CONCERT REPORTS: Glace Bay, NS (May 20 and 21)

[chadcaper]

a few more from one the best shows i've ever attended

[Inge]

Thank you, Chadcaper. Beautiful pictures. I'm going to his concert in Amsterdam, 12th of July. I can't wait, seeing all the pictures posted on the Leonardcohenfiles. Thanks.
Inge

[chrispycrunch007]

Great Pics Chad!
You've raised the bar on concert photos....what equipment were you using?

[zintman61]

excellent photos...thank you!

[Steve Wilcox]

Another great show - the 21st in Glace Bay. Cape Breton and its people are known for their hospitality and enjoyment of life and they showed it. Of the three shows I've seen thus far, I think this was the most energetic performance of Closing Time, largely due to the crowd encouraging the musicians. Leonard remarked about the hospitality he and the band received during their stay.

Two different moments at the show: when Leonard played his simple piano trills between the first two verses of Tower Of Song, the crowd responded as if he'd played something by Oscar Peterson, Leonard grinned and laughed and had to wait an extra bar to start the next verse; and, this was the first show I attended where he recited the poem A Thousand Kisses Deep to a lone keyboard sound track. It was, to me, a highlight of the show - you could have heard a pin drop.

[cheapwino]

I have no idea why he came to Glace Bay, but boy, am I glad he did!

I was lucky enough to obtain tickets at the last minute from a (ahem) 'reseller' who
had expected to make considerably more on his front row seats than the pittance he
actually did. Scalper rule number one: there's no gold to be mined in Glace Bay.

Travelled a few hours from home, rented a cheap little motel room, drank a bottle of
cheap wine, had a cheap steak and wine dinner at Steel City, the local dive, then
drank another bottle of cheap wine after we returned to our tiny paradise. The taxi arrived
at the scheduled time, glasses were downed, and we were on our way!

Arrived at the Savoy, surprised at how little the taxi fare was; tipped the driver, as usual.

Entered the entrance, as one is want to do.

The foyer was packed and it seemed all had glasses in hand. To the left, three very busy
waitresses (well, one was a guy, but I have a feeling he was a waitress at heart) dispensed
the ultimate Cohen accompaniment: booze!

So, more cheap wine.

Then the time came. I was surprised at how beautiful the Savoy is inside, and the fog inside it
was just too cool.

Then it began. Then he began. Yeah, it was the greatest concert I've ever attended.

As has been said, I was surprised at how small, stiff, and fragile Leonard Cohen appeared. But we didn't come
to see his shell, we came to hear his soul, and hear it we did. The guy's a genius.

I'm thankful to the Savoy; I'm thankful to Leonard Cohen; I'm thankful to the profitless scalper; I'm thankful to
the friendly people of Cape Breton; I'm thankful to Billy D's; I'm thankful for the drunken sex; I'm thankful for
the beautiful Bras D'or Lakes; I'm thankful for cheap delicious steak; I'm thankful for the cool damp night; I'm thankful to the flirty taxi dispatcher; I'm thankful to all involved.

When I first bought the tickets, I thought, in not a great way, "Great, Glace Bay." But it was actually great.
The theatre was small and charming, just like the man himself. I have a great appreciation of small venues now. Have I said 'great' enough?

My wife took some pics, but they turned out bad. Thanks to whomever took the pics in this thread; I saved them to cherish forever. Deviously, however, she also took some video; the video quality isn't great, but the
audio's pretty good. I scorned and warned her at the time, but she didn't listen. Security scorned and warned her too, but that just made her more subversive in her efforts. I was thinking of posting the clips on Youtube,
but I feel that would be a betrayal, in some way, of Leonard's trust. I do not want to contribute to the betrayals
he has recently suffered, so no Youtube.

He's a gift from god, just haven't figured out which one yet.

Sincerely,

C. Wino

[chadcaper]

Hey...thanks for your great comments everyone. It was a complete honor to have Cohen come to our small town. It still doesn't seem real.

as far as "equipment" i use.... I only ever take my small digital camera to concerts... its a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ3.(really nothing great at all) Its compact and has a stabilizer and I never use a flash out of respect for the artist performing.

[Crisfree]

Well. I was there as you all - thanks to dear Steve Wilcox - he gave me a lift to and from Glace Bay !!! I didn't take any pictures. I was only eyes and ears for the great man!
As cheapwino wrote, I' m very thankful to you all. Especially to Mr Cohen who gifted me an inforgettable evening. Ah, his voice! gives me always goose pimples - is this correct? Sorry for my poor english!
When I' be in Edimbourgh and in Lucca I'll try to make some clips for you.
Enjoy the next concerts !!!
Cristina

[chrispycrunch007]

Hey Chad,
That's too funny....all the various digital cameras on the market and you and I used the same cameras for those pics....I found I had to speed up the shutter (compensate the auto exposure) as the light metre was misreading the darkness of the theatre versus the bright lights on stage.....anyway....great job....the composition on those portraits are awesome.....cheers....

[mirka]

Guys, thanks for great photos ! I use them as screen savers, brings back good memories....

[Claw at your heart]

dispensed
the ultimate Cohen accompaniment: booze!

I was away for the weekend and delighted to return to all the fantastic photos of descriptions of the concerts. Thank you so much. I am still high off the Halifax show and actually missed the daily contact. It may interest Cheapwino to know that Leonard mentioned during his May 12 performance that he "gave up the wine". Can't remember whether this was in the context of the list of drugs he mentions before launching into "Ain't No Cure for Love"...Does anyone remember?

Was also delighted to hear from Steve Wilcox of Glace Bay's reaction to Leonard's "Tower of Song" keyboard solo. It really was worth cheering!

[cheapwino]

It may interest Cheapwino to know that Leonard mentioned during his May 12 performance that he "gave up the wine". Can't remember whether this was in the context of the list of drugs he mentions before launching into "Ain't No Cure for Love"...Does anyone remember?

Hey Claw,

After the intermission, during the Savoy gig, Mr. Cohen said he had given up cigarettes years ago, but had just had a sip of wine backstage.

A sip or two never hurts.

I intend to unscrew at closing time, about five. Care to join me?


Cheapwino

[Steve Wilcox]

Ya gotta love those upper Canadians eh? a "string of warm-up dates in Eastern Canada" !!?? a "proper tour that begins with three sold-out performances" in Taron-t'a. Get outta here area code 416! from the Globe & Mail . . . . .

Cohen welcomes guests for another Toronto date
BRAD WHEELER

May 22, 2008

Toronto -- Leonard Cohen, who penned the line "Welcome, welcome, cries a voice/ let all my guests come in," will play a fourth show at Toronto's Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, on June 9.

The iconic troubadour is in the midst of a string of warm-up dates in Eastern Canada that precede a proper tour that begins with three sold-out performances (at least) at the Sony Centre. Capacity crowds in Fredericton and Halifax this month heard concerts that began with Dance Me to the End of Love and ended with encores of Closing Time, I Tried to Leave You and So Long, Marianne. Tickets for the just-added Toronto show go on sale at noon on Saturday, through Ticketmaster.

And, a reply to the story posted to the G&M website -

So, Leonard Cohen's string of concerts throughout the Maritimes is not a "proper" tour (Cohen Welcomes Guests For Another Toronto Date - Review, May 22). The real tour, we are told, will commence you-know-where. I just marvelled at Leonard Cohen at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Cape Breton. His concert seemed proper to me and those of us who gave him eight standing ovations. So rest assured, Toronto: Leonard has the Cape Breton stamp of approval and he is good to go.

[cheapwino]

I'd say we experienced one of the best Cohen shows ever, due to the venue's tinyness.
And we did it economically; I'd doubt you'd get a $60 motel room and a $10 steak within
a $5 cab drive of the Sony Centre in Toronto! Nor would you get a peaceful drive
back home along the beautiful BrasD'or Lakes on a warm, sunny day, stopping every
once in a while to inhale deeply the fresh Cape Breton air.

Toronto's nice to visit; well, no, actually it isn't. I go there when I must, elsewhere when
I can. When it comes to big North American cities, Montreal wins hands down for quality
and enjoyment of life.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the urbanites. They're singularly one-minded, like
American neocons. You'll die of exasperation arguing with them. Let them be. When the
famines come and fuel tanks empty, we'll evade their panic, living happily on our little hobby
farm, growing and nurturing everything in life we require.

Why settle for Bay Street when you can have a real Nova Scotian bay?

I can't say I know a single Torontonian, so I can't be sure if their reputation is
justified. I was almost one. At one time during my youth, I yearned to emmigrate there.
I don't regret that I did not.

There are riches everywhere, it's just that in some places, you have to dig a little deeper.
Look at Sobeys; a national enterprise founded in a Nova Scotian village, and still managed to
some degree from there. There are many, many Torontonians who would kill to own what
the Sobeys do, literally I fear. The same with the McCains and the Irvings in New Brunswick.

Life isn't easy in rural Nova Scotia, but there is honor in it. There is honor in the struggle.
Peace comes easily.

Those who have money know its path leads to everything but peace. Money is a wild, wild
beast, and only the wisest tame its bloody nature.

That said, it is nice to live fairly close to an urban centre (Halifax). When I feel the urge to suffer,
it's just a short drive away. Actually, Halifax is a cool little city; plenty of young people to keep the
vibe alive. Dangerous sometimes, but hey, Danger is my middle name.

[Claw at your heart]

So are we still on for that glass of cheap plonk?