As an only 40 year old listner and lover of the still hip style of Mr. Cohen, I have to thank you, Mr. Kamiya for this article. I'm still tripping over your nicely laid down "revenges planned by the whirligig of time" line.

While in an entirely different frame of mind than Leonard, no less thoughtful and nakedly beautiful, Gary.

Thanks.

I was there at the Paramount on Tuesday night. You brought back all the emotion of that generous performance.

It was a profound experience, and an honor and a gift to be there.

when I was a senior in college, although I was familiar with some of his songs before then, and have followed him ever since. I loved the poetry and religiousity of his lyrics--the music was always secondary. He's one of a couple of performers who appeals to both me and my husband, who's Russian and shares Cohen's darker sensibilities (the other was the late Warren Zevon).

We saw Cohen in Los Angeles this past Saturday and our concert experience was similar to yours. There is something almost prayer-like about many of his songs, drawing from the more mystic strains of Judaism (Who by Fire, which he sang in LA, is based on one of the Yom Kippur prayers) with a touch of Zen. Cohen's work is not always easily approachable--no sunny American optimism here--but is always worth the effort. We too walked out of the concert floating on air, thinking this was likely his farewell tour, and thankful we didn't miss out.

.... an absolutely fabulous story. thank you.

Fine piece of writing!

As another poster wrote, it really was an honor to be there.

I had the pleasure of seeing him again 2 weeks ago in San Diego. I just hope that when (if?) I get to be his age I can still contemplate those " aches in the places that I used to play". The performance was a luminous confirmation that Leonard is the troubadour of our times.

His voice certainly wasn't what it was back in the late 80s when I first heard him live, but to hear him croon: " ..It's coming like the tidal flood beneath the lunar sway, imperial, mysterious, in amorous array ..." as he intones over the state of "democracy" (1991) in the world in general & the US of A in particular was just sublime.

Truly a timeless man informing the world with timeless words.

You really did him justice. I've followed him since the very beginning but have always managed to miss his live performances -- including this one. Your review was the next best thing. I felt like I was there.

leonard review



So much to digest. the songs are still singing themselves all around me today.. All these years I have heard Cohen more or less by himself on records and cds... this wonderfully ironic, baritone voice dishing out his take on romance, love, authority, sacrifice, sex, loneliness, beauty, you know in a word LIFE.. and now to finally see Leonard Cohen in the flesh at 74 with a 10 piece back up band, and I mean a rockin, smoking back up band playing song after song of so many that I love well it was lets just say Outstanding.

Cohen is a great performer. He looks like a cross between a film noir screen star and an old time song and dance man. He tipped his hat in homage to his musicians work everytime they took a solo as if to say; Thank you for giving me the time of my life. I mean here is a guy that was in the monkhood for 5 years , comes out and sees his money squandered away.. How do you handle that in a zen like manner? Well Leonard has come to a place now at 74 where he is truly tripping the light fantastic because he looks absolutely overjoyed to be singing these songs. He did not talk much at all between songs except to say that he has been on wellbutrin, effexor, ritalin, paxil, prozac, gone to the zen monastary to try and solve his constant agitation.. He is happy to report that "cheerfulness kept breaking thru."

He does not just sing his songs, he is almost acting them. He will go up to the musicians as they are playing and doff his hat and say the lines while the musician will talk back to him with a riff on a harmonica or pedal steel guitar.. very much like a jazz performer. He is so chameleon like. On the song If it be your will, I felt like the rabbi was speaking to me; On the song Waiting for the Miracle, I felt like he was rousing the gospel choir; On the song; Chelsea Hotel,, he was Dylanesque. Bird on a Wire was masterfully arranged. He sang it exquisitely. When he sang Hallelulyah, the audience rocked and sang along and it indeed felt like choirs in church...the best gospel choirs. Cohen had some great ways of introducing his musicians; "the prince of precision, our great time keeper" for the drummer. "The master of breath" for the saxophone and clarinetist, and harmonica player, "the soulful tunesmith" for the steel guitar player. "the sublime sounds of the webb sisters" for the back up vocals and "incomparable" for Sharon Robinson his co writer and collaborator on Everybody knows and First we take Manhattan and a few others. He offered 3 hours of pure music and the amazing things is he seemed to be ready for more.. Maybe this is what he has been preparing for all these years, to really be in the public eye.. I have no idea. He did not look like the reluctant zen coming out of retirement but more like the suave, smooth guy at the bar saying; Let me sing you this one ok? I know you're gonna really like this one......"

Set list:

“Dance Me to the End of Love”

“The Future”

“Ain’t No Cure for Love”

“Bird on a Wire”

“Everybody Knows”

“In My Secret Life”

“Who by Fire”

“Chelsea Hotel”

“Waiting for the Miracle”

“Anthem”

Set break

“Tower of Song”

“Suzanne”

“The Gypsy’s Wife”

“The Partisan”

“Boogie Street”

“Hallelujah”

“I’m Your Man”

“A Thousand Kisses Deep”

“Take This Waltz”

Encore:

“So Long Marianne”

“First We Take Manhattan”

Encore 2:

“Famous Blue Raincoat”

“If It Be Your Will”

“Democracy”

Encore 3:

“Lullabye”

“Closing Time’

Encore 4:

“I Tried to Leave You”

“Whither Thou Goest”