Rolling Stone News on Leonard Cohen

[Yankovic]

http://www.rollingstone.com/

Leonard Cohen Takes Manhattan, January 13, 2009 5:00 PM
http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/smoki ... hattan.php



It's official! Master songwriter Leonard Cohen will play his first U.S. show in fifteen years!


The gig is booked at New York's Beacon Theater for February 19th.


Last year Cohen played incredible gigs in Canada and Europe, and our colleague Andy Greene trekked up to Toronto last June to see Cohen's performance.


Here's what Andy has to say:


"Imagine how awesome it would be to see Leonard Cohen in concert, then multiply that by a thousand. The audience is stunned and mesmerized. He's got the greatest band, and when he comes out and sings, 'First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin,' it will send a chill up the back of everyone in the theater. He's 74 -- older than Elvis would be if he were still alive -- but he played for nearly three hours. 'Where Is My Gypsy Wife' was maybe the single greatest live performance I've ever seen."


Sounds pretty good!


Tickets go on sale on Friday at 9:00 am, via Ticketmaster.

Leonard Cohen Returns To U.S. Stage After 15 Years With Beacon Theatre Concert
1/14/09, 12:42 pm EST
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... e-concert/



Singer-songwriter, poet and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leonard Cohen will perform at New York’s Beacon Theatre on February 19th, marking the famed Canadian’s first show in the States in 15 years. Cohen returned to touring after a long hiatus last year with concerts throughout Canada and Europe highlighted by a headlining slot at the Glastonbury festival. The singer is now performing in Australia and New Zealand.

As we hypothesized in our review of Cohen’s Toronto concert from June, Cohen likely only came out of retirement after his manager fleeced him out of his life savings. Still, as we put it then, “Like a master bank robber forced out of retirement for one last gigantic score, Cohen poured everything he had into a stunning performance.” Cohen had previously been so adverse to playing live, he didn’t even perform at his own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

But finally, after waiting since 1993, Cohen makes his return to the U.S. There’s already speculation that this Beacon date will blossom into a full tour of the States, but nothing of yet has been confirmed. Still, this might be the last chance for New Yorkers to see the great Cohen live, as we predicted back in June, “When it’s done he’ll probably return to Los Angeles with a dump truck full of money and never perform again.” Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday, January 16th at 9 a.m.

After 15 Years, Leonard Cohen Proves He’s Still Got It in Toronto
6/9/08, 11:02 am EST
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... n-toronto/



Walking into the Sony Centre for Leonard Cohen’s Toronto concert on June 6th people had plenty of reasons to think the show might be a disappointment. The 73-year-old songwriting legend hadn’t performed a single concert in 15 years before this tour kicked off a few weeks back. He’s rarely been seen in public since then, and when he showed up at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction earlier this year he looked pretty meek and refused to perform. Also, it’s quite clear the only reason he agreed to do this tour was the fact his manager stole nearly all his money during his five years Buddhist retreat on Mount Baldy in California and he needed a nest egg for retirement. Yet, like a master bank robber forced out of retirement for one last gigantic score, Cohen poured everything he had into a stunning performance.

Cohen walked onstage with a nine-piece band promptly at 8:00, wearing a dark, double-breasted suit and a fedora — he looked like he just stepped out of the Dick Tracy retirement home. From the first seconds of “Dance Me to the End of Love” it was apparent that his deep baritone hadn’t deteriorated a bit since the 1993 tour. It’s a far cry from the tender voice that sang “Suzanne” 40 years ago, but he’s sounded husky for a while now and it suits his dark material perfectly. The band — featuring an amazing Hammond B3 organist and his longtime back-up singer Sharon Robinson — re-created the spooky atmosphere of his albums down to the smallest detail.

Cohen played a handful of his 1960s/early-1970s classics such as “Suzanne” and “Bird on a Wire,” but the set list was heavily tilted towards material from the second 20 years of his career. He featured six of the eight songs from 1988’s I’m Your Man, along with five from 1992’s The Future and four from 2000’s Ten New Songs. It was a drag not hearing “Famous Blue Raincoat” or “So Long Marianne,” but the later songs have always sounded better live. A double shot of “Waiting for the Miracle” and “First We Take Manhattan” towards the end of the night were clear highlights and “I’m Your Man” remains one of the horniest songs ever written — though delivered with the class and wit only Cohen can bring.

The biggest applause of the night came in the early part of the second set when he launched into “Hallelujah.” Since his last tour, the 1984 tune has been covered by just about everyone on the planet (including American Idol hopeful Jason Castro) and has become his most famous composition. John Cale, Rufus Wainwright and (of course) Jeff Buckley all managed to eclipse the original, and tonight Cohen sang it like he was trying to reclaim it for himself. The lines “Even thought it all went wrong I stood before the Lord of Song with nothing on my lips but Hallelujah” were belted out with stunning force and conviction. Equally powerful was the title track to The Future, though for some reason “Give me crack, anal sex” has become “Give me crack, careless sex.” “Democracy” took on new meaning during the weekend Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign, and the line “Democracy is coming to the USA” earned huge cheers from the Canadian crowd.

“My friends are gone and my hair is grey,” Cohen sang in “Tower of Song.” He wrote those when he was merely 53, and 20 years later those words are truer than ever. But the Leonard Cohen onstage didn’t seem anything like an old man pining for the past. After two and a half hours, he still returned for the encores with a huge grin on his face. The man may be older than Jerry Lee Lewis and John McCain, but other than the times he sang verses while awkwardly squinting at the ground (presumably at a teleprompter) that was very easy to forget. His touring schedule is brutal (this was night one of a four-consecutive-night stand) and pretty soon he’ll be bouncing around Europe like a madman. When it’s done he’ll probably return to Los Angeles with a dump truck full of money and never perform again. Still, it’s a hell of a way to go out.

Rock Hall Inductee Leonard Cohen Announces First Tour Since 1993
3/11/08, 9:40 am EST
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... ince-1993/



Hours after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Leonard Cohen announced his first tour in over fifteen years. The seventy-three year old songwriter — whose 1984 classic “Hallelujah” (as interpreted by Jeff Buckley) is currently the number one song on iTunes thanks to American Idol — has no American dates currently on the books. However, according to his Web site, Cohen may bring the tour Stateside towards the end of the year. His decision to tour probably has much to do with the fact that his former manager squandered his $5 million pension and left him with $150,000. The tour kicks off June 6th in Toronto. Click the jump for the full schedule.

June 6 - Toronto, Canada @ Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
June 7 - Toronto, Canada @ Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
June 14 - Dublin, Ireland @ IMMA
June 15 - Dublin, Ireland @ IMMA
June 17 - Manchester, UK @ Opera House
June 18 - Manchester, UK @ Opera House
June 19 - Manchester, UK @ Opera House
June 20 - Manchester, UK @ Opera House
June 23 - Montreal, Canada @ Montreal Jazz Festival / Place des Arts
June 24 - Montreal, Canada @ Montreal Jazz Festival / Place des Arts
June 25 - Montreal, Canada @ Montreal Jazz Festival / Place des Arts
June 29 - Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
July 1 - Oslo, Norway @ Aliset Stadium
July 3 - Helsingborg, Sweden @ Open Air
July 5 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Rosenborg Castle
July 6 - Arhuus, Denmark @ Raadhus Parken
July 8 - Montreux, Switzerland @ Montreux Jazz Festival
July 9 - Lyon, France
July 10 - Bruges, Belgium @ Cactus
July 12 - Amsterdam, Holland @ Westerdam
July 16 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Castle
July 17 - London, UK @ The 02 Arena
July 18 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Passeio Maritimo
July 20 - Bennicasim, Spain
July 22 - Nice, France @ Jazz Festival
July 25 - Lorrach, Germany @ Stimmen Der Welt
July 27 - Lucca, Italy @ Summer Festival
July 29 - Athens, Greece @ Lykabettus Theatre

Leonard Cohen Plots Tour
01/22/08, 2:30 PM
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... -and-more/



After fifteen years of touring inactivity, a post on Leonard Cohen’s message board announced that the seventy-one year old Canadian singer-songwriter would tour in 2008. Full dates and details will be unveiled in February. Cohen will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10th.

Leonard Cohen News
http://www.rollingstone.com/search?quer ... &type=news
http://www.rollingstone.com/search?quer ... ohen&type=

2008 Rock Hall
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/ ... _inductees
http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gall ... o/9/large/

[anneporter]

Thanks, Yankovic, especially for the accompanying pictures which are great!
Anne

[ladydi]

.

[tinderella]

Ladydi , I was thinking the same.... He is still so dropdead handsome

[Steven]

Thanks Yankovic.

Looking younger and handsome... I'd not challenge those observations, but would opt for
more vital and happy. May he stay forever Leonard.

[ladydi]

He is still so dropdead handsome

Oh yes.....

[Yankovic]

Leonard Cohen Returns to U.S. Stage, Announces North American Tour
2/20/09, 9:34 am EST
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... ican-tour/



Galloping onstage with a huge grin on his face for an encore of “So Long, Marianne” at the Beacon Theatre last night, Leonard Cohen looked more like a spry schoolboy than a 74-year-old man who had already been performing for more than two and a half hours. When I saw him last June in Toronto, I couldn’t fathom Cohen possibly doing a better show — but last night’s epic New York performance (his first U.S. concert since 1993!) managed to one-up himself. It was one of the most magical concerts I’ve ever seen, and Cohen was shockingly funny. “I know hard times are coming,” he deadpanned midway through the night. “Some people say it’s gonna be even worse than Y2K.”

The scene outside the theater was absolute chaos, with hordes of people desperately looking for tickets. The few scalpers were getting upwards of $500 a seat. The will-call line, the drop ticket line and the ticket holder line all seemed to merge into one giant mass of confusion. Even Rufus Wainwright, who famously covered “Hallelujah” and appears prominently in the Cohen documentary I’m Your Man, looked frazzled in the back of a line seconds before the show began.

Since last June Cohen has traveled through Canada, Europe and Australia at a punishing pace. Now with 84 shows under their belt, Cohen and his amazing band are a well-oiled machine. (See photos from last night’s historic Cohen gig.) The slight nervous energy I picked up in Toronto has completely vanished. He glided around the stage with ease, and frequently got down on his knees as he sang. Later-day tunes such as “Closing Time” and “Waiting For The Miracle” have been dropped to make room for early classics like “Famous Blue Raincoat,” “Sisters Of Mercy” and “That’s No Way To Say Goodbye.” Highlights included a hauntingly beautiful rendition of 1979s “The Gypsy’s Wife,” an amped up “First We Take Manhattan” and a note perfect “The Partisan.” It was “Hallelujah,” however, that brought the entire theater to their feet.

For years and years it was nearly impossible to imagine Cohen making any sort of return to the stage, particularly one as glorious as this tour has been. Jaws were dropping as he came back onstage for more and more encores, as the show ran way past the three-hour mark. The fact he’s willing to do this is really an unbelievable gift to the world, even if his main inspiration is to raise much needed funds for his retirement.

A press release announcing U.S. tour dates was released before the show even ended. Dates are below:

April 2 - Austin, TX @ Michael and Susan Dell Hall at Long Center
April 3 - Grand Prairie, TX @ NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie
April 5 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
April 7 - San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall
April 10 - Los Angeles, CA @ NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
April 13 - Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre of the Arts
April 17 - Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
April 19 - Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
April 21 - Victoria, BC @ Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
April 23 - Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater at Qwest Field Events Center
April 25 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
April 26 - Calgary, AB @ EPCOR Centers Jack Singer Hall
April 28 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
April 30 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
May 3 - Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
May 5 - Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
May 9 - Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
May 11 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
May 12 - Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music
May 14 - Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theater
May 16 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
May 19 - Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
May 21 - Quebec City, QC @ Pavillon de la Jeunesse
May 22 - Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
May 24 - London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
May 25 - Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre Southam Hall
May 26 - Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre Southam Hall
May 29 - Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
June 2 - Morrison, CO @Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Andy Greene

[MaryB]

[ Now with 84 shows under their belt, Cohen and his amazing band are a well-oiled machine.
Andy Greene

They've been a 'well-oiled machine' from the first show we saw in Kitchener and per forum members and media reviews, from the very first show in Canada!
Thank you for posting this Yankovic!
Best regards,
Mary

[a.ephroni]

"Looking younger and handsome... I'd not challenge those observations, but would opt for
more vital and happy."

Just in case anyone ever really wondered if it was only "because of a few songs wherein I spoke of their mystery" that "women have been especially kind to my old age"...

[Quasand]

Q&A: The New Leonard Cohen
The cult hero on his songwriting, cooking and Chinese liquor
MARK BINELLI Posted Oct 19, 2001 12:00 AM

http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/leo ... nard_cohen



Leonard Cohen describes Ten New Songs, his first studio album in nine years, as "entirely reconciled" - immediately adding, "With what, I don't know." The serene and optimistic vibe of Songs might have something to do with the fact that Cohen spent much of the Nineties at a Zen retreat atop Mount Baldy in Southern California, meditating, writing and performing chores for his teacher, Sasaki Joshu Roshi. Born in Montreal in 1934, Cohen was a published poet before he hitched his wagon to the Sixties singer-songwriter boom. He remained a cult figure for much of his career, though his last album, The Future, resonated with alt-rock artists like Trent Reznor. The younger generation has embraced his meticulously crafted lyrics and his dark vision of the world - "Give me crack and anal sex/Take the only tree that's left/And stuff it up the hole in your culture" - all delivered in a baritone so ravaged it makes Tom Waits sound like he's auditioning for AJ's slot in Backstreet Boys. Chain-smoking and wearing a three-piece suit, the ever-courtly Cohen sat down for an interview at the Mayflower Hotel in Manhattan.
When you went to the retreat on Mount Baldy, did you know you'd be staying for five years?

I had an idea it'd be for quite a while, but I've been associated with that community for over thirty years, so it was not a dramatic move, either going up or coming down. I was approaching the age of sixty at the end of my last tour, and Roshi was approaching the age of ninety, so I thought it was the appropriate time to hang with him. He's now ninety-four, by the way, and in excellent health.

What were your days like? Was there a lot of studying?

Not so much studying in any formal sense. You know, there's a Zen saying: "Like the pebbles in a bag, the monks polish one another." Most people think of a retreat as a place of tranquillity and spaciousness, but it's a very busy place. You get up early, 2:30 or 3. I was a cook for the old teacher.

Did you cook much before?

As a father, I'd done cooking, but his diet was very simple. Lots of soups. He liked my teriyaki salmon.

And so you're now a Zen monk?

Technically, yes. I was never looking for a new religion. I was perfectly happy with the religion I was born into. It was never a matter of spiritual aspiration. I wanted to be close to Roshi, and it seemed to be appropriate to enter the formality of the situation.

But it wasn't spiritual for you?

Not really, no. For me, it was one of the many attempts I've made in the past thirty or forty years to address a condition known as acute clinical depression. I tried all the conventional remedies - wine, women and song. Nothing worked, including religion. But fortunately, this condition dissolved.

With being on the mountain?

I don't know. I don't know how it began or how it ended, but, thankfully, it did end. Nothing worked for me. Not the recreational drugs, nor the obsessional drugs, nor the pharmaceutical medications. The only effect Prozac had on me, I confused with a spiritual achievement - I thought I'd transcended my interest in women. I later learned the destruction of the libido is one of the side effects. But it's a mysterious conclusion, because I really don't know what happened. I read somewhere that as you get older, the brain cells associated with anxiety begin to die. [Pauses] A lot of other brain cells die, too, so you've got to watch out.

Tell me about your first band in Montreal.

I was part of a square-dance band called the Buckskin Boys. We were playing traditional square-dance music, like "Turkey in the Straw." One of the members played a bucket bass and called. Another played harmonica. I played rhythm guitar.

Cowboy hats?

No, but we all had buckskin jackets, hence the name. I listened to country as a kid. I could get WWVA from West Virginia, late at night. Have you heard George Jones' last record, Cold Hard Truth? I love to hear an old guy laying out his situation. He has the best voice in America.

Any younger artists you're listening to now?

I didn't get a chance to listen to much up on the mountain. Rufus Wainwright is a good friend of my daughter's, so I know his work. I listen to whatever's put in front of me: Eminem, Spice Girls, everybody.

What do you think of Eminem? In hip-hop, so much attention is paid to the lyrics.

What is hip-hop, actually?

Rap.

Yes! On the left wing politically and socially, there's rap. On the right wing, there's country music. The lyrics are good in both camps.

On "The Future," songs like the title track and "Democracy" were very apocalyptic. Are you more hopeful about the state of democracy these days?

I don't care terribly much about my own opinions. I find my own opinions very tiresome and predictable. I've always tried to keep opinions out of my work. That's why I take so long to write the stuff - so that it goes beneath the opinion, the slogan, the stance. You know, in a conversation in a bar over a drink, I can dredge up an opinion. I can even dredge up a belief. But I don't have much conviction in these matters.

In the course of your career, did your lyrics change as your singing voice became rougher?

Maybe, but one of the decisive moments in my writing and singing came during a recording session which Roshi happened to attend in New York. I think it was in the early Eighties, when I was recording Various Positions. At that time, my career was pretty much eclipsed. Columbia didn't even put out that record in America. And they neglected to tell me. Anyway, Roshi and I were drinking a very good, very powerful Chinese liquor. Roshi was dozing off, and I didn't think he was terribly interested in the recording process. But the next morning over breakfast, I asked him what he thought. He said, "Leonard, you should sing more sad." He meant for me to surrender to the emotions. To accept it.

Do you think there's a lot of humor in your lyrics, too?

I think there's a laugh a minute.

[From Issue 881 — November 8, 2001]

Rolling Stone Photo Archive for Leonard Cohen
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/leonardcohen/photos

Leonard Cohen Main Page at Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/leonardcohen

This picture looks odd. The angle and the close up makes it look like Leonard's head was cut and pasted from another photo, because his shoulders look like one side is higher than the other.

[Quasand]

Leonard Cohen Finally Takes the U.S.A.
February 20, 2009 12:28 PM

http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/smoki ... kes-th.php



Good lord, the great Leonard Cohen shocked and awed New York last night in his first U.S. performance in fifteen years.

We weren't obsessed with Cohen when we walked into the Beacon Theater last night, but three-and-a-half hours later, we walked out a true believer. The musicians were mind blowing and the mix was magnificent. The trio of background singers -- featuring Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters -- sounded like angels, and Cohen was just a fuckin' badass.

You HAVE to go see this show. Cohen has just announced a 28-date tour through U.S. and Canada, with gigs at Red Rocks in Colorado, the Paramount in Oakland, Radio City in NYC and, of course, Coachella fest. (Click here for tour dates.)

Also look out for Live In London, the CD/DVD package that documents Cohen's gig at the O2 Arena last year. Click here for a teaser performance of "Suzanne."

It's unreal!

[Quasand]

[Yankovic]

Exclusive Video: Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” From “Live In London”
3/26/09, 11:03 am EST

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... in-london/

With Leonard Cohen set to embark on his first U.S. tour in 15 years on April 2nd, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will give fans a taste of his stage show when he releases his Live in London CD/DVD on March 31st. Featuring songs from throughout the poet/rocker’s 40-year career, the live album was recorded during Cohen’s performances at London’s O2 Arena while touring Europe in 2008. In our exclusive sneak peek (watch the video above), Cohen performs an intimate version of his The Future classic “Anthem” from July 17th, 2008.

Rock Daily caught Leonard Cohen’s historic return to the New York stage in February 2009, when the “Hallelujah” legend performed at the Beacon Theatre. “For years and years it was nearly impossible to imagine Cohen making any sort of return to the stage, particularly one as glorious as this tour has been,” Rock Daily wrote. “Jaws were dropping as he came back onstage for more and more encores, as the show ran way past the three-hour mark.”

Get ready, Leonard Cohen is on his way. See the full tour dates for Cohen’s jaunt after the jump:

April 2 – Austin, TX @ Michael and Susan Dell Hall at Long Center
April 3 – Grand Prairie, TX @ NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie
April 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
April 7 – San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall
April 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE
April 13 – Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre of the Arts
April 17 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
April 19 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
April 21 – Victoria, BC @ Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre
April 23 – Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater at Qwest Field Events Center
April 25 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
April 26 – Calgary, AB @ EPCOR Center?s Jack Singer Hall
April 28 – Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre
April 30 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
May 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre
May 5 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
May 9 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
May 11 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
May 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music
May 14 – Waterbury, CT @ Palace Theater
May 16 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
May 19 – Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
May 21 – Quebec City, QC @ Pavillon de la Jeunesse
May 22 – Kingston, ON @ K-Rock Centre
May 24 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
May 25 – Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre Southam Hall
May 26 – Ottawa, ON @ National Arts Centre Southam Hall
May 29 – Boston, MA @ Wang Theatre
June 2 – Morrison, CO @Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Daniel Kreps

Leonard Cohen Announces Second Leg of First U.S. Tour in 15 Years
7/22/09, 9:48 am EST

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... -15-years/



After completing his first U.S. tour in 15 years, Leonard Cohen will trek across the States again this autumn as the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a second leg of shows, Billboard.biz reports. Cohen’s second U.S. jaunt in 2009 kicks off October 17th in Sunrise, Florida, and concludes nearly a month and 14 shows later in San Jose, California, on November 13th.

As Rock Daily reported in January, Cohen ended his 15-year break from the U.S. stage when he played a concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre. The singer also performed a set at Coachella and toured North America through June before departing for Europe, where he is currently in the midst of a tour to promote Live In London (Watch “Anthem” from the London DVD here).

Last year when Cohen initially announced tour dates, Rolling Stone predicted that the run — seemingly scheduled to help Cohen defray the cost of a dispute with his manager — would be New Yorkers’ only chance to see the Canadian legend onstage this year. But the poet-singer will return to the city, at a larger venue, no less: Madison Square Garden.

Markets that were passed over during Cohen’s last trek — like Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Atlanta — will all get to marvel as the 74-year-old legend serenades them with “Hallelujah” and “The Stranger Song” (that is, if he hasn’t retired “Hallelujah” by then). Tickets for the 15 shows go on sales August 3rd, so scribble the appropriate notes on your calendar.

Oct. 17 – Sunrise, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
Oct. 19 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
Oct. 20 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
Oct. 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Wachovia Spectrum
Oct. 23 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Oct. 25 – Cleveland, OH @ Allen Theatre
Oct. 27 – Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
Oct. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre
Nov. 1 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Nov. 3 – Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
Nov. 5 – Nashville, TN @ Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Nov. 7 – St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
Nov. 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland by AMC
Nov. 12 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
Nov. 13 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion

Leonard Cohen Collapses Onstage in Spain, Celebrates 75th Birthday
9/21/09, 10:11 am EST

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... nt-1737542



Leonard Cohen collapsed during a concert in Valencia, Spain, on Friday, September 18th after suffering from a case of food poisoning. After a brief hospital stay, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame poet-singer was released and is reportedly recovering well. Cohen is expected to perform tonight in Barcelona — at a show that also marks the Canadian singer’s 75th birthday!

According to the AP, Cohen fainted during his performance of “Bird on the Wire,” causing his band to stop playing suddenly to tend to him. The incident was initially blamed on a “stomach complaint,” while Cohen’s manager added that Cohen was reluctant to abandon the concert before being taken the Nueve de Octubre hospital in Valencia. A member of the band told the audience that Cohen was suffering from “stomach cramps and vomiting fits.” Video of Cohen’s collapse is below.

Cohen was released early the next morning. The organizers of his tour told the BBC that Cohen is well enough to perform at tonight’s concert in Barcelona, and trucks carrying equipment for the show arrived as scheduled at the Palau Sant Jordi venue. Following his show in Barcelona, Cohen will head back to North America for a tour of the United States kicking off October 17th in Sunrise, Florida. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Cohen returned to the stage following a long hiatus after he discovered that his manager essentially wiped out his retirement fund.

[Roy]

Leonard Cohen Asks for Brief Halt to New Covers of “Hallelujah”
7/10/09, 12:52 pm EST

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/i ... allelujah/



Rock & Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen has asked for a brief respite from new versions of his classic “Hallelujah,” arguing the large number of artists covering the song and its frequent appearance on soundtracks amounts to overkill. “I was reading a review of a movie called Watchmen that uses it, and the reviewer said, ‘Can we please have a moratorium on ‘Hallelujah’ in movies and television shows?’ and I kind of feel the same way,” Cohen told the Guardian. “I think it’s a good song, but too many people sing it.”

Incidentally, the gratuitous sex scene in Watchmen that used “Hallelujah” actually employed Cohen’s own version of the song, one of the few times Cohen’s original has been unearthed in recent years. Since Jeff Buckley covered the song on his 1994 album Grace — using John Cale’s 1992 version of the song as his guide — “Hallelujah” has taken on hit status, thanks to renditions by the U.K.’s X Factor winner Alexandra Burke and American Idol Season Seven finalist Jason Castro. Kate Voegele, k.d. lang and Rufus Wainwright have also covered the song in the years since its original 1984 release, with Wainwright’s version featuring in 2001’s Shrek.

Despite the over-saturation of “Hallelujah,” the song’s recent chart-topping success on both sides of the ocean has given Cohen some sweet revenge. “There were certain ironic and amusing sidebars, because the record that it came from which was called Various Positions — a record Sony wouldn’t put out,” Cohen told the Guardian. “They didn’t think it was good enough… So there was a mild sense of revenge that arose in my heart.”

Cohen can’t complain about the extra royalties either, especially considering he was forced to tour after a lengthy hiatus because his former manager made off with most of his assets. Meanwhile, we’re still surprised that Leonard Cohen is sitting around reading reviews of the superhero flick Watchmen.

[neo]

100 Best Albums of the Decade
The most important music of the '00s as chosen by more than 100 artists, critics and industry insiders

...

100 | Leonard Cohen: 10 New Songs


http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/ ... _decade/44