Dutch Telegraaf, 16 August

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marjan
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Dutch Telegraaf, 16 August

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Article in leading Dutch paper De Telegraaf, 16 August
(my translation)

Leonard Cohen coming to Amsterdam
Enchantment and tears

Some voice, some facial expressions, some man, some music. Last Sunday we attended the opening night of Canadian song artist Leonard Cohen’s new world tour in Ghent, Belgium and once again we were moved to tears. In one fell swoop it justified his choice of the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium as a venue next week. An unusual concert venue indeed, but a special event deserves such a unique decor.
In 2008, 77-year-old Cohen already sent shivers up Amsterdam’s spine when his concert in the Westerpark following a beautiful summer day just kept going on and turned into an evening the audience would never forget. There, too, crowds gathered outside the gates to experience some of the magic, as they did in Ghent on the other side of the bleachers. Cohen’s stage had been erected on the central St Peter’s Square, where the Canadian sang about life and love as only he can.
His voice, however, appeared to be yet another layer deeper, more intense and striking than a few years ago. As if Cohen’s beautiful words gained in impact, while he hardly seems to do anything but sing. His eyes are often closed, but if the ladies’ man opens them, it is as if he is looking right at you. And his facial expressions match the rest of his body language. At times he goes down on his knees, sometimes he has two hands on the microphone instead of one. Albeit but a mere nod, all those minimal means gain maximum significance if wielded by Leonard Cohen. The man is the embodiment of enchantment, for that matter.

Masterpiece
Of course his masterpiece Old Ideas, which was released earlier this year, received plenty of attention during the concert which lasted for more than three hours, intermission included. Songs like Going Home, Darkness and Crazy to Love You linked up perfectly with classics like Bird on a Wire, Suzanne and So Long, Marianne. As the concert progressed and the sun went down, things only became better, more beautiful and nicer, all the way up to his fourth encore.
Cohen brought a seven man band to Ghent along with three female backing vocalists, including the gorgeous Webb Sisters who also backed him at the Amsterdam concert in 2008. With such standard ingredients, plus the enrichments of Old Ideas and the additional autumns Cohen has scored up, we cannot but expect the Olympic Stadium to weep for joy next Tuesday and Wednesday.
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2009 Antwerp - Barcelona 2010 Ghent - Lille - Dortmund 2012 Ghent - Amsterdam
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