CONCERT REPORT: Seattle, April 23

[KaimiK]

I'm still floating and having a difficult time coming back down. I'll share more later when we're back home - but for now we're packing up our hotel room, our little one and hitting the road...

Can't wait to hear all your impressions...

Kelsey

[ladydi]

Hi Kelsey,

Looking forward to reading your report! I was with you in spirit!

Diana

[moineau]

hi ladydi. i was at the seattle concert last night; just got home to astoria, oregon, and i'm still reeling too. it was––dare i say it?––a sacred experience.

what struck me, this being the first time i've seen leonard, was just the amazing precision of it all and the singular fact that there was a note for every syllable he sung, like shakepeare writing play after play in iambic pentameter. i love that aspect of his, where word and note meet, one reason his poems makes such excellent songs, perfect meter!

one question: did you note the set list? i wanted to but quickly forgot in between swooning and grabbing for my clump of tissues. when i got up, there were little shreds of them all over the floor in front of me. i may never be the same and i hope not to be: transcendental music and a transformational concert. he was enormously generous and played soooo LONG.

i'm 52, sang leonard cohen songs on the guitar in coffeehouse when i was but a girl of 13... i feel i traveled a lifetime to arrive at this concert. thank you, LEONARD, for coming to seattle. for as long as i live, it will be a cherished memory! xoxoxo ~laura tattoo

[blueporch]

The concert was sublime, as always. We didn't get "Closing Time" or "Lullaby," but we did get "Sisters of Mercy." "Who By Fire" was breathtaking.

I had wavered about whether to snag some front-row tickets, which seemed to escalate in price every time I checked, and finally got a grip and didn't. But we were on the aisle, row 15, and the sightline was fantastic. Then the people on the aisle in row 14 left (what is wrong with people?!) and that sightline was even better!

Some impressions. My friends and I ate at F. X. McRory's, a sports bar down the street from the theatre. A Mariners game was just finishing, and it was an interesting juxtaposition: two-thirds filled with sports fans, and one-third with people with Leonard Cohen T-shirts. (The hotel was also filled with breakfasters in LC T-shirts the next morning.)

The people ahead of us in line for the show had a print-out of LC song lyrics and were memorizing them and quizzing each other. ?

The hall was basically a convention center with chairs set out, but the sound was excellent.

Overheard:
"I heard him speak on NPR, and I said, I have got to hear this guy live."
"That was a totally satisfying concert. Totally. Totally."

During the intermission some big fans, who had also driven up from Oregon -- are you reading this? -- chatted near us. Said one, "He's still ten of the sexiest guys I've ever seen."

I went with my ex-husband, who had only had a lukewarm interest in LC. On the drive back down he had me tell him the names of all the albums and all the songs on them, so he could decide in which order to buy them. As soon as we got back he went off to listen to the "Live in London" CD with rapt devotion. He said "That was as good as when I saw the Who with Keith Moon!" and if you knew him, you would know what that compliment means. I'm guessing he's not the only convert made last night.

[ladydi]

hi ladydi. i was at the seattle concert last night; just got home to astoria, oregon, and i'm still reeling too. it was––dare i say it?––a sacred experience.

what struck me, this being the first time i've seen leonard, was just the amazing precision of it all and the singular fact that there was a note for every syllable he sung, like shakepeare writing play after play in iambic pentameter. i love that aspect of his, where word and note meet, one reason his poems makes such excellent songs, perfect meter!

one question: did you note the set list? i wanted to but quickly forgot in between swooning and grabbing for my clump of tissues. when i got up, there were little shreds of them all over the floor in front of me. i may never be the same and i hope not to be: transcendental music and a transformational concert. he was enormously generous and played soooo LONG.

i'm 52, sang leonard cohen songs on the guitar in coffeehouse when i was but a girl of 13... i feel i traveled a lifetime to arrive at this concert. thank you, LEONARD, for coming to seattle. for as long as i live, it will be a cherished memory! xoxoxo ~laura tattoo

Hi Laura,

I didn't delete anything you wrote because it was so delightful. You have "been" with Leonard for a lifetime. I think his concerts hit many of us this way. Technically it's perfect...the "note for every syllable sung". The meshing of all on stage. Javier and Leonard playing one on one. The interplay between Dino and Leonard. Rafael, Neil, Bob and Roscoe Beck orchestrating everyone. The ethereal voices of the Webb sisters, and the awesome voice of Sharon. Somehow it all comes together, but the focal point is always Leonard. His love of women, his spirituality, his earthiness, his "take" on the world. It is indeed transcendent....and transformational. It's also a whole lot of fun!

I've been to a few of his concerts in the past 6 months and I still have not come down to earth. The memories renew me each and every day!

Thanks so much for sharing your feelings with all of us!

All the best,
Diana

ps..welcome to the Forum, Laura. Stay around with us. There is so much here to share with others, plus check out leonardcohenfiles.com and also speakingcohen.com.

[ccalvert]

I saw Leonard Cohen last night. The Prince of Pain was in fine form and clearly felt content, at ease, even happy.

His voice, which seemed to be on its last legs in albums like Dear Heather, was in fine form. It seems to get a little deeper each year, but perhaps also a bit more soulful and gentle.

He played for about two hours, with a half hour break between the two one hour sets. Given his long career, it is only logical that there were a few of his best songs that he didn’t play. Still, he hit most of my favorites. His choice of songs was generally wonderful. The only time I remember being disappointed was when he played “There Ain’t No Cure,” though certainly it wasn’t painful to hear him play that song, it is not one of my favorites.

Among the songs he played were, in no particular order:

The Future
Everybody Knows
Who By Fire
Bird on Wire
Chelsea Hotel
Waiting for the Miracle
The Bells
The Partisans
I’m Your Man
Hallelujah
Democracy
Take this Waltz
So Long, Marianne
First we take Manhattan
Sisters of Mercy
If it be your Will
Tower of Song
Suzanne
The Gipsy Wife
In My Secret Life
Ain’t No Cure for Love
Sharon Robinson sang a version of Boogie Street

At least that is the best I can do with my faulty memory. I’m sure I’ve left some out, but I don’t think I have any false positives here.

I was particularly pleased to hear Chelsea Hotel and The Partisan, just because I love the songs and was not expecting him to play them. Just as Sharon Robinson had her own number, If it be Your Will was sung mostly by his two other back up singers, who I believed were named Charley and Hattie Webb. Their performance was wonderful.

One of the joys of the concert was Leonard Cohens demeanor, which was thoughtful, considerate and kind throughout. Perhaps I'm prejudice, but I think his years of sitting practice has helped make him a deeply spiritual man, who knows the value and importance of caring for others, and striving to make them feel happy and at home. It is a model of behavior that is worthy of emulation.

[Casey]

As far as a report, I'm sure I could not say it any better than the others on here. While each show may be similar in setlist, it is great to read of the effect that his music has on people in every part of the globe that he travels to. After listening to his songs so many times over the years, I still gained new insights after seeing him perform them. He was so spry it was amazing. The energy seemed to increase even more after the intermission, The Partisan and Democracy were especially high-energy.

My favorites were probably the songs where he lead the music with his guitar in addition to leading with his voice.
I agree with the other poster regarding No Cure for Love. A nice song, and one I knew he would play, but it certainly does not stand up to the others lyrically.

Kelsey - I hope it was everything you expected! Throughout the show I saw Leonard looking down at the rose you gave him. Thanks for the ticket! I feel like I had a perfect seat. I am going out of town but when I am back I will send you those CDs I mentioned.

Moineau - are you a friend of Shirley by any chance? She said she was meeting a friend from Astoria.

As a side note, I saw glass artist Dale Chihuly in the bathroom at intermission.
A once in a lifetime experience! (seeing Leonard Cohen, I mean, not the bathroom)

[bridger15]

As a side note, I saw glass artist Dale Chihuly ... at intermission.
A once in a lifetime experience!...

Wow. You are very lucky. I have the greatest admiration for Dale Chihuly's artistic creations.
It does not surprise me that he would appreciate the exceptional artistry of Leonard Cohen.

[lizzytysh]

Oh, man, I love reading these! Thanks for all you said about them, Diana. I can only concur.

I love how you described this to a 't', moineau :

what struck me, this being the first time i've seen leonard, was just the amazing precision of it all and the singular fact that there was a note for every syllable he sung, like shakepeare writing play after play in iambic pentameter. i love that aspect of his, where word and note meet, one reason his poems makes such excellent songs, perfect meter!

On that note, thank you everyone in this thread, and goodnight.


~ Lizzy

[MaryB]

It is so wonderful to read all your posts. Every time I read one of your reviews, it is as if I am transported there, but seeing it through your eyes and emotions. There is a unique perspective in each and every post that has me trying to dig a little deeper in my recollections of his performances. Thank you all for posting these! Hope there will be many more!

Warmest regards,
Mary

[moineau]

CASEY, I drove up with dinah who is the editor of the north coast (astoria, or/long beach, wa) arts mag "hipfish"; it was a delightful drive with a delightful woman!

DIANA, thank you for your very warm welcome and the additional links. and thanks to LIZZY also.

I also found the leonard cohen french fan club: http://www.leonardcohensite.com/index2.php. I'm a francophile, write poetry in french (and english) and spend time in paris whenever i can. (my poetry blog "moineau en france" is listed on the forum thread for fans' poetry and music.) the french fans love "the partisan" and i was so glad he played that one.

we just lost singer alain bashung a little over a month ago and i have been in pretty deep mourning. one reason my partner bought me a ticket to see leonard, i think, was to help me keep moving forward. he is often compared with leonard and sang french version of suzanne on his last album "bleu pétrole", translated by a french canadian.

hearing leonard, i thought about how these courageous men and women go on tour during their late years and leave us an amazing legacy of concert memories as well as inject one last time their music deep into the national or international consciosness. alain toured constantly the last year, without eyebrows and hair, because he was being treated the entire time for lung cancer. he toured until just three weeks before his death at 61 and never lost his deep velvet voice. it was a heroic death. i flew to lyon for a few days to see him in early may last year. i am so grateful. of course, leonard looks like a lithe 20-yr-old at 75!

if you are interested, you can see all bashung's music videos here (official): http://www.alloclips.com/artist/Alain_Bashung/ and his website here: http://alainbashung.artistes.universalmusic.fr/.

it's all been a collision of power and glory. much love to all the fans here. i discovered this forum around two weeks before the concert and it enriched the whole experience very much. thank you! xoxoxo ~laura t.

[MaryB]

we just lost singer alain bashung a little over a month ago and i have been in pretty deep mourning. one reason my partner bought me a ticket to see leonard, i think, was to help me keep moving forward.
hearing leonard, i thought about how these courageous men and women go on tour during their late years and leave us an amazing legacy of concert memories as well as inject one last time their music deep into the national or international consciosness. alain toured constantly the last year, without eyebrows and hair, because he was being treated the entire time for lung cancer. he toured until just three weeks before his death at 61 and never lost his deep velvet voice. it was a heroic death. i flew to lyon for a few days to see him in early may last year. i am so grateful. of course, leonard looks like a lithe 20-yr-old at 75!

it's all been a collision of power and glory. much love to all the fans here. i discovered this forum around two weeks before the concert and it enriched the whole experience very much. thank you! xoxoxo ~laura t.

Hi Laura,

How well said about these performers touring 'during their late years and leave us an amazing legacy'. I followed your link to the music of Alain Bashung. What a beautiful voice and melifluous music. It is indeed a loss. What a courageous person he was to continue touring under such devastating conditions! I hope Leonard Cohen can fill some of the loss you feel with Alain's passing! I am so glad you found this forum. It is lovely to have you here !

Kindest regards,
Mary

[Bill's Bar]

Moineau,
What a great review of the concert. Thanks.
I was at the concert in Paris in November, and the audience response (myself included) to "The partisan" was just something else. It's always been one of my favourite songs, and as I said elsewhere on this forum I'm a sucker for all things French.
I have a query which you might help me on. I read in todays Irish Times that Maurice Druon had died. According to the obituary he had written the lyrics to the orignal Partisan with his uncle Joseph Kessel. It also states that Anna Marly, a guitarist of Russian origin ,wrote the music. However, the credits on "Songs from a room" list Hy Zaret and Anna Marly.
I take it the tune is the original version, and the lyrics are ones composed for the album?

[moineau]

salut, bill's! i don't know the answer, but when i googled history of song "the partisan" many many links came up which i'm sure you could search, including one on leonard's site that appeared complete with additional links: http://www.leonardcohensite.com/partisaneng.htm. it doesn't mention maurice druon, however. i don't know him but will be researching him.

i read the review of the paris concert in le monde and just about died of envy lol. i was there a year before that for three months and the review triggered all kinds of nostalgia. but this seattle concert made me whole again.:>>)) and when i go to paris in september, as is the plan, i'll be at 200% (or maybe more). :>>))

i'll bet you are in anticipation for your concert(s). are you attending one or more? ~le moi

[moineau]

whoops... if i'd just clicked one more link: druon wrote the french lyrics.

from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chant_des_Partisans:

"It was created in London in 1943 after a Russian song of Anna Marly. Joseph Kessel and Maurice Druon wrote the French lyrics. It was performed by Anna Marly, broadcast by the BBC and adopted by the maquis.

After the war the Chant des Partisans was so popular, it was proposed as new national anthem for France. It became for a short while the unofficial national anthem, next to the official La Marseillaise.

Anna Marly also wrote and performed a more introspective song, La Complainte du Partisan, which was later adapted and translated into English as The Partisan. It was most famously covered by Leonard Cohen. The two songs are sometimes confused."

so leonard's is actually another song, "the complaint of the partisan", abbreviated to "the partisan".

the wikipedia article also contains translations of the orig. by druon/ kessel/marly in french, english, russian and persian, and an extra "rhyming english" version. but it is a different song. xoxoxooxxo ~laura