CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
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CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
The venue for this show is the historic Fox Theatre. The Fox in Detroit has been designated as a "National Historic Landmark." It was built in 1928 and is the largest of the five "still-surviving" Fox movie palaces. Designed by architect C. Howard Crane, the interior is a lavish blend of Burmese, Chinese, Indian and Persian motifs. It was restored in 1988. The seating capacity is approximately 5100. (I love the old theatres - wish I were there. )
Leonard Cohen last passed this way on May 9, 2009.
http://bit.ly/Tli7hP
Leonard Cohen last passed this way on May 9, 2009.
http://bit.ly/Tli7hP
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
And I wanted to start this thread now - because I keep seeing some good "pre-concert" reports that include comments by UHTC members - Roscoe Beck, Sharon Robinson.
From Detroit News -
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2012 ... /211220303
From Detroit News -
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2012 ... /211220303
November 22, 2012 at 1:00 am
It Could Be His Last Tour, But Leonard Cohen's Still Going Full Steam
Leonard Cohen continues to record and perform at the age of 78. His latest album is “Old Ideas,” released in January. His first was “Songs of Leonard Cohen” 45 years ago. (David Wolff-Patrick / Redferns)
By Adam Graham
Detroit News Pop Music Writer
When Leonard Cohen last came through Detroit with an elegant show at the Fox Theatre in May 2009, it seemed a fitting farewell from the Canadian singer-songwriter, who was 74 at the time and performing what appeared to be his final tour.
Rather, that outing led to a creatively fervent period for the baritone-voiced poet, who earned a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2010. This past January, he released "Old Ideas," his first album of new material in eight years, and over the summer he announced he'd be hitting the road again for another round of tour dates. Now 78, Cohen performs Monday at the Fox.
The tour started in Europe in August and has been going "amazingly well," says Roscoe Beck, Cohen's bassist and music arranger. When the last tour wrapped in 2010, Beck wasn't sure if it was Cohen's final round of dates, but "we were all hopeful" another tour would come to pass, he says.
"The whole thing is amazing to me," says Beck, who has been working with Cohen for more than 30 years. "We're just ecstatic to be working with him in his late career. Leonard is really at the peak of his career at 78 years old."
Cohen released his debut album, "Songs of Leonard Cohen," 45 years ago, but he has always seemed older than his years. His voice, which is so deep it could send shivers down Darth Vader's spine, is one of music's most distinctive instruments, and his catalog has only grown in stature with time — just ask all those kids covering his signature 1984 hit "Hallelujah" on "American Idol."
Cohen's 2008 tour, which followed his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that year, marked his first round of live dates since the early 1990s, and at the time many thought he had retired from live music. But that tour — spurred in part by his financial troubles after his former manager drained millions from his retirement fund — was a huge success, and found him playing to a whole new generation of rapturous fans.
"It's a phenomenon," says Sharon Robinson, one of Cohen's backup singers and longtime collaborators. "He's someone who has dedicated his life to his art, and in that way, it's really moving for people."
Shows on the current tour have been hitting the three-hour mark. They are marathon-style shows that cover his entire career, up to and including "Old Ideas."
"Leonard often says at the beginning of the show, 'I don't know if we'll pass this way again, but tonight we're going to give you everything we've got,' and he really means it," says Beck. "Because who knows if we'll visit a particular city again? And he wants to leave a lasting memory, and he really will. He'll play right up until the last 10 seconds of the curfew, and sometimes beyond that, despite the fact that it will cost the tour money. If he feels like he hasn't achieved what he wants to achieve, he'll go, curfew be damned."
So is this the last time Cohen will play Detroit? Beck's not sure.
"I would tell any fan of Leonard, if you know you'd like to see him again, I wouldn't miss this show," he says. "Because (his coming back) isn't guaranteed at all."
Leonard Cohen
8 p.m. Monday
Fox Theatre
2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Tickets $29.50-$253.50
Call (313) 471-6611
http://www.ticketmaster.com
agraham@detnews.com
twitter.com/grahamorama
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
From the Oakland Press -
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles ... =fullstory
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles ... =fullstory
The Legendary Leonard Cohen Passes This Way Again
Published: Friday, November 23, 2012
Leonard Cohen sings songs of love and heartbreak. He performs at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave. Tickets are $9.50-$253.50. Call 313-471-6611 or visit http://www.olympiaentertainment.com.
By GARY GRAFF
For Journal Register Newspapers
ggonmusic@gmail.com; Twitter: @graffonmusic
The last time Leonard Cohen went on tour — from 2008-2010 — he had to.
He was broke.
But this year he’s back, and it’s for the love of music, not money.
“This year, I think, he’s touring because he really wants to for the first time ever — and not for any other reason,” says Roscoe Beck, Cohen’s bassist for the past 33 years. He also was Cohen’s musical director the last time out, and again on the current Old Ideas Tour.
“It’s not because he needs money, not because a record company is telling him to ... like it has been in the past.
“Now he’s choosing to do it because he knows there’s an audience out there who wants to see it, because he enjoys the lifestyle — he likes hotel rooms, he likes the camaraderie of the band and crew. It works for him, and this time he chooses it because, simply, he wants to tour.”
FYI
Leonard Cohen performs at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 26, at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave. Tickets are $9.50-$253.50. Call 313-471-6611 or visit http://www.olympiaentertainment.com.
Sharon Robinson, another longtime Cohen cohort and featured vocalist in his shows, adds that, “Leonard is certainly not doing this begrudgingly.”
“He seems to be really enjoying himself and tapping into part of himself that was not in evidence but was definitely there. He seems to really love getting out there and singing his songs, and it’s clear that his work really genuinely touches people and moves people.”
Beck, 58, agrees that the 78-year-old Cohen, who spent 14 years semi-retired from performing, has entered a new era since 2008 — “the most amazing one yet, because it certainly seems like Leonard is actually at the peak of his career now, all over the world.” And that’s saying something, given Cohen’s history before then.
He was never entirely cut out for pop stardom, much less a member of “the highest and most influential echelon of songwriters,” as Lou Reed said when inducting Cohen into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. The Montreal native began publishing poems while studying at McGill University and winning prizes from the Chester MacNaghten Literary Competition, among others. Cohen’s first book, “Let Us Compare Mythologies,” came out in 1956.
Poetry and writing were not big-money gigs, however, so during the mid-’60s Cohen moved back to New York City (he had spent a little time at Columbia University), spending time with Andy Warhol’s Factory collective and around the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk scene.
In her memoir “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes,” singer Judy Collins — who scored a hit with Cohen’s “Suzanne” in 1967 — describes Cohen as “an intellectual and sensitive artist. I knew in an instant he was special ... his songs would let me fly.”
He released “Songs of Leonard Cohen” that same year and has released another 11 since, including “Old Ideas,” which came out during January in the wake of Cohen’s successful last tour. With his idiosyncratic melodic sensibility and dry delivery — in songs delving into politics, sexuality and tortured romanticism — he was not one to have hits. But like Tom Waits and John Hiatt, his songwriting was enormously influential and his songs often covered.
Jennifer Warnes, his onetime backing singer, recorded an entire album of Cohen songs for 1987’s critically lauded “Famous Blue Raincoat” (produced by Beck); and admirers such as Elton John, Billy Joel, Sting, R.E.M., Nick Cave, U2’s Bono and others saluted him on ’90s tribute albums such as “I’m Your Fan” (a play on Cohen’s song and album “I’m Your Man”) and “Tower of Song.” Jeff Buckley, meanwhile, recorded a definitive version of Cohen’s hymn “Hallelujah,” which became a go-to song for poignant moments in films and TV shows.
The upshot of all this is that Cohen — who took a five-year hiatus in 1994 to study Zen Buddhism and, in fact, become ordained as a Buddhist monk — gradually and quietly “became a legend,” as musical director Beck puts it. And no one was more surprised than the man himself.
“When we began discussions about touring in 2007, I can remember him saying to me, ‘I don’t know if there’s an audience out there for me,’ and that wasn’t just talk,” Beck recalls. “The promoter was saying, ‘Oh yeah, there’s people dying to see you, this tour will be really big,’ but Leonard was very unsure.
“And because of his uncertainty, I actually shared it. I remember he had me in a hotel in Los Angeles when we were beginning discussions, and I wouldn’t use the valet parking because I didn’t think I should be spending $28 a day for that. So I moved my car from one street to the other instead.”
The promoter proved correct, of course. Cohen’s two-year trek — which included a 2009 visit to Detroit’s Fox Theatre — drew sell-out crowds, earned rave reviews and produced the 2009 album and DVD “Live in London.” The newfound popularity helped the “Old Ideas” album became his highest-charting album of his career, debuting at No. 1 in 11 countries and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 — his best-showing in the United States by a good 60 points.
And Beck says the new “Old Ideas” songs — as well as the return of 1979-80 tour guitarist Mitch Watkins — have added some zest to the show. “They’re subtle changes,” he notes. “If someone saw the show in 2009, this show begins with the same four songs, I believe, but that’s where the similarity ends.”
Neither Beck nor Robinson feign a guess as to what’s next. Robinson, 54 — who’s working on a new album of her own — observes that Cohen “seems to want to keep doing this for a while, and of course we’re all completely on board with that.” And Beck adds that “there’s always new songs.”
“Leonard is always working on new things,” he says. “There’s no talk of it yet, but I think it’s a pretty simple connection to make that if there’s new songs and an audience willing to hear them, there will probably be a new album at some point.”
As for more tours and live shows, the bassist says Cohen has altered his regular, cryptic sign-off of, “Who knows if we’ll ever pass this way again?”
“The last couple of shows he’s changed that line slightly to ‘I would like to tour a couple more years, but just in case we don’t pass this way again, tonight we’ll give you everything we’ve got’ — and he certainly means it,” Beck says.
“There’s an end to everything, of course, but I have a feeling we’re not there yet.”
Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
Where on earth did they come up with "DECEMBER" 26TH, 2012 for the concert date?
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
Not randomly - lol - they used the wrong month. The show is Nov 26 - not Dec 26.ladydi wrote:Where on earth did they come up with "DECEMBER" 26TH, 2012 for the concert date?
Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
growing older is so sad
we'll miss the things we had
how wonderful to be able to leave
such a wonderful legacy of art, song and personality.
we'll miss the things we had
how wonderful to be able to leave
such a wonderful legacy of art, song and personality.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
From Joey/Camp Cohen/Notes From The Road -
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... ox-detroit
The Count-In
Merch master Tom Herraty has his team moving quick during the pre-show count-in at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
Doors Are Open
A mild scurry backstage and out front as both techs and guests ready themselves for the show.
Stage Left (House Right)
Into Bird on a Wire and so far everything’s looking alright.
A photoset - here -
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... nard-cohen
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... ox-detroit
The Count-In
Merch master Tom Herraty has his team moving quick during the pre-show count-in at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.
Doors Are Open
A mild scurry backstage and out front as both techs and guests ready themselves for the show.
Stage Left (House Right)
Into Bird on a Wire and so far everything’s looking alright.
A photoset - here -
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... nard-cohen
Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
I am surprised. It is 3 hours what should have been the end of the show and still no reviews??????? Where are you Marie, Diana, Donna..............??????? I know you were there and thoroughly enjoyed this concert!!!!!!!! We want to hear about it PLEEEEEAZE!!!!
1993 Detroit 2008 Kitchener June 2-Hamilton June 3 & 4-Vienna Sept 24 & 25-London RAH Nov 17 2009 NYC Feb 19-Grand Prairie Apr 3-Phoenix Apr 5-Columbia May 11-Red Rocks Jun 4-Barcelona Sept 21-Columbus Oct 27-Las Vegas Nov 12-San Jose Nov 13 2010 Sligo Jul 31 & Aug 1-LV Dec 10 & 11 2012 Paris Sept 30-London Dec 11-Boston Dec 16 2013 Louisville Mar 30-Amsterdam Sept 20
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
The gorgeous Fox in Detroit rocked last night - from 8:10ish to 11:40 or so, Cohen brought the heat, and we basked in the glow of his genius - and his team backed him up beautifully, the violin, guitar, the Prince of Precision on drums, Lars on the organ and keyboard, wow! Everything worked! Not to mention the wonder of the ladies - backing up and bringing the heat themselves to the forefront, it was just such a terrific show. Perfect.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
A set of photographs from the show taken by Chris Schwegler -
http://www.schwegweb.com/shows/photos-l ... detroit-mi
http://www.schwegweb.com/shows/photos-l ... detroit-mi
Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
Morning Mary! Brief note. Late night and up early, but will write my thoughts in a few hours...promise.MaryB wrote:I am surprised. It is 3 hours what should have been the end of the show and still no reviews??????? Where are you Marie, Diana, Donna..............??????? I know you were there and thoroughly enjoyed this concert!!!!!!!! We want to hear about it PLEEEEEAZE!!!!
The evening was visually stunning and musical perfection. A perfection that only Leonard and the UHTC can create, and of course presented in the voluptuous intimacy of the Fox theatre!
Beautiful....
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
From J. S. Carenza III / Camp Cohen / Notes from the Road
Photoset: First Set Recap Fox Theatre ~ Detroit, MI
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... nard-cohen
Backstage at the Break
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... -the-break
Otherworldly The details are in the details and LC has got the details down. So Long Marianne.
Famous Blue Raincoat
Photoset: First Set Recap Fox Theatre ~ Detroit, MI
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... nard-cohen
Backstage at the Break
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/366 ... -the-break
Otherworldly The details are in the details and LC has got the details down. So Long Marianne.
Famous Blue Raincoat
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
From Detroit News -
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2012 ... /211270369
[Click on link to see photoset of 12 pictures]
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2012 ... /211270369
[Click on link to see photoset of 12 pictures]
November 27, 2012 at 8:15 am
Leonard Cohen Commands Masterful Show at Fox Theatre
By Adam Graham
Detroit News Pop Music Writer
Leonard Cohen bows to the audience at the Fox Theater in Detroit for his performance on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012.
(Elizabeth Conley/The Detroit News)
Leonard Cohen's no slouch.
The 78-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer dazzled the Fox Theatre Monday with an epic-length, three-plus hour concert that spanned his momentous career. If it was his farewell to Detroit, as he teased early on, it was a fitting one, stretching 29 songs and unfolding with a peerless elegance that was magnificent to watch unfold.
"Tonight we're gonna give you everything that we've got," Cohen said early on, and he lived up to that claim all night long.
Trotting out on stage, though with a little less than spring in his step than he had during his last visit to the Fox in May 2009, Cohen kicked off the night with "Dance Me to the End of Love," falling to his knees like he was in prayer during the song. It was a move he would repeat throughout the evening, kneeling on stage as if to honor the Tower of Song he sings about.
Joined on stage by his crack six-piece band and three backup singers, Cohen graciously shared the spotlight with his fellow musicians, introducing them several times during the evening and letting each have their own individual moments during the show. He took off his hat and held it over his heart while each played their solo, showing his deep respect and admiration for their talents. It was a reverence that could not be faked.
Cohen bounced between decades-old standards and offerings from his latest, this year's "Old Ideas." Midway through the show he performed "A Thousand Kisses Deep" with a haunting intimacy, backed only by the slightest hint of organ, and he segued into "Anthem," his 1992 masterpiece that was the highlight of the night. "There is a crack in everything," the barrel-voiced Cohen sang, "that's how the light gets in."
The stage was masterfully lit, with hues of purple, teal, blue, green and gold washing over the curtained backdrop, with Cohen and his bandmates fading into silhouette after each song. Those silhouettes made it seem like you were getting a behind-the-scenes peek at the musicians in between songs, as they traded instruments with stage hands and adjusted in their seats. It felt like you were watching the show come together from behind the stage.
Cohen referred to the audience as "friends" throughout the evening, and those friends spontaneously applauded various Cohen lyrics throughout the night ("I ache in the places I used to play," from "Tower of Song," was a particular favorite). A fair number of Canadians were in the audience to honor their national hero, and Cohen did them proud.
Three and a half hours after the show began — there was a 25-minute intermission midway through the show — things wrapped up, appropriately enough, with "Closing Time." It was two encores in and it was getting close to midnight, and some fans had started to head for the door. But you got the picture Cohen could have still gone on longer, like he had a little more to give before giving his final bow. Here's to hoping he comes through town at least once more before saying goodbye for good.
agraham@detnews.com
twitter.com/grahamorama
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Detroit, Michigan - November 26, 2012
Leonard's Detroit concert at the Fox theatre was special on several levels. First the theatre itself witnessed by several of Joey's photos....it blows you away. In fact it's so ornate that it took several minutes to realize that it was was also decorated for Christmas! Definitely not designed by Ikea...
Special also was meeting up with several fans prior at the Hockeytown cafe. Wonderful touching bases with Nancy, Janis, and Barbara and Rick. Enjoyed visiting with you SO much!
Most special of all though was Leonard and the UHTC. They were spectacular! Leonard was witty, slightly wicked, and full of energy. I think he could have gone on for another hour or more. The band was perfection! I love the addition of Alex and his violin (still missing a certain person though at stage left), and Mitch is fabulous. As Sharon sang "Alexandra Leaving" you could have heard a pin drop, and it brought tears to my eyes. It was said that one of the security men also had to wipe his eyes a bit. Of the new songs, I love Leonard's concert interpretation of Amen and Anyhow!
Missed Joan of Arc, but The Guests was wonderful!
The lighting was masterful, and the sound perfect. And as always the techs amaze me with their speed and precision.
A couple of personal remarks. I prefer the intimacy of a concert hall to an arena but realize the revenue is much greater in the latter, however I feel blessed to be a part of this moment in time regardless of the venue. And Detroit...wow! You gave Leonard a great welcome last night!! The energy level was fabulous!
Now I wait patiently for 2013....
Special also was meeting up with several fans prior at the Hockeytown cafe. Wonderful touching bases with Nancy, Janis, and Barbara and Rick. Enjoyed visiting with you SO much!
Most special of all though was Leonard and the UHTC. They were spectacular! Leonard was witty, slightly wicked, and full of energy. I think he could have gone on for another hour or more. The band was perfection! I love the addition of Alex and his violin (still missing a certain person though at stage left), and Mitch is fabulous. As Sharon sang "Alexandra Leaving" you could have heard a pin drop, and it brought tears to my eyes. It was said that one of the security men also had to wipe his eyes a bit. Of the new songs, I love Leonard's concert interpretation of Amen and Anyhow!
Missed Joan of Arc, but The Guests was wonderful!
The lighting was masterful, and the sound perfect. And as always the techs amaze me with their speed and precision.
A couple of personal remarks. I prefer the intimacy of a concert hall to an arena but realize the revenue is much greater in the latter, however I feel blessed to be a part of this moment in time regardless of the venue. And Detroit...wow! You gave Leonard a great welcome last night!! The energy level was fabulous!
Now I wait patiently for 2013....