CONCERT REPORT: Los Angeles, CA - November 5, 2012

[sturgess66]

I think this show has started - and looks like we need a concert thread -

The venue is the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live
Built in 2007 - the capacity is 7,100




Keep Calm Los Angeles
At 8 pm, Cohen Goes On

And - from Twitter - sounds/looks like everything is proceeding in good order -

Jesse Obstbaum ‏@pocketsymphony
Leonard Cohen - killing it in LA @ Nokia Theatre http://instagr.am/p/RrJ9OnRZio/

‏@hardrockchick - "We started this tour four years ago when I was 74, just a kid with a dream" #leonardcohen @ Nokia Theatre http://instagr.am/p/RrJNbkxyz-/

And here's a good sign -

‏@nanrae - At the Nokia waiting for Leonard Cohen... http://instagr.am/p/RrGnDJlbdK/

[MaryB]

Linda,

Thank you for that. Nice to see that it is sold out!

Best regards,
Mary

[j6ppc]

The concert was good. Even sublime.
2.5 X dance me to the end of love was... odd.

Leonard and friends were very much on last night.

It was I think a great show- many new arrangements extant even since Dublin.

1000 kisses deep recitation is back- same as in San Jose if I recall correctly and most welcome.

[MaryB]

DMTTEOL is my all time favorite, but twice - odd.

[paintbox]

3/5 of the crowd was still filing in when Leonard started the show at 8 Sharp. He played a truncated version after the second song and then the full version near the end of the second set.

[AlanM]

Dance Me To The End Of Love was performed TWICE at a concert in Montreaux in 1985, and possibly elsewhere on that tour, so a double performance in one show in not new.

[holydove]

Dance Me To The End Of Love was performed TWICE at a concert in Montreaux in 1985, and possibly elsewhere on that tour, so a double performance in one show in not new.

I love that! He used to do BOTW twice in the '70's/80's & I would love it if he started doing that again - esp. with BOTW, but I'd love it with any song Leonard chooses to do it with!

[POZEST]

Awesome and unique Cohen show for me.

He did play Dance me to the end of love twice.

During his first time he sounded off; as if he was nervous.
I know, I know. Believe me friends something was off.
by the 3rd song he got his full mojo/powers back

A correction to the "2.5" reference:

After he played The Future, he asked for the house lights to be turned on so people could find their seats as people were still giling in at that time. Then He had the band re-start the last 1/4 of The Future.

Sadly and as a result there was no 3rd encore so no I Tried To Leave You or final band solos/intros.

[holydove]

oh. . .well, that means this time he had a different, not so great, reason for playing a song twice. I wonder why so many people arrived so late. . .

[bridger15]

AT 8 pm sharp, the show began.
Hundreds of people were still streaming in late.
Ushers were standing in the aisles while hundreds lined up on either side of them to find out where their seats were located.
For those like myself, these people blocked our view and although whispering, were still audible.
This was all visible from the stage.
The hustle and bustle to get to seats was still going on after two songs.
After two songs, LC stopped the show, asked to bring the house lights up so people could find their seats.
Sweetly made a joke, "I apologize for starting the show on time."
And added, now I can see your faces.
After a while he resumed the show.
But people kept streaming in late, it went on and on on and on....
To add to the latecomer chaos, people acted all evening as if they were at a sports game.
This is a very plush theatre, almost identical to Caesars Colosseum. Yet, there were comings and goings all night, movement that was clearly visible form the stage. There seemed to be people walking in the aisles all night, especially visible when the show;s lighting hit certain areas.
Of course if one person in the middle of a row wants to leave and re-enter, more of the row has to rise to let them pass.
At one point I was in tears, both for LC and for myself.
My son Leonard came with me for his first LC show ever and this was the spectacle he witnessed.
And if all this movement wasn't bad enough, as soon as Hallelujah was over, people began leaving causing more movement that never stopped.
I was at the 2009 show and I don't recall movement like this.
Then I remembered, I had a Pit seat in 2009, so I wouldn't have noticed

The movement all night was so bad I stopped trying to take videos.
I have zero complete videos. Too bad, he sang "The Guests". I did try. I hope someone else grabbed it.
As soon as I thought the coast was clear, people walked into the camera view.
I may upload the odd one for the record and /or do a compilation video when I return home from my next two concerts.

In spite of this chaos - Leonard Cohen put on a dynamic concert, "gave them everything he got", went far beyond what he had to.

He announced he would like to do the first song over. People cheered.
Even though people were leaving in droves, he announced he would keep singing to the edge of the curfew.
They still kept drifting out.
Finally, he held up the clock to show it was almost 11:45.
I was in tears by then. I was so rattled and so upset.
I will check my Sony stick for more details. But because of all the movement in my row, my handbag (where I hide the stick) was jostled several times so I may have nothing on it.

---Arlene

btw, My seat was in the main orchestra. People in the Pit section would not notice all this movement behind them.

[Hartmut]

This sounds just terrible, Arlene.

[tikied]

Am I the only one that thinks cell phone cameras are a huge distraction from the concert experience?

[musicmania]

How disrespectful an experience Arlene. Your report has brought tears to my eyes Even though we had a similiar problem in Dublin with people constantly moving around it must have been way worse last night for Leonard to stop the show. I hope there were cheers from those who had arrived on time when he made that comment. Only Leonard could have said that! As for the people leaving after Hallelujah, appalled doesn't suffice.

[coolfadda]

Arlene, I just can't believe it. I am appalled at the bad manners of the audience. The fact that you would assume they were Leonard Cohen fans makes it all the worse. I am most saddened for Leonard who as an artist and a gentleman deserves better than that. Shame on you people.. Catherine

[sturgess66]

I'm not sure - but I am thinking this is from the Nokia show - it is newly uploaded - although no info in the description to identify it.
Leonard doesn't say where it is. What he says @3:27- "I did not come here tonight to fool you" -
And could it be he makes a bit of emphasis with a fist ...
Definitely sounds like a great response from the audience.

Uploaded by ramieblatt - Thanks!

Hallelujah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQTc6gTXlO4