CONCERT REPORTS: Oakland, California, December 5 & 6, 2010

[sturgess66]

These two shows are coming up soon enough - but the lucky guests and travelers who will be attending will be arriving in Oakland in short time!

The venue for these two shows is the magnificent Oakland Paramount Theatre. Described on the theatre's website as “one of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States,” it is one of a number of former MOVIE PALACES that now serve as beautiful theaters in the USA. Designed by San Francisco architect Timothy L. Pflueger, it was completed in 1931 and is now a National Historic Landmark. It currently hosts orchestral concerts, theatre, opera, ballet, shows and movies, etc. – and the list of artists who have graced the stage/walked the boards is extraordinary. Seating capacity is about 3,200. The theatre has stood as a “grounding force” and landmark of stability in the neighborhood for decades.

I suspect there is good reason why this theatre has been selected for FIVE shows on this World Tour by Leonard Cohen and the United Heart Touring Company.

From the outside –


And I cannot restrain myself from posting a number of pictures of the gorgeous “inside” –



And more -





For anyone wanting to see more pictures - this is where I found some of them - and you can read more about the theatre itself and the art deco, including those “Egyptian Princesses cast in plaster and painted in real gold-leaf."
http://oaktownart.com/2010/03/19/the-pa ... land-icon/

And here is the Wiki page –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_ ... ifornia%29
And the theatre's website -
http://www.paramounttheatre.com/

[scocoh]

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[mnkyface]

Thanks for starting this thread Linda! and the beautiful pics of the Paramount. I'm beyond excited that LC and Co are coming back- I'm bordering on hysterical I think. Almost had a car accident today thinking about Sunday... The Paramount Theatre is indeed breath-taking, and the perfect venue for LC. It's the jewel in the crown of a very troubled city...

But- I lived in Oakland for years and there is a lot to love. Seems like a lot of people are traveling in for these shows, so if you have extra time to spend in town, there are some must-sees in Oakland. The Paramount is one, of course, so check that off your list. Other recommendations:

Jack London Square- waterfront dining and shopping, with some historical sites to look at- Jack London's intact cabin, and the Last Chance Saloon (a bar he frequented). Also the USS Potomac is docked there- aka Roosevelt's "Floating White House."

Oakland's Chinatown is awesome; I actually like it better than SF's. If you really can spend some time, take the Fortune Cookie Factory Tour. http://www.forniafortunecookies.com/tour.htm

Lake Merritt is another jewel- perfect 3 mile loop is a wonderful walk or jog. There is a bird sanctuary/island thingee on one side. Near Lake Merritt is Grand Ave- quaint street with shops and another historic theatre (The Grand Lake). This is my 'hood- where I grew up in part- so I have a fondness for this corner of the lake.

A lot of people visit the Cathedral of Christ the Light- a huge modern steel/glass cathedral at the corner of Broadway and Grand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_ ... _the_Light

And of course there is the meet-up at Luka's viewtopic.php?f=44&t=23529

I'm hoping for good weather on Sunday, and for those traveling. It's raining lightly here now...

[mirka]

But- I lived in Oakland for years and there is a lot to love. Seems like a lot of people are traveling in for these shows, so if you have extra time to spend in town, there are some must-sees in Oakland.

Lake Merritt is another jewel- perfect 3 mile loop is a wonderful walk or jog.

hi Esther, glad you'll get another opportunity to feed your (ours...) obsession
There is another attraction at Lake Meritt: a very fine Palmetum hosting great collection of palms, really worth to see:
http://www.palmsnc.org/pages/palmetum.php

mirka

[ladydi]

Big thanks to the suggestions from Esther and Mirka! I'm out the door in just over an hour for my flight to San Francisco! Talk about excited!!!! Plan on checking out a few of those places tomorrow. And thanks for the lovely photos of the Paramount, Linda! Can't wait to see it!!! And this little group that's playing there.......

ps..umbrella packed

Diana

[sturgess66]

A little emoting in the PacificSun relating to the upcoming shows -
http://www.pacificsun.com/news/show_story.php?id=2511

Uploaded: Friday, December 3, 2010, 1:48 PM

You're my man, Leonard? I'm your stalker...
Mr. Cohen, object of desire, in concert this weekend...

by Dani Burlison

The longest functioning relationship I've ever had with a man is the one that I've had in my mind with Leonard Cohen. He's amazing. He's perfect. I love him. A longtime favorite of Marinites and fans around the globe, this snazzy-dressed Canadian always knows just what to say—from his books of poetry to his 1960s folk sound through his early 1990s dark, cult-loving tunes. Sweet Leonard manages to weave his words together into a cozy warm blanket that I can always count on wrapping up in when the mood strikes me. And his live performances are simply flawless. When he drops to his knees to sing "Dance Me to the End of Love, Chelsea Hotel #2" or "Gypsy's Wife," I just know that he is singing for me. In a perfect world, Leonard would have spent that time in Greece with me. He would have left the comfort of Roshi's teachings at the Mt. Baldy Buddhist monastery for me. He would kneel down and propose with a deeply melodic rendition of "I'm Your Man" before bowing—fedora in hand—and offering his humble and knowing smile to me and only me. Alas, the world isn't perfect and I must sit patiently and soak up his songs from balcony seats at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Sigh. Hop, skip and jump across the Richmond Bridge and on over to Oakland for two spectacular nights with this legendary man. Sunday, Dec 5, and Monday, Dec. 6, at 8pm. 2025 Broadway, Oakland. $45-$250. 510/465-6400—Sincerely, Dani Burlison

[sturgess66]

More pre-concert publicity about this show - from SFGate.com -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cul ... y_id=78366

12/5 & 12/6: Leonard Cohen @ the Paramount Theatre


Photo by Lorca Cohen.

The legendary Leonard Cohen performs this Sunday and Monday, December 5 and 6, at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. When Leonard Cohen comes to town, you buy your tickets early. A Leonard Cohen show isn't an "I'll catch him next time around" kind of event. It's a possibly once-in-a-lifetime kind of event. A tell-your-future-grandkids story. A must-see show. A "this is worth the extra cash" occasion. Inexplicably, but thankfully for you, there are still tickets available for Monday's show.


Photo by Lorca Cohen.

What can be said about Leonard Cohen that hasn't been said before? The venerable songwriter has been making people swoon, laugh, and cry for over four decades with his heartbreaking lyrics and haunting melodies. Though he'd taken leave of the spotlight, his music has stayed in the mainstream year after year. His song "Hallelujah" has enjoyed wave after wave of resurrection, covered and re-recorded over the years by John Cale, Rufus Wainwright (in Dreamworks' Shrek), Jeff Buckley, and Neil Diamond, to name just a few.

In 2008, after a long break from performing, the world was once again graced with Cohen's presence through several whirlwind tours. His first American concert in over 15 years took place on February 19, 2009 in New York. Cross-generational fans, 40-year diehards and eager new listeners, all seem to agree that the 76-year old has not lost any of his chops.


Photo by Dustin Rabin.

The most recent North American tour kicked off just days ago in Cohen's native Canada. The reviews have been nothing praiseworthy, to say the least. The Vancouver Sun, the Globe and Mail and the Province all lauded the legend, waxing poetic about his voice, onstage command and powerful presence. In an unprecedented comeback, Cohen is on fire.

In short, this is not to be missed.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cul ... z1773Uo0DZ

[lizzytysh]

WoW... what a PLACE, the Paramount! All but shimmering with gold leaf. Those art deco pieces are out of this world!

[mutti]

Looking forward to hearing from Diana, Marie M. Arlene, Esther, Wendy, Ken and everyone else on all your adventures in Oakland!
Keep us posted on your concert experiences as we are all waiting patiently...

Leslie/Mutti

[sturgess66]

Another pre-concert article for the shows in Oakland - from KTVU.com -
http://www.ktvu.com/entertainment/26014448/detail.html

Songwriting Legend Plays Paramount
By David Pehling
Posted: 4:34 pm PST December 3, 2010
Updated: 11:50 am PST December 4, 2010



Canadian artist Leonard Cohen rose from early success as a poet and novelist -- his first book of poetry was published in 1956 and his first novel in 1963 -- to become one of his country's most celebrated singer-songwriters ever. Though he focused on his poetry and fiction for much of the '60s, Cohen moved to New York to pursue a career in music (he had learned to play the guitar as a teen).

Initially a fringe figure in Andy Warhol's "Factory" crowd, Cohen scored his first coup when noted folkie Judy Collins recorded his tune "Suzanne" in 1966. His own performances on the folk circuit got him a contract with Columbia Records, leading to the release of his acclaimed debut 'Songs of Leonard Cohen' in 1967. The recording announced the singer as a literate tunesmith who wore his emotions on his sleeve and signaled -- along with Dylan's rise to preeminence -- a shift to songwriters who wrote their own material. The album included such classics as his version of “Suzanne” as wel as “Sisters of Mercy,” “So Long, Marianne” and “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.”

If Cohen had never recorded another album, his daunting reputation would have been assured by this one alone. However, the two extraordinary albums that followed, 'Songs From a Room' (1969), which includes his classic song, “Bird on the Wire,” and 'Songs of Love and Hate' (1971), provided whatever proof anyone may have required that that the greatness of his debut was not a fluke.

In the four decades since those landmark releases, Cohen's career has had its ups and downs, but the songwriter has remains revered as one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time. He recorded more orchestral albums in the '70s that moved away from the spare and stripped-down approach of his earlier works before delving into experimental territory in his collaboration with producer Phil Spector (on his oft-maligned 'Death of a Ladies' Man' effort from 1977). His recordings became more sporadic in the '80s as he turned to the synthesizer as primary musical tool. His evocative music became popular choice for movie soundtracks during the following decade -- including such films as 'Pump Up the Volume,' 'Natural Born Killers' and 'Exotica' -- as his 1992 album 'The Future' was hailed as his greatest album in years.

Cohen has continued his spiritual quest (he was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk in 1996) while putting out some of his best work over the past 15 years including the acclaimed 'Ten New Songs' in 2001 and 'Dear Heather' in 2004. Cohen returned to the stage in 2008 after an extended absence from touring, presenting marathon shows lasting over three hours for rapturous audiences around the globe and producing not one but two live recordings (the two CD/DVD 'Live in London' and this year's single disc 'Songs from the Road'). The 76-year-old Cohen brings his tour back to the Bay Area for one final visit prior to recording his next album when he plays these two shows at Oakland's Paramount Theatre.

Leonard Cohen
Sunday-Monday, Dec. 5-6, 8 p.m. $45.50-$250
Paramount Theatre

[Mabeanie1]

Went to collect my tickets from the Paramount this afternoon. I am VERY excited ... and also a little sad as tomorrow marks the start of the countdown to the end of the tour.

Wendy (in San Francisco)

[mnkyface]

Went to collect my tickets from the Paramount this afternoon. Wendy

They gave you the tix today? When I called them they said 6pm tomorrow was the earliest possible time for pick up..... grrrrrrrr.

(And brrrrrrr...yes it is cold here!)

[Mabeanie1]

Went to collect my tickets from the Paramount this afternoon. Wendy

They gave you the tix today? When I called them they said 6pm tomorrow was the earliest possible time for pick up..... grrrrrrrr.

(And brrrrrrr...yes it is cold here!)

First they told me that they didn't have the tickets yet but they checked the system when I persisted and I got the tickets. It probably helped that I presented myself at the box office but they weren't going out of their way for anyone.

Cold? You guys don't know what cold is! When I left home the temperature was -10 C. The driver of the shuttle bus from the airport was laughing at me because I was so hot when I arrived at SFO that I was down to a short sleeved T shirt. I did put a coat on today but I was quite bemused to see people out and about huddled in hats and scarves!

Wendy

[sharon.e]

(And brrrrrrr...yes it is cold here!)

Cold? You guys don't know what cold is! When I left home the temperature was -10 C. The driver of the shuttle bus from the airport was laughing at me because I was so hot when I arrived at SFO that I was down to a short sleeved T shirt. I did put a coat on today but I was quite bemused to see people out and about huddled in hats and scarves!

Well, I don't dare say we feel cold at night when temperatures drop to about 16-17... But hey, it's quite a drop, as during the day they're still whopping 27c, as in +27c Mr. Winter lost our address kinda weather...
With forecast sites showing similar temperatures in Oakland and LV (minus the rain), give or take a few,guess I'm gonna be extra brrrrr...

The venue looks amazing - I'll be thinking about you tonight (my time) - I know everyone attending is up for a treat.
Looking forward to reports, photos and vids.

It really is the final countdown...
LV is just around the corner..
--Sharon

[IrishMar]

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, you guys. Thinking of your all, you are truly in for a great evening.

Marie