CONCERT REPORTS: New York, May 16 and 17

[MaryB]

They took 'The Partisan' out again

[cracked bell]

At one point I was so filled with emotion that I yelled out "We love you Leonard." I hope he heard me!

I heard you! I was so happy to hear you because you expressed what so many of us were feeling. I was sitting way up in the back and felt like everyone around me got a warm feeling when we heard you, because here was this amazing man in the last leg of a long journey, singing his heart out for us-- someone needed to yell it.

And I say this as an embarrassingly new fan. LC, how did I not find you all my life?!

You know, my husband and I got there at almost 8:30--the traffic was not a great help to the delay already created by the slow process of leaving 3 little kids with the babysitter . And I was feeling down about my not being organized enough to get out on time, and now missing the once-in-a-lifetime beginning of the concert. But I had an amazing moment when LC sang Anthem, "forget your perfect offering." It was a message straight to my heart, that perfection is not the goal of this life, light is. I can't believe that some people actually find that song depressing-- I find it deeply consoling. (see my poem in the poem section!)

And I think that message also can be used to discredit the schizophrenic criticism of the tour I keep reading-- you know, the one that goes "Dino plays too pretty, LC sings not pretty enough." I mean I think its clear that the players are there to ring the bells as well as they can, and LC is the prophet who makes the crack that lets the light in. We live in a lip-synching society that's looking for surface smoothness not human striving.

[Bromo]

Thank you for the setlist for the 17th sharong.

Thomas

[Crusser]

I am only 26 years old and have been listening to Leonard since senior year of high school (starting with buying "Field Commander Cohen" on a whim), off and on. I have seen a whole mess of shows in my life, but make severe bones about paying more than twenty bucks to see something. When my friend offered up his spare ticket to the Sunday show, I had to jump at the chance. Besides maybe Neil Young, he is the only "Living Legend" worth a damn in my book. After Sunday, he is worth more than two or three hundred damns.

I'd always loved "Death of a Ladies Man" and "I'm Your Man" and the aformentioned live 1979 album but besides these three never really ventured into much of his work, besides the hits. So for me, part of the journey in seeing him was getting reacquainted with those amazing records and checking out ones that were new to me like "The Future" which now seems quite indispensible. Also rereading "The Book of Longing" whenever I ducked out for a cigarette.

Anyway, it was a truly moving and surreal experience. I can't really remember going to a show and seeing so many (no offense) older people. As I say, I go to smaller shows by newer bands I suppose, but it sweetened the whole atmosphere for me. At small club or house shows it is all about fashion or being really crazy or whatever. The upper-tier pricing at this show was beneficial because not everyone is going to plunk down however much a ticket is, not if they are not truly feeling the dude. This way you're sort of skimming the wheat from the chaff if you like, and everyone is there to pay reverence and to listen one more time (or in some of your cases, six or seven more times )

Easily the best legitimate concert I have ever seen in my life. I usually fall prey to the old rock adage that it has to be edgy or au corant. It didn't need to have edgy music. The clean, pristine, absolutely note-perfect and passionate sonics was the perfect backdrop to Leonard, who is PURE EDGE. It didn't even hit me until "Bird On the Wire" that I was there, and then when he switched up the lyric it just floored me and I started crying. Partially because of the annoying man right in front of me who would not shut off his camera phone for seriously about 80% of the show, but mostly because of the performance's beauty. (Just kidding, it was all because of the performance.)

I don't think we will ever see another Leonard Cohen. The only people CLOSER to my generation that can barely hear him somewhere way beneath him in the tower of song are Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Momus. Damn it all else. I really fear for what will sell out Radio City when I am 50/60 -- freaking Eminem? "We are ugly but we have the music" - it was a really awfully nice and almost holy moment to hear the room erupt at that line

Set highlights for me were "Bird" and "First We Take Manhattan", though how can anyone possibly choose? This man is a reluctant rock and roll monk -- happy to help him out. As he sang that he was "working for (my) smile", he earned an extra tear streaming down from my third eye. I guess I really am a pansy after all.

P.S. - really regretting not picking up the Cup of Mercy

[somewhat_nifty]

Well, I've now seen Leonard on both sides of the pond, having been to the NYC show on the 16th, and it was brilliant! My first trip to NY made all the better by seeing Leonard live again (and not for the last time as I thought when I booked it, now I have Weybridge to look forward to ). It was great to hear him do Waiting for The Miracle as I hadn't heard that live before, although shame that The Gypsy's Wife wasn't performed, and the 'New York' songs Chelsea Hotel #2 and FBR got a big response, as I thought they would! The crowd was fantastic, and they seemed to be more vocal than us Brits, many people were telling him how much they loved him (though one chap yelled a request for Don't Go Home With Your Hard On at a somewhat inappropriate time ). All in all a fantastic show, and now I really can't wait for July

On an entirely trivial note, I was very much impressed by the improved range of merchandise I've always wanted a Songs of Love and Hate tshirt and had looked on the internet before with no luck, so when I saw that I actually let out a little yelp I got two tshirts (the women's range v much improved, thanks to whoever thought those up ) a mug and some guitar picks, so definitely have a lot of mementoes of Len now

[MaryB]

crusser,

As one of the 'older people', I just want to say it is such a joy to read a review by a 'younger person' who gets Leonard Cohen. Way to go!! Thank you so much for your refreshing review!

somewhatnifty,

Glad to hear that your trip across the pond was well worth your effort - could an LC concert be anything but brilliant!? I, too, miss certain songs, but then all of a sudden it's 'Oh, how exciting! I haven't seen him perform this one before!' A mug? Fantastic! Gotta get one - LC with my coffee/tea every day !

Best regards,
Mary

[somewhat_nifty]

somewhatnifty,

Glad to hear that your trip across the pond was well worth your effort - could an LC concert be anything but brilliant!? I, too, miss certain songs, but then all of a sudden it's 'Oh, how exciting! I haven't seen him perform this one before!' A mug? Fantastic! Gotta get one - LC with my coffee/tea every day !

Best regards,
Mary

true, it was a bit of a non-review - we all know it's bound be brilliant! I agree it was a shame about The Partisan not being included, but as you say, it's the opportunity to hear others live instead. We can't have everything! I highly recommend the mug, have been sipping coffee with a smile from it since I got back

[sharong]

New York,

I was amazed at the diversity in the crowd. NYC concerts can be a place where many different languages, accents can be heard. I think that LC drew more of a european crowd, and hip crowd. Saturday was definately full of fans, friends and family. Sunday was definately filled with people who knew were less familiar with Leonard's music but people get into the songs that they were familiar with. There was alot of audience recognition of songs and applause for the older, more knowledgable songs.

[bfullerj]

I posted a recording of the Saturday show (5/16) in the "Collectors and Traders" thread of the forum under "Seeking North American tour recordings". Enjoy!

[ssan]

I've posted a picture from Sunday night in my Flickr page.
I miss that Sunday night so much. And the build-up to it. It was so beautiful.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/h_ssan/3568778943/sizes/l/

[bridger15]

http://ampersandseven.blogspot.com/2009/05/149.html
(see photo of "149" in this blog)

#149 Clinton, Brooklyn Heights

He was probably singing about the one in Manhattan, but whenever I pass this wall in Brooklyn, I always think of Leonard Cohen singing the first verse of Famous Blue Raincoat.

It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening

Hearing him sing it live just two weeks ago, seeing him bathed in blue light of the stage, guitar slung over his suit, fedora tipped down, Lenny the legend, 74 years old, filling the rafters of Radio City Music Hall in New York City with song, what can I say? There was not a dry eye in the house. This song is one of my favorites, one that will always transport me, whether I'm on Clinton Street in Brooklyn or Clinton Street in the Lower East Side or just that Clinton Street of the mind. And I'm writing you now just to tell you so. Sincerely, T. Cox

[sue7]

I posted a recording of the Saturday show (5/16) in the "Collectors and Traders" thread of the forum under "Seeking North American tour recordings". Enjoy!

Thanks so much, bfullerj. It's wonderful to have this recording: there's something incredibly special about hearing a recording of a show you were at. Now I have this and the NPR recording of the February Beacon Theater concert, along with LIve in London. I will listen to it all the way through tomorrow (probably in both meanings of that sentence).
Sue

[sturgess66]

Someone posted a pretty good compilation on YouTube (BlueBlancoFilms) from Radio City Music Hall. There is no embedding - and no rating. It could be clips from both shows - no info given. It also looks as if the clips are taken from more than one person's video - maybe?

Here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omzk7howBiA

[sue7]

Someone posted a pretty good compilation on YouTube (BlueBlancoFilms) from Radio City Music Hall. ... It also looks as if the clips are taken from more than one person's video - maybe?

I agree, Sturgess66: some of the footage is pretty decent quality: a lovely short clip of "Dance me to the end of love" taken from the side, and then a blurred clip from much further away.
I have been really enjoying the audio that bfullerj posted. The audio quality of course is not as good as the live album, but it is good enough to enjoy it thoroughly as a wonderful record of an incredible concert. Thanks again, bfullerj.

[dick]

I like the compilation alot, even with the varying video quality. Gives a nice capsule of Leonard's truly incredible performances.

Would like to give it five stars but ratings disabled.