CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal (June 23, 24, and 25)

Canada and Europe (May 11 - August 3, 2008). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
Manna
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by Manna »

Pardon my weirdness, but I really liked the last one of Velovermont's pix. I've seen Leonard looking like Frank Sinatra, esp with that hat. I've seen him look like Tony Bennett without one. That last pic was the first time I ever saw him looking like Clint Eastwood.
Tchocolatl
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by Tchocolatl »

[Diane wrote:(...)
Tchoc and all others in Montreal: An entirely superfluous statement: Enjoy it!! (...)

Thanks for your never ending positive energy and golden kindness dear dynamo!
Superflous to say that I am speechless about last nigh!
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
Tchocolatl
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by Tchocolatl »

Diane wrote :
Tchoc my dear friend :D . Now the world seems yet smaller as you too have seen the show. You should have seen how long it took me to recover from Dublin with my "never ending" energy :shock: . I am not surprised you are speechless.

Who could say what Leonard is achieving on this Tour? Going back a few lines from your signature: "A saint is someone who has achieved a remote human possibility. It is impossible to say what that possibility is. I think it has something to do with the energy of love."
Leonard Cohen was.. I have not word, in any language I know.

Generous, genial, amazing, magical, he was so... Leonard Cohen. A monster of Love.

How appropriate is your quote. Nothing to add for now. Speechless and so happy to have had the chance to be there.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
VELOVERMONT
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by VELOVERMONT »

Photographs,among other,of yesterday open air tribute to Leonard Cohen.

http://galeriedephotos.cyberpresse.ca/i ... 125975.jpg

And please have a look at this impressively colorfull video of part of the tribute evening.

http://multimedia.cyberpresse.ca/photos ... cohen.html
Last edited by VELOVERMONT on Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
montreal 2008; montreal 2012x2
flyingiguana
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by flyingiguana »

Just got back after a lovely week in beautiful Montreal. I just wanted to thank Leonard for an absolutely unforgettable evening on Monday. To quote the bard himself, I laughed and cried and cried and laughed...I danced to the end of love and when it was over I can only sigh, you've won me, you've won me my Lord...

I just wanted to extend a special thank you to Jarkko...your help and enthusiasm for Mr. Cohen and his work are inspiring. We are lucky to have you...
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sirius
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by sirius »

Leonard Cohen makes believers of us

BILL BROWNSTEIN
The Gazette

Sunday, June 29, 2008


http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/n ... 8d2a0953e2

Leonard Cohen on the first day of his three-performance love-in at Place des Arts.

The Montreal International Jazz Festival hadn't even officially started, and the feeling was that it had already peaked, that it was a roaring success. Leonard Cohen slew in his three sold-out shows in Place des Arts last Monday through Wednesday, and if the jazz-fest powers-that-be could have hooked up with the papal powers-that-be and assigned sainthood on this country's - hey, probably this planet's - most gifted Jewish-Buddhist poet-balladeer, that would have been done, too. As it was, jazz-fest topper André Ménard handed Cohen's son Adam the festival's highest honour he could, the Montreal International Jazz Festival Spirit Award, with instructions to pass it on to his pop.

Cohen Sr. was back in Europe on Thursday night, continuing his world-wide tour, and was thus unable to attend the outdoor Lenny Love-In, which officially kicked off the jazz fest and attracted an array of songsters, like Adam, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Zachary Richard and Michel Pagliaro, to pay musical homage to him. The scene in front of Place des Arts was transformed into a shrine as thousands and thousands of Montrealers showed up to pay their respects to a native Montrealer, even if the only glimpse they caught of Cohen was on a giant video screen. Like the Place des Arts shows, the outdoor spectacle was as close to a religious experience as you'll find outside of a chapel - and without need for additional stimulants and intoxicants.

Lenny, could you feel all that love, even from England?

Must admit I was a little - nay, a lot - skeptical when word first surfaced from the Hallelujah trail at Place des Arts on Monday about the first of Cohen's shows. Hell ... sorry ... heck, the man hadn't performed on stage in 15 years. And even then, though his words resonated, his voice was on the fragile side. And, oh yeah, he is 73 years old, an age where his contemporaries are singing the praises of Metamucil not Marianne.

After Tuesday night's performance, yet more were converted to the Cohen cause. Some of my most cynical, albeit musically knowledgeable, cronies went on to marvel that the Cohen concerts were among the best they had ever witnessed, and three ranked it best ever.

They insisted they had never been so moved - without benefit of stimulants or intoxicants. They called it euphoric. They laughed, they cried, they didn't want to leave the hall - even after this marathon three-hour gig.

And so I was double-dared to take in Cohen's last show Wednesday. Now I'm a believer. The show was magic. The man is magic. Magicians and, indeed, all performers could have learned something from this dapper gent in the double-breasted suit and sporting a fedora.

Cohen has had his share of well-reported financial woes in recent years, but this show was nothing about mailing it in and picking up the bucks to pay the bills and build up the nest-egg again. The show was masterfully conceived and executed. The man was elegant and gracious, but, most important of all, he was able to evoke the power of words in an age when words are getting increasingly short shrift.

But while the poet illuminated the stage, so did the troubadour. Cohen's voice never sounded sharper and more passionate. He did virtually all the Cohen songbook, and he never faltered.

Unlike some of the planet's great poet-troubadours - hello Bob Dylan - Cohen communicates with his audience. He has an endearing self-deprecatory touch: "I was born with the gift of a golden voice" or "I studied religions and philosophies, but cheerfulness kept breaking through." And how 'bout this confession from the ladies' man: "I ache in places where I used to play." But as he went on to add: "I'm still crazy about love." That love obviously works both ways.

Jazz-fest boss Ménard was blown away: "This is by far the best show we've ever done at the festival. It's as close to perfection as any show I've ever seen. It will stand up forever. It will also be a tough act to follow, so good luck to the other performers."

This adulation is not unique to Montreal. Cohen's manager Robert Kory reports that it's been a love-in wherever Cohen has played in this tour, which kicked off May 11 in Fredericton. "There is no question that he has been rejuvenated," Kory says. "There's something to be said for his living a wholesome existence in a mountain retreat in California all these years."

Cohen has fans on every corner of the planet. And he goes to places most acts avoid. He played to two sell-crowds in Glace Bay, N.S. And he will play to a sellout crowd of 20,000 in Oslo.

Montreal impresario Rubin Fogel co-promoted 17 of Cohen's shows, in Atlantic Canada as well as in Chicoutimi and Kitchener. Fogel, like Ménard, has seen some of the greatest acts on the planet, but he, too, has never felt like this before. "Without a doubt, it's the most incredible experience in music I've ever had. Every show he did began with standing ovations, followed by smiles, tears and more standing ovations. I've never seen a performer touch so many diverse audiences like he does. He seeks perfection and achieves it. He also happens to be one of the most incredible humans I've ever met. That's what it's all about."

Fogel recounts an incident in Kitchener earlier this month. He saw Cohen carrying a plastic bag. "He was heading off to a laundromat with his keyboard player and back-up singers," Fogel recalls. "He wouldn't ever ask someone else to do his laundry, yet he probably would have done all the band's laundry if they had asked.Unlike almost every star, he stays in the same places as his band, he eats what they eat, he travels the same way. He gives himself no preferential treatment. He's truly a mensch."

Buzz on the street is that this mensch might return to town for more gigs when the tour moves back on this side of the pond. If so, bookers might consider a bigger room. St. Joseph's Oratory?

bbrownst@thegazette.canwest.com

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
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loupeelotty
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by loupeelotty »

My dream has always been to see Leonard Cohen. His music has been such a source of comfort for me. I came from Vancouver to see the concert on June 24 and it was absolutely amazing. I shed many tears of joy and gratitude that I was able to see Leonard. He is my GOD!!!!

This is an awesome site thank you so much for all your hard work you have put into this site Jarkho.

May the bleesings Be
richardrj
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by richardrj »

As has already been noted elsewhere, one of the Montreal concerts is to be broadcast on the Arte channel on July 14. And no doubt will be shared and downloaded among this community soon after. Which kind of makes a mockery of the apparent wish to make the forthcoming DVD the only live footage available.
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dick
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by dick »

It will indeed be a joy if we get this.
After the miscommunication re glastonbury, I won't believe it till I see it.
VELOVERMONT
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by VELOVERMONT »

richardrj wrote:one of the Montreal concerts is to be broadcast on the Arte channel on July 14. And no doubt will be shared and downloaded among this community soon after. Which kind of makes a mockery of the apparent wish to make the forthcoming DVD the only live footage available.
Be reassured.What will be broadcasted on july 14 is not one of Leonard's concert, but the tribute concert given in his honor with many artists performing Leonard's song.Leonard was not even present on that occasion.

The DVD is in no jeopardy !
montreal 2008; montreal 2012x2
richardrj
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by richardrj »

Sorry, my mistake. Although the Arte website does say "En bonus, les meilleurs moments du concert donné la veille par Leonard Cohen himself", so I guess there will be a few tiny morsels thrown to us.

There doesn't seem to have been much discussion on here about the tribute concert. Did anyone here go, and if so what were the highlights? I was really pleased to see that the amazing Jennifer Warnes was there - what did she sing? She seems to have been a little forgotten about in recent years. I would really like to know why she stopped working with Cohen, and why she wasn't included in any of the Hal Willner tribute shows.
VELOVERMONT
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by VELOVERMONT »

richardrj wrote:There doesn't seem to have been much discussion on here about the tribute concert
Your mistake again.Go to :news,then :Leonard to receive Montreal jazz festival award.A lot of posts there,including this url from my last post

Look up the following section of the internet site : SPEAKING COHEN

http://www.webheights.net/speakingcohen ... ljazz.html




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dick
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by dick »

As a read through of Speaking Cohen links will show, there was unfortunately no Jennifer Wanres. The highlight of the whole evening was Adam getting the Spirit Award on behalf of Leonard.

Was also pleased to hear a really good rendition of Singer Must Die -- not done enough.

Finally, I too confused the telecast info, due partly to the Monday tix having the telecast notice stamp. Catching the Tribute on July 14 will definitely be worth while.
richardrj
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by richardrj »

Thanks for that. So, Jennifer Warnes wasn't there - an error in the Arte announcement. Once again, the woman who kept the Cohen flame alight for many years, and paved the way for his return in the late 80s with Famous Blue Raincoat, is sidelined.
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jarkko
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Re: MONTREAL (JUNE 23-25)

Post by jarkko »

I have posted the Montreal Gazette review by Bill Bernstein and a great dia show by Allan LaCroix on a new Montreal page at
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/tour2008-13.html
Both Bill Bernstein and Allan LaCroix kindly gave their permission to use their work on the website.
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