Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

[jarkko]

The following advance notice is posted with Leonard's permission.

Leonard Cohen will be touring with his band in
Canada and US in May and in Europe in the summer.
More details will be announced in February.

UPDATE ON FEBRUARY 22: The tour schedule will be announced
on March 11 on this Forum & at The Leonard Cohen Files.

[Davido]

OH, YESSSS!

[Anne]

Very exciting news.

[Tony]

Let's hope we can get tickets! It would be a shame if any forum members miss out, having been longtime fans.

[John Etherington]

Better take my "diamond" to the pawnshop!

Thanks, John E

[Patyou]

Thanks Jarkko

Any idea about the band ?

Pat

[kokenpere]

Wonderful News


Michael

[bigdee]

What a glorious day this is, finally an offical tour announcement after 15 years of wishful thinking. I was 13 years old when I discovered Leonard in 1993. I mananaged to get to see him in Philadelphia in July of that year after months of begging my mom to buy the tickets and drive to the concert. Before the concert mom was not into Leonard and really didn't want to go at all. Leonard won her over at that concert and ever since she has been a favorite of hers. At the time of the concert I only owned 2 albums on tape "I'm Your Man" and "The Future" so much of the concert was new material for us. I didn't have a CD player yet so the day after the concert I got mom to take me out to the local record store to order the only 2 other tapes that were availble here in the USA at that time ("Songs of LC" and "Best of"). When they came in and I played them I was shocked at what I heard coming out of the speakers. Instead of the gruff deep voice against the backdrop of drum machines and keyboards I was expecting, I was presented with a young Leonard with his softer voice and guitar for the first time. If not for songs I remembered from the concert I would have thought there were 2 different Leonard Cohens and I bought the wrong one. Anyway after a few more months of searching through old magazines and new paper clippings on microfilm down at the local library to find out everything I could on Leonard, I came to the conclusion that he toured usually once ever 4 years. That being the case he would most likely come around again in 1997 which would also be the year I would turn 17 and get my drivers license. My grand plan in my head back then was to hope he waited until I was out of school in the summer of that year before he toured. Then I'd be able to drive to different cities to catch as many shows as time and, more importantly back then, money would allow me to see. Now here it is 11 years after the summer of 97 came and went and finally there is a tour announcement. Back then I had the time but was worried about not having the money to be able to make my grand plan work. Now I have a great career going for me and the money in the bank to make it work but doubt if I'll have the time. Such is the pains of growing up. Hopefully I'll be able to get time off to see at least one of the shows here in the USA. Either way it's good to hear others who have discovered Leonard in recent years will finally get the chance to experience a live concert. Come on May!!!!

PS Jarkko: Any word on who is going to be in his new touring band or is that one of the things to be announced in Feb? I'm an avid collector of all the old concert recordings out there, and of all the past musicians he's had with him over the years I'm hoping he'll have John Bilezikjian with him again for this tour. For me the 79-80 and 88 tours were the most enjoyable to hear and for the most part it was always John's Oud playing that stood out on these recordings. So needless to say it would be wonderful to actually see him work his magic in person!

[John Etherington]

Hi bigdee,

Great story...I suspect you may be the only person in existence who got into Leonard at thirteen and converted their mother! I discovered Leonard when I was seventeen, but fortunately the year was 1968. I've been lucky enough to see Leonard 15 times in London (I only ever missed two shows) plus I also saw him at the Isle of Wight. Ironically, I was doing well in my business in 1997 and would have had no problem travelling widely to see Leonard. However, I'm currently at an all-time low financially, so it will not be so easy this time.

All good things, John E

[Paula]

That is just the best news. I am over the moon. How does it fit in with the Event Jarkko?

Best news all year.

[Tony]

Maybe Led Zeppelin could be persuaded to be the backing band?

[opendoor]

Hi John -

I think you hold the world's record on the number of Leonard's concerts you have attended. Unfortunately, our economic situations are very similar. It's hard to believe that the last time I saw Leonard was nearly 33 years ago. It would be great to see him again - I hope the venues are somewhat close to home and ticket prices reasonable. I'm glad Leonard isn't in the same ticket pricing league as Milley Cyrus/Hannah Montana. That would be a tragedy for you and me.

Regardless of my ability to see him, I wish the best for Leonard and his band with Tour 2008.

opendoor

[Joney]

Great news. I keep having to read Jarkko's post over and over to make sure it is true. Plans for my Summer holidays will have to be put on hold until I know when / where the concerts will be. I really hope I can get a ticket.

[bigdee]

Hi John,
You're probably right. I remember at the concert several people came up to mom before the show and starting asking her questions about her interests in Leonard and saying things like "how nice to see a mom trying to sharing her music interests with her son", assuming she drug me to the show and not the other way around. I know they were surprised when she said she really didn't know anything about him or his music and that it was me that forced her into going to the show. As for what they actually said afterward to her I don't know because I tried to get away a fast as I could when I saw anyone talking to her. Nothing is more embarassing to a 13 year old than to have to stand there while his mother and strangers make a fuss over him saying "how mature he is for his age to like Leonard" and things like that. After the first encounter that night I tried to stay as far away from mom when she was talking to people as possible. I tried to wander around in the hopes of finding someone my own age to hang out with but everyone else I saw looked to be much older. I know I saw a few people that were probably in their early 20's and out on a date but everyone else looked to be at least 30+. I'm probably wrong, but, I think my young age may have been spotted by Leonard and/or the band during the show and they sent someone to investigate. That is at least according to my moms account of the night anyway. We were sitting about 15 rows from the front of the stage and I was in the last seat at the end of the row. I remember during Leonard's solo set the guitar player, Bob Metzger, misteriously came out from around the side of the stage and started walking up the row towards the back of the theater all the time staring at me. When he got about 2 rows from us he stopped looked at us for a moment like he was thinking of something to say and then turned around and went back up the row and disappered behind the stage again. I'm sure he was probably only going to get a beer or something like that during the break and changed his mind. But mom noticed him staring and, being a mother, got it in her head that he must have came out to look at her special boy that came to see the show. I think she spent almost the whole ride home that night talking about it. Now that I think of it, I wonder what my mom enjoyed more that night? Was it the concert or all the attention she got for being there with me? Something for us to talk about the next time we have dinner together. I have a lot of stories I could tell about what it was like being a kid who likes Leonard. Any publishers out there interested in a book deal let me know and I'll get working on a first draft, LOL!!!

[John Etherington]

Hi bigdee,

Thanks for telling us the rest of the story....it's always good to hear these things. Have you seen the thread "Looking for the Youngest
Listener to LC"? it's just over a third of the way down on the second page of the "Leonard Cohen Music" section.

All good things, John E