GOD'S REPRESENTATIVE HERE ON EARTH
I refer to Leonard Cohen.
Three weeks ago tonight I was able to fulfill a dream of decades standing. I was able to attend a performance of Leonard Cohen. I function slowly after getting back by 3:00 am, but if I retain a portion of Leonard Cohen's stamina (and attractiveness) at his age, I'll be pleased. As I last had a chance to see Cohen in 1970 (and did not because I did not want to hitchhike for three hundred miles) I finally redressed that mistake.
The Savoy holds about 800 people and one ghost. It is not opulent but the seats are comfortable. The audience ranged from twenties to eighties and indeed raucously applauded and stood many times for many songs (the setlist is included).
Leonard was fabulous, as were the singers and musicians. There was straight-out music with little patter - he performed more than two hours. Great lighting (he takes his own sound and lights with him). Quick and light humour interspersed: "The last time I was on tour was when I was sixty - just a kid full of dreams."
If anything his voice got stronger as the night went on. Not a falter nor mis-que. Each musician had a number of solos (within the songs themselves).
Although I was in the balcony, the sweet, sensuous, slinky lady beside me (who did - it must be admitted - punctuate many a song with "woohoo") lent me her binoculars to watch some of the performance - particularly when Leonard encored with "First We Take Manhattan, Then We Take Berlin" and I exclaimed "Now I can die happy" and she said: "Here, you better have these."
And the full moon on the ocean was fine, too.
May 20, 2008
Setlist is identical to the last few.
1st set:
1. Dance Me To The End Of Love
2. The Future
3. Ain't No Cure For Love
4. Bird On The Wire
5. Everybody Knows
6. In My Secret Life
7. Who By Fire
8. Anthem
2nd set:
9. Tower Of Song
10. Suzanne
11. The Gypsy's Wife
12. Boogie Street
13. Hallelujah
14. Democracy
15. I'm Your Man
16. A Thousand Kisses Deep (recital)
17. Take This Waltz
Encore #1
18. Heart With No Companion
19. So Long, Marianne
20. First We Take Manhattan
Encore #2
21. That Don't Make It Junk
22. Closing Time
Encore #3
23. I Tried to Leave You
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Alex Grant says:
I'm your man
Dale -
have you seen "I'm your man"? I have loved this guy since the get-go.
Alex
Dale Estey says:
I'M YOUR MAN AND MORE
Hi, Alex:
Yes. I happily received the DVD as a Christmas present.
Have you seen Leonard's "music video" on Youtube? It's called "I Am A Hotel", which was made as a TV project a number of years ago. This is the first place I have seen it since.
Also, Youtube has some - rather poor - videos from his present world tour. Alas, none from the performance I attended. There are some videos from his tour on his web site, and some great stills from Glace Bay (where I saw him).