays to both the sensual and sacred currents in Cohen’s music.
Beck knows this in his head. We felt it in our hearts. It was a soft, lyrical, lovely night.
Austin, Texas
Recap: Leonard Cohen at the Long Center
Decider Austin
- April 2, 2009 by Sean ONeal
During his Songs Of Love And Hate, “Bard Of Bedsits” era, the notion that Leonard Cohen would one day hold court over his own Las Vegas-style revue would have seemed laughable, as likely a fate as Tony Orlando sitting in with The Velvet Underground. But Cohen has come a long way since then, transforming himself from a dour folk Sartre into the Dapper Don of Doom—less moping and more mordant wit, in keeping with our increasingly cynical times—and so it goes with Cohen’s current tour, his first in 15 years. While it hardly approaches Cher or Celine Dion levels of self-indulgence, there’s a definite sense of well-oiled machinery at play: If you’ve read the reviews or listened to the bootlegs of Cohen’s New York kick-off at Beacon Theatre, you already know what you’re in store for, right down to Cohen’s stage outfit and between-song patter (which, unlike his suit, is apparently not custom-tailored).
Of course, such lack of spontaneity isn’t unexpected (the man is 74, after all), and most fans will no doubt be reassured to know that he’s committed to bringing the same stellar experience to every city on his itinerary. And make no mistake: Cohen’s kick-off of his two-night stand at the Long Center—which doubled as the opening night of his tour—was sublimely crafted, with goosebump-inducing emotional highs that somehow never plateaued despite its near three-hour running time. With a set list numbering around 30 songs and encompassing dozens of favorites from one of the most consistent careers in music, Cohen would have had to work awfully hard to disappoint—and as we’ve already established, Laughin’ Len isn’t so into the “bumming you out” thing these days.
In fact, Cohen seemed downright giddy at times, actually skipping on and off the stage at various points, and even throwing a few cautious (did we mention he’s 74?) shuffles into “The Future.” He spent much of the performance down on one knee—which lent the romantic entreaties of opener “Dance Me To The End Of Love” the appropriate hint of dramatic irony—subservient to the power of his own song. When the moments were especially big, as in the chorus of “Hallelujah,” Cohen cast an overwhelmed, beatific gaze at the balcony, but for the most part he was physically inscrutable: shoulders drawn, eyes cast down behind the brim of his fedora, and hands clasped around the microphone as though it and not he were channeling that gruff and godly voice, a casket-aged croon that oozes seduction even when it’s rumbling about the end of the world.
Cohen presided over a small band of handpicked international musicians that included longtime arranger and Austin’s own Roscoe Beck, the man we have to thank for bringing Cohen here in the first place; vocalist and collaborator Sharon Robinson (co-writer of songs like “Everybody Knows” and “Waiting For The Miracle), who redeemed the Seagram’s ad smooth jazz of “Boogie Street” with a smoky solo turn; and backing vocalists The Webb Sisters, who got their own spotlight with a harp-driven, spine-chilling take on “If It Be Your Will” somewhere around the two-hour mark. At times the arrangements bordered on ostentatious, with far too many saxophone licks and Spanish guitar runs crammed in at every turn, but even these mirrored the strange dichotomy of Cohen’s persona—a hint of heart-on-sleeve ranchera singer here, a touch of coldly detached emcee of the Apocalypse there.
Highlights were many, including a stirring rendition of “Anthem” that conjured church bells where there were none, a wry take on “Chelsea Hotel” that hammered home the brush-off of its final line, a pulse-pounding run through "First We Take Manhattan," and a stark, gut-wrenching “Famous Blue Raincoat” that proved that Cohen still has considerable guitar skills. Throughout it all, Cohen played the gracious host, doffing his hat and beaming after every song as he bowed to the audience, frequently thanking them for being “so kind.” He needn’t have been so humble: The elephant in the room was that each song could and would probably be the last time the crowd would hear Cohen perform it live, which made it difficult to let him go. When the fourth (!) encore came around, Cohen deadpanned the opening line of “I Tried To Leave You” to knowing laughter; when the show ended with an a cappella rendition of “Whither Thou Goest”—preceded by a spoken-word benediction that found Cohen wishing that everyone would “find comfort in family and friends,” and failing that, “blessings in your solitude”—it had taken on the ring of religious ceremony. If only every church service were this emotionally fulfilling, maybe there wouldn’t be so damn many atheists. (But then, who would buy Leonard Cohen albums?)
Austin, Texas
Songs of Love and Hate
Austin Chronicle
- April 3, 2009 by Audra Schroeder (Photo: John Anderson)
Watching Leonard Cohen's 1989 Austin City Limits episode before his second show at the Long Center last night, it's amazing the difference two decades makes. On the studio stage, Cohen is sweating, his voice strong but slightly slurred, no doubt from the tequila he mentions drinking. It's a hit or miss hour from Cohen in his more "experimental" period after 1988's I'm Your Man.
The hints of synthy, New Age schmaltz were gone for the most part Wednesday and Thursday. The impeccably-suited, graceful, and surprisingly limber 74-year-old skipped onstage both nights and delivered two three-hour tours of his oeuvre, including "Famous Blue Raincoat," "So Long, Marianne," and "Tower of Song." The crowd was reverent, tearful, grateful. I'd liken the shows to a religious ceremony, but Cohen might take exception.
Check out next week's paper for a full review by yours truly.
Austin, Texas
Leonard Cohen @ The Long Center, Austin, TX 4/1/09
American Songwriter
- April 28, 2009 by John Gladwin (Photo: Avi Gerver)
Despite his heritage as a French-Canadian, Leonard Cohen’s first of two sold-out concerts at the Long Center in downtown Austin, Texas felt like a homecoming. Cohen clearly has a great affinity for Austin. He has always worked with Austin musicians, and even dedicated the concert to the memory of two local musicians with whom he toured and recorded. The crowd had Austin native Roscoe Beck, Cohen’s current bassist and musical director, to thank for Cohen’s choice to open up his US tour in the Texas capital.
So how does rock’s angst-ridden poet laureate–once described as the most depressing man in show business-come out onto an American stage for the first time in 15 years? Skipping! Donning a fedora and gray pin-stripped suit, Cohen skipped onto stage while his nine-piece band (complete with three female vocalists) played the first bars of “Dance Me to the End of Love.” Cohen bent down on one knee and delivered the first lines to the footlights.
Second was the up tempo title song from 1992’s “The Future.” Never before has a 73 year-old man so convincingly delivered the line, “Give me crack and careless sex/take the only tree that’s left and stuff it up the hole in your culture.” The song came complete with acrobatics. When Cohen sang the line “and the white girls dancing” backing singers the Webb sisters did cartwheels across the stage, as Leonard flashed a grin that seemed to say “Thank Adonai for Viagra.”
While it was a greatest hits show, the concert never felt nostalgic. Cohen unfolded each song with a passion that gave the audience the sense of hearing the songs for the first time. Cohen’s more recent material maintained all its poetry while losing some of the horrifically dated synthesized production that plagued his records during the Eighties and Nineties. Guitarist Javier Mas from Barcelona stole the show with his extraordinary Spanish guitar playing as well as his mastery of the laud, bandurra, and mandolin-giving the band an indescribably timeless quality. Except for the opening song of the second set, “Tower of Song” (which saw Cohen man a keyboard drum loop by himself!), the show was surprisingly synth-free.
Although renowned as the sultan of sorrow in popular music, Cohen showcased his keen sense of humor all night. Before he introducing a song Cohen remarked, “The last time I played a concert in Austin was fifteen years ago. I was sixty at the time. Just a kid with a crazy dream.”
The night had an uncontested air of magic about it, the audience enraptured with every song. Halfway through the first set in the silence before the next song a woman from the balcony yelled “I love you, Leonard!” Cohen looked up grinning-not breaking pace and script he immediately played the chords to the next song and sang the first line to 1967’s “That’s No Way to Say Goodbye”: “I loved you in the morning/ Our kisses sweet and new,” as if it had all been planned.
And most if had been planned. Every move was obviously scripted and every song, story, and funny one-liner had been done all over the world, but it never once felt forced. Cohen seemed to be genuinely humbled and emotional each time he removed his fedora and bowed to the audience’s rapturous applause. Never once did Cohen seem, as so many other performers often do, like he was going through the motions.
Cohen performed with a vitality that is rarely seen today. While the show didn’t have the athleticism of an E Street Band performance, it did have the length. Clocking in just shy of three and a half hours, albeit with a twenty-minute intermission, Cohen showed no signs of slowing down, playing classic after classic. The most poignant moment in the concert came at the very end after (count ‘em) FIVE encores. The band, crew (also wearing ties and fedoras), and staff all came out and sang the hymn “Whither Thou Goest” while Cohen offered up a benediction:
“I don’t know when we’ll meet again. Until then, take care of
yourselves. May you fall on the side of luck. May you be surrounded
by friends and family. And if none of these is yours, may the
blessings find you in your solitude. Thank you so much friends,
Goodnight.”
A performance of understated grandeur and spectacle, Leonard Cohen reminded us that even in a post-Elvis musical culture, where the sexiest, loudest, and brightest is best, a couple of lights and a whisper can still bring the house down. Hallelujah!
Austin, Texas
Blogs, Photos and Other Fan Reports
Blog - "MystiCafe" - "Leonard Cohen"
Cohen had a lot of energy and still has a fantastic voice. He also had a fabulous band backing him up. And he didn’t skimp on the songs he played. The concert was 3 hours long!...
Blog and Photos - "Laura Lea Nalle" - "Leonard Cohen Review"
Cohen, a sprite and limber 74 year old, moves around stage effortlessly, kneeling down as if in prayer numerous times throughout the three-hour show, dancing through the instrumental solos, and skipping on and off stage in between sets and multiple encores. His performance simultaneously invokes the debauchery of a cabaret and the reverence of a monastery...
Blog - "The Inconsiderate Prick" - "Musicalia: Leonard Cohen - Austin, TX (2nd Show)"
What he gave the audience at the Long Center was a three-plus hour masterpiece. There was not a single moment in the show where you felt like you were watching anything less than a living legend who seemed to show no ill effects of being 74 years old. He was nimble on stage, dancing on-and-off stage during his shockingly energetic encore, and worked the audience like a consummate showman...
Blog - "Go Local Austin" - "Leonard Brings the Love to Austin"
...it was an evening of giving and the best concert I’ve ever attended. Perhaps the reason there were so many tears is because we never thought we’d get the chance in our lifetimes to see him.
Photos - Jay Janner's Photo gallery: Leonard Cohen at the Long Center, 04.01.09.
Blog - "spacebeer" - "I believe in Leonard Cohen"
The show was just amazing -- three and a half hours, four encores, and he played almost every song I could possibly want to hear. The band was great,...
Discuss the tour and read fan reviews on The Leonard Cohen Forum and in French on the Leonard Cohen Forum (French site).
Grand Prairie, Texas
Set List - April 3, 2009
First Set
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem
Second Set
Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation)
Take This Waltz
Encores
So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Democracy
Lullaby
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest
Grand Prairie, Texas
Concert Review: Leonard Cohen at Nokia Theatre (April 3)
Friday night, Nokia Theatre was transformed from a mid-sized, 6,000 capacity venue, to an old-school jazz lounge. With the mezzanine closed and the blue lights low, the ambiance was set for a night dedicated to songwriting legend Leonard Cohen.
The crowd was an interesting mix, several of them clad in hats; the signature Cohen fedora among the majority of them. But regardless of what adorned their heads, one and all gathered to hear the famous prose put to music. Immediately as the show began, the surprises followed suit. The star of the show (well into his seventies) was skipping lightheartedly onto the stage to welcome his fans and begin his three-hour presentation.
Playing many old favorites right from the start, each attendee was reintroduced to the raspy bass that makes up Cohen’s one-of-a-kind vocals. The stage was dressed with long, understated curtains, several area rugs, and instruments- both traditional and obscure. Throughout the evening, sounds would come from the likes of a bassoon, mandolin, harp, and an unidentifiable electric clarinet. Throughout his two set show, Cohen sang and read poetry, while intermittently doodling on several instruments. As intermission ended, the frontman started the second half playing what he comically deemed a “sophisticated keyboard.” This sarcastic statement was just one of many during the night, as yet another surprise was realized- this guy has a sense of humor too!
The second set featured many of the tunes from Live in London- Cohen’s first release since 2001. "Suzanne" and "Boogie Streets" were among them, the latter he explained, was co-written by backup vocalist and producer Sharon Robinson. During each number, Cohen’s eyes were closed and his fists clenched, often bending on one knee. Each song was an opportunity to share just a little bit of himself- and he had to make them all count.
The latter half of the show also included perhaps the most familiar Cohen tune - one that has been covered time and time again. And though the most popular version is likely the courtesy of Jeff Buckley, the song took on new meaning hearing it from its original source. There was a greater understanding of what the illusive "Hallelujah" meant to Cohen when he wrote it over twenty years ago.
After the multiple encores ended and bows were taken, the house lights came up and the masses went their separate ways, each of them taking a small piece of Cohen’s musical poetry along for the ride.
Grand Prairie, Texas
Review: Leonard Cohen makes thrilling north Texas debut
DFW.com
- April 4, 2009 by Preston Jones
GRAND PRAIRIE -- Perhaps Leonard Cohen isn't as well known as he should be because he chronicles the agonies and ecstasies of life a little too precisely.
That eye for detail, an endlessly forgiving heart, a droll sense of humor and the great, rumbling baritone were on full display Friday night at Nokia Theatre, a stop on Cohen's first American tour in 15 years and his first-ever appearance in north Texas. For just over three hours, Cohen indulged a fervent, adoring audience with 28 songs, supplicating before his art, which so deftly mixes the profound and the profane.
Cohen's gift for piercing insight places him among the rarest breed of singer/songwriters -- an artist unafraid of the dark places, but perfectly happy to cloak seediness in sunny pop and folk melodies. Augmented by an immaculate nine-piece band, including Austin bassist Roscoe Beck, keyboardist Neil Larsen, guitarist Bob Metzger, drummer Rafael Gayol, saxophonist Dino Soldo, back-up singers Charley and Hattie Webb (whose duet on If It Be Your Will was mesmerizing) and Sharon Robinson and guitarist Javier Mas, Cohen rifled through his catalog, doling out treats like The Future, So Long, Marianne and, of course, the timeless Hallelujah, which proved to be an emotionally charged show-stopper.
At the tender age of 74, Cohen can croon lyrics like "I have tried in my way to be free" and convey a lived-in wisdom only previously suggested. The passage of time and carelessness of memory have always been foremost in Cohen's work; watching him now, cradling his words as though they may shatter before he's finished uttering them, adds a depth and poignancy to even the happiest tunes.
There's a reason other songwriters revere the Canadian troubadour -- he has a knack for bending the simple and sacred back upon themselves, twisting the familiar into breathtaking new forms. Fusing Latin rhythms and the loose, improvisational reflexes of jazz; spine-tingling, multi-part pop harmonies and the rigid structure of poetry, along with sung-spoken refrains of classic folk traditions, Cohen merrily skips across genres, just as he does onto and off of the stage.
Cohen's was a flawless, thrilling performance from the opening moments to the final notes; a brutally beautiful evening of music that only reinforces the emptiness and emphatic hollowness of most modern acts. It's certain when 2009 draws to a close, Cohen's north Texas debut will be remembered as one of the year's finest moments.
"It's been a long time since I stood up on a stage," Cohen said, near the end of the first set. "We're really lucky to be able to gather in places like this." Hallelujah.
Grand Prairie, Texas
Over The Weekend: Leonard Cohen at Nokia Theatre
Dallas Observer
- April 6, 2009 by Pete Freedman
Better than: Pretty much anything.
In total, Leonard Cohen treated his quite adoring audience at the Nokia Theatre to over three hours of music on Friday night: an opening set of an hour and ten minutes, a second set of an hour and fifteen minutes and an encore that seemed to last forever--but, in reality checked in a cool 45 minutes long.
It could have gone longer, though. And, undoubtedly, not a single soul among the captivated crowd would've minded.
This, it was clear from the onset of the performance, was to be a special night, one filled with world-class musicianship and top-notch showmanship, and one that, over the course of the evening, would touch on near every emotion known to man.
For whatever reason, Cohen--the poet, the performer, the golden-voiced crooner--took to the stage at Grand Prairie as if he had something to prove to the fans who'd willingly paid the lofty admission prices to see his show. It was as if he wanted to go far beyond ensuring that the audience got its money's worth from the performance. It was as if he wanted to make sure that, by the time the crowd would leave, there would be no doubt in its mind that Cohen deserves a place in the pantheon alongside the greatest songwriters of all time.
Thing is, by the time he'd hit his set list triplet of "Bird on the Wire", "Everybody Knows" and "In My Secret Life"--a sequence that came just a few songs into his performance--all doubt was already lifted. Everything after that... well, it was just icing on the cake.
Even at 74 years old, this was not a man out to show that he's not just a shadow of his former self. If anything, Cohen's performance confirmed him as a man at the top of his game. Only once--among all the dancing, all the affecting posing, all the falling to his knees in passion, all the skipping on and off stage in glee--did Cohen ever show his age. And, just as quickly as he'd have the audience in near tears later in the evening as he, without warning, launched into a crushingly beautiful take on his "Hallelujah", this particular reveal found the audience responding with uproarious laughter.
"It's been a long time since I've stood on stage," Cohen told the audience. "About 14 or 15 years. I was 60 then. Just a crazy kid with a dream."
But for the audience at the Nokia Theatre, which got a solid leg workout from the number of standing ovations it performed throughout the night, this performance was a dream. The backing band created by bassist/musical director Roscoe Beck taught a lesson in instrumentation, capably backing its frontman with lush, almost-Tejano arrangements and dazzling the audience with its solos, but never overshadowing the man it had paid to see.
Even at the show's end, as Cohen breathlessly thanked everyone involved in the show (right on down to the caterer) more than three hours deep into the night, the act still felt fresh. Mostly, because this performance was everything a touring show should be: a well-practiced, finely tuned presentation perfectly suited to fit the needs of its draw.
It was less of an on-stage improvisation, more of a tight, professionally packaged spectacle. If anything, the entire show just felt unreal--like attending the taping of Cohen's last-ever show, and not just another stop on his current, lengthy (and likely last?) tour. I dunno, it just felt...special. And important. It's a rare occurrence to be able to understand as much about something as you're witnessing it. But that was the case on Friday night.
I kinda wish it was a taping, actually. This was a show worth taking home and keeping.
Grand Prairie, Texas
Blogs and Other Fan Reports
Blog - "Radio UTD Blog" - " Live - Leonard Cohen @ Nokia Theatre"
...Cohen donned a cowboy hat for his final number, flirtatiously declaring “I’ve tried to leave you a hundred times…” Afterward, he gave the audience his humble gratitude and leapt from the stage one last time. He gave everyone a lot to remember.
Blog - "Memoirs of an Aussie Living in the USA" - " A night in Grand Prairie, TX with the masterful poet...born with the gift of a golden voice....Mr. Leonard Cohen..."
Cohen and his 'support' musicians...who are talented artists in their own right...openly showed a respect for each other. It's the first concert I have been to where there was a standing ovation during the first song...in fact as soon as he came on the audience stood. To finish the night he had four encores of seven songs...it was like he didn't want it to end.
Blog - "Brittle Road" - "Leonard Cohen Live in Dallas"
When I heard his music and saw him and his band, it was nothing short of transformational. He picked his band extraordinarily well...
Blog - "Art Dog Blog" - "Leonard Cohen At The Nokia Grand Prairie"
Last night I saw the best concert of my life. At 46 I have been fortunate to see some legendary performers over the years including Elvis, Dylan, Cash and recently Joan Baez. Nobody I have seen before can touch Mr. Cohen's performance last night and his band was amazing...
Discuss the tour and read fan reviews on The Leonard Cohen Forum and in French on the Leonard Cohen Forum (French site).
Phoenix, Arizona
Set List - April 5, 2009
First Set
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem
Second Set
Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation)
Take This Waltz
Encores
So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Democracy
That Don't Make It Junk
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest
Phoenix, Arizona
Legendary Leonard Cohen energetic at the Dodge
Less than a week after releasing a terrific live concert on CD and DVD, poet-cum-musician-cum-Buddhist monk-cum-resurgent performer Leonard Cohen recreated the experience for a fawning Dodge Theatre crowd Sunday night.
But while the set list was nearly identical and even some of the between-song banter was the same, Cohen trumped the show recorded nine months ago in London with more energy and decisively better vocals.
Accompanied by six virtuoso musicians and three beautiful backup singers, the 74-year-old Cohen held the stage for 3 hours and 16 minutes, pausing only for a 27-minute intermission just over an hour into the show, and again for about 2 minutes offstage before the encore.
From the opening bars of "Dance Me to the End of Love" to the benediction of "Whither Thou Goest," Cohen showed more energy than most of his audience, whose ages ranged an impressive seven decades. He often began songs on one knee, at times played organ and guitar, and left the stage only briefly several times late in the show, skipping or dancing offstage only to return a moment later.
In the process, he outlasted the tolerance of many in the crowd for more babysitter pay or, in some cases old and young, for bedtime.
Cohen's performance included droll humor, enchanting poetry readings, and his noted role as the lusty Barry White of the Greenwich Village set. His plunging baritone delivered his often-Hemingway-esque takes on the trials and triumphs of passion and lust, with lines over which he is known to spend weeks and that often brought murmurs, chuckles or even applause from the appreciative audience.
Equally impressive was his band. Javier Mas played an assortment of 12-string guitar and bandurria that gave much of the music an old Spanish flavor. Dino Soldo played an assortment of wind instruments to great effect, and Bob Metzger's electric guitar solos were brief but exquisite. Bassist Roscoe Beck, drummer Rafael Gayol and keyboardist Neil Larsen joined the others in not only getting their own solos, but being introduced in both the first and second sets by Cohen.
The singers were led by Cohen's longtime collaborator, Sharon Robinson, who also took a sultry solo turn on "Boogie Street." The Webb Sisters, from England, filled out the sound with angelic voices, including a performance of Cohen's "If It Be Your Will," which he opened with a spoken-word intro.
The lighting was low-key and gorgeous, the sound perfect, and the interplay between musicians so precise yet casual that even looking hard for flaws turned up nothing. In his fifth decade as a performer, Cohen didn't miss a beat.
The crowd saved its biggest cheers for songs from Cohen's album "The Future," including the title track, the rousing "Anthem" and a rollicking "Closing Time." If the singer, who had to leave his Buddhist monastery and return to performing after being swindled by his accountant, had any doubts about his relevance to fans nearly 17 years after that career landmark, their reaction laid those to rest.
Phoenix, Arizona
Perfection on Stage, Leonard Cohen Captivates Audience at Dodge
Phoenix New Times
- April 6, 2009 by Stephen Chilton
There are few artists in the same league as Leonard Cohen. Even Lou Reed has placed the poet and songwriter in the "highest and most influential echelon of songwriters." There are few as respected as revered Cohen and yet he has been able to maintain an air of distance and mystery between himself and the world. And after over a decade away from the limelight he graced us in the Valley with a performance only he could deliver last night.
It has been fifteen years since Leonard Cohen has done a concert tour of America, since when as he put it last night "I was just 60 years old, just a kid with a crazy dream," one of the few times he spoke between songs taking a brief second to explain his latest outing. And at 74 years of age now his set was as lively and powerful as many performers a third his age. Cohen skipped on and off stage, got down on his knees several times and danced on stage like a kid.
Cohen played a captivating three hour set, leading a incredible 9 piece band through at least 27 of his songs with only a brief intermission. One of the only other times he spoke between songs was to introduce his band at the end of each half of the set. The band was lead by bassist Roscoe Beck, with Javier Mas from Barcelona on bandurria and laúd giving the songs a Spanish flair. Dino Soldo played saxophones, keyboards and many other wind instruments often turning what was a originally a string part into a woodwind part. Neil Larson played piano and keyboards often setting the mood while Choen spoke or introduced songs, Bob Metzger on guitar and steel guitar and Rafael Gayol from Mexico City on drums with the most amazing precision. Sharon Robinson, Cohen's long time collaborator and co-writer led The Webb Sisters, the English Hattie and Charley Webb, in backing vocals as well as singing a solo rendition of "Boogie Street." The band was perfect from start to close.
The show was almost identical the show last year in London, recently released as a CD and DVD. The set started with "Dance Me To The End Of Love" and featured "The Future" "Everybody knows," "Chelsea Hotel No.2" and "Anthem" before the brief intermission. After the intermission, which was only an hour into the 3 hour set, Cohen preformed "Suzanne" mostly buy himself on acoustic guitar while the band step away. In that second half he preformed "Hallelujah" dropping to both knees to rise in a dramatic motion fitting of the moving music. The second half also included a solo reading of his poem "A Thousand Kisses Deep."
His nine song encore included such classic as "Democracy" "Closing Time" "I Tried To Leave You." The encore left the audience on their feet and in suspense for much off the time with Cohen teasing the crowed after songs skipping of stage several times leading the audience to believe it could be the end of the set only to come back out into one more number and then another. Half way through the encore, the whole band followed Cohen off stage. He returned to with only Hattie and Charley Webb and Neil Larson. The four did a moving rendition of "If It Be Your Will" started off by Cohen reciting the lyrics flowed by The Webb Sisters signing the song to Harp, acoustic guitar and Larson's piano before the full band returned to do four more numbers.
Even at the end of his set Cohen was pure class. After the final song, the appropriate "Whither Thou Goest," Cohen brough his crew on stage and thanked all his musicians and the crew by name before thanking the audience and taking one final bow. It may be a long time be for a talent that classy walks on that stage.
Phoenix, Arizona
Leonard Cohen - Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ 4/5/09
Glide Magazine
- April 8, 2009 by Shane Handler (Photo: Robert Yager)
There was a point in the middle of Leonard Cohen’s performance at the Dodge Theater where he admitted, “I’m very grateful to you all for keeping my songs alive after all these years. “ This was rightfully so, considering his last tour was back in '94, as fifteen years is a long time to wait for this brilliant mind and voice to recreate his songs on the live stage.
The dapper 74 year old, garmented in a fedora and tailored suit made like the consummate gentleman while soaking up the crowds' praises through numerous standing ovations amongst receipts of rose bouquets and chocolate treats. Clearly, Cohen knows his songs are special – but his leading man stage presence cried an enchanting sophistication and a maturity that only this Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, novelist, Buddhist monk come reborn live artist could deliver to his long-awaiting fan-base. Cohen sounded in top notch form both vocally and physically: his baritone still a modern spectacle, as he proudly sang during “Tower of Song” much to the crowd’s approval, “I was born like this/I had no choice I was born with the gift of a golden voice.” While his work holds prophetic leanings atop biblical references and insightful analogies, (“there’s a crack in everything/that’s how the light gets in”), it was hard not to compare Cohen’s voice to a denominational quality.
As he tipped his hat and bowed to his band mates during introductions, sang on bended knee or skipped onto stage in between encores, Cohen proved himself quite the showman. For those that missed it, his newly released live concert CD/DVD – Live in London – contains many of the same stage banter that he cracked in Phoenix – such as a playful nod to his past prescription drug habits or tinkering with his advanced age. Despite the used jokes, Cohen was unique and welcoming, and most importantly portrayed his mysterious persona through the somber tone of “Everybody Knows,” the foreboding “Who By Fire” and the prophetic “Anthem.”
Accompanied by six ‘top of the shop’ musicians and three smooth backup singers, Cohen flawlessly ruled the stage for three hours and fifteen minutes, with only a twenty-five minute intermission break. It was so much for retirement, as the icon displayed more energy than most of his thirty/forty something audience, proving his upcoming Coachella headlining gig is no joke.
And although Cohen was the star, his band-mates were the MVPs. Led by musical director Roscoe Beck on bass, Neil Larsen provided subtle and rich chops on the Hammond B3, giving Cohen’s songs a cinematic touch. Javier Mas delivered an old Spanish flavor though a variety of 12-string guitar and bandurria, while Dino Soldo’s wind instruments were bold and Bob Metzger's electric guitar was reminiscent of Mark Knopfler’s smooth tone. Cohen's longtime collaborator, Sharon Robinson, led the Webb Sisters on background vocals and provided jazzy lead vocals herself on "Boogie Street."
The highlights were many within the resounding versions of the classics and spoken poetry, but the climax was a rousing version of “Hallelujah” that had to have brought a goose-bump to nearly every attendee as Cohen sang “I've seen your flag on the marble arch/Love is not a victory march/It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah” in a trembling and deepening exalt. It’s not often an artist gets a mid-set standing ovation, but for this rendition and the entire grand evening of the Leonard Cohen song book, it was truly deserving and long overdue.
Phoenix, Arizona
Blogs and Other Fan Reports
Blog - Duke City Fix - ""Too bad Burque doesn't have a venue that would accomodate this show"
Cohen returned again and again to his knees in front of the fiery Javier Mas, who spurted sparks from his fingers as he invoked gypsy players in smoky camps, with breathtaking bandurría runs that seemed to echo from a distant time across misty water...
Blog - Flickr cobalt123 - ""I've seen the future, baby: it is murder"
Thank you to Leonard Cohen. From the deepest emotional life ("my secret life") his words, music and poetry have led me to places and thoughts that discover worlds beyond now...
Discuss the tour and read fan reviews on The Leonard Cohen Forum and in French on the Leonard Cohen Forum (French site).
San Diego, California
Set List - April 7, 2009
First Set
Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
Anthem
Second Set
Tower Of Song
Suzanne
Gypsy Wife
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation)
Take This Waltz
Encores
So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Democracy
That Don't Make It Junk
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest
San Diego, California
SENIOR MOMENT: Leonard Cohen triumphs at his first San Diego concert since 1993
Several near-miraculous things occurred during Leonard Cohen's victorious Copley Symphony Hall concert last night, starting with the fact that he was even here after a 15-year touring hiatus. From his sly, seductive opening song, "Dance Me to the End of Love," to his final encore, the a cappella hymn, "Wither Thou Goest," the 74-year-old Cohen enchanted with the decade's most unexpected, and gratifying, comeback.
Just as welcome was the hushed attention with which the multigenerational audience listened throughout the three-hour-plus performance by the legendary Canadian poet/songwriter. It was a most refreshing anomaly during this amped-up era of fleeting attention spans, when loud chatter by clueless blowhards has become de rigeur at concerts large and small, no matter the style of music.
Tuesday's final near-miracle was the sterling audio quality achieved by Cohen and his three-woman, six-man band. Copley Symphony Hall is notoriously unfriendly to amplified, non-orchestral music, as has been painfully demonstrated at shows there by such disparate artists as Mark Knopfler, Pete Townshend and Joe Cocker.
The secret? Keep the volume low, not high, and spend as many hours as necessary to do a thorough pre-show sound check to ensure well-balanced fidelity throughout the venue.
The near-capacity audience of 2,112 didn't hesitate to demonstrate its enthusiasm after each selection and gave Cohen multiple standing ovations during the two-part concert. But they listened to nearly all of the 28 songs in a state of reverent contemplation perhaps better suited to an especially stirring church sermon.
Then again, hearing Cohen perform with such refinement and vigor was inspirational. "I've never spent that much money in my life," said Virgina Marie, who paid $226 for her eighth-row-center seat, "but it was worth every penny."
Cohen didn't address the crowd at length until after his ninth song, an exquisite "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye." Noting that his previous tour ended in 1994, he quipped: "I was 60 years old then, just a kid with a crazy dream."
He was equally captivating whether essaying such early classics as 1968's "Suzanne" and "So Long, Marianne," or adding sly new twists to more recent songs, such as 2001's the existential country weeper "That Don't Make It Junk" and "1,000 Kisses Deep."
While spontaneity has never been his strong suit, there were surprises, be it Cohen's bluesy one-fingered keyboard solo on "Tower of Song" (which he recited as his acceptance speech lkast year after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) or the joint cartwheels executed midsong by vocalists Hattie and Charley Webb during "The Future" (another of those perky laments that is a Cohen specialty).
His deep voice and limited range have improved since he quit smoking earlier in the decade, and his singing seemed to grow stronger as the concert progressed. (Here's a man who's still working for a smile, he sang to loud cheers during "I Tried to Leave You," the concert's penultimate song.) Accordingly, his fastidiously crafted songs of love and hate, spiritual devotion and earthy despair, sounded both timeless and timely.
Where artists one-third his age often perform for a third as long before calling it a night, Cohen did his best to offer at least a partial overview of his 41-year musical career in an unhurried manner. He introduced each member of his band during both the first and second halves of the concert, using virtually the identical wording each time, and even thanked "Lisa Blue," the lady tasked with taking care of the fedoras worn on stage by him and most of his band and road crew members. (Ever the gentleman, Cohen removed his hat every time one of his musical colleagues had a solo spot, then put it back on before he resumed singing.)
Thanks in large part to his ace band and his musical director, ex-Robben Ford/Eric Johnson bassist Roscoe Beck, the pinpoint arrangements embellished Cohen's austere melodies without ever becoming overwrought.
Javier Mas, the band's most virtuosic member, added exotic Arabic music touches with his sterling playing on the lute-like laud, archilaud and bandurria, while Dino Soldo made up for his slick, smooth-jazz sax work with harmonica solos that variously evoked Stevie Wonder, Toots Thielemans and Charlie McCoy.
Like the Webb sisters, former Ann Margret singer Sharon Robinson added soulful elan. But Cohen's unadorned voice, worn but not tattered, said everything he needed to. For him, less is not only more, it's everything, especially when it comes to singing the vivid words he has lived so poignantly for much of his lifetime.
San Diego, California
Blogs and Other Fan Reports
Blog - silly sally says - ""Leonard Cohen Concert"
Leonard was amazing...
Discuss the tour and read fan reviews on The Leonard Cohen Forum and in French on the Leonard Cohen Forum (French site).
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