Random LC moment I am adoring today

[imaginary friend]

Hey Leslie –

A 'frisson' moment!

You have probably changed her/their lives. I wonder who The Stranger was....

XO

Sheila

[Mollydog]

I had a doctor's appointment today and while waiting I was absent mindedly looking through the October copy of Reader's Digest when I suddenly noticed a photograph of Leonard. To my surprise there was an article about Leonard. I thought about sneaking the magazine into my pocket but I know Leonard wouldn't have approved. After doing a bit of research about the author this is what I found at http://www.christinelanglois.com/

"And the other piece of mine you’ll find in October 2009 is “First We Take the Main,” a travel piece in Reader’s Digest on Leonard Cohen’s Montreal through the eyes of Cohen’s lifelong friend Mort Rosengarten. I first met Rosengarten in Cohen’s kitchen back in ‘06 when I was there to interview the singer for a profile in 50Plus (now Zoomer). The two grew up together in Westmount and now live around the block from each other near Parc du Portugal. With Cohen away on tour, Rosengarten graciously agreed to play city guide and for one memorable day took me from the well-to-do neighborhood of their growing-up years to their favorite deli on the Main to the “place by the river” in Old Montreal where “Suzanne” once lived. For Cohen-philes, here’s the website where I did much of my Cohen research."

...and which website did she use for her research? Yes, you guessed it, http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/ !

Mary

[somewhat_nifty]

Randomly flicking through the TV channels, trying to find something (anything!) of interest to watch this Christmas when a trailer for a programme called 'Cat Dancers' came on - looks utterly bizarre, but my Cohen-sensors started to tingle when I heard they used 'Waiting for the Miracle' as the backing music right at the end Not sure what Leonard and cohabiting cat-trainers have got in common - maybe I'll watch the programme to see if they use any more!

Trailer here:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 7858852001

[MaryB]

Listening to an LC song on a jukebox a little bit ago, and my husband saying, "He is sooo good! I miss seeing him in concert. When's the next one Mary?"

[ladydi]

OMG Mary....George is hooked! Look forward to seeing BOTH of you somewhere in the world this year!

Diana

[goldstei]

Well, it is a "nifty" miracle when your cat goes in their litter--and even more of one when they cover up. When this happens, I sing "hallelujah"!

[mutti]

Over Christmas my husband and I went to Holland to visit his family and see some old friends in Amsterdam.
One night we were having dinner with the couple who had introduced us to each other way back then in 1976...they are no longer together but we had gathered together for a meal. Out of the blue Raymond started telling us he had seen Leonard in concert in Amsterdam last year as someone had given him a ticket at the last minute. He went on and on in rapture of how good it was from the first moment to the last..how he was never bored and was in shock...he literally talked over 20 minutes and I sat there with a huge grin on my face waiting and letting him express it all...I was thrilled the topic was up as I was going to bring it up at some point in the evening....my husband was also grinning...usually he can't stand it when I start talking about the concerts even though he is a big fan himself...
So imagine the conversation that happened once I started telling my stories after Raymond had finished. He then went on and on again...
that was so unexpected and a wonderful moment...
Leslie

[mutti]

Mary I knew George was getting hooked but this is really great...curious where you two will end up this year seeing the tour...
Leslie

[MaryB]

Leslie,
How gratifying to have someone else bring up LC and then to be able to join in. One of these days, your husband will just have to break down and go to another LC concert. It's been too many years in-between for him!!

Yesterday, George and I were in our favorite local bar/restaurant with the jukebox. It was just before the crowd starts to converge on the place when the free food comes out, so George says, "Here's some money Mary, go put some Leonard Cohen on on the jukebox.". Out of 15 or so credits, I only used 4 for 2 LC songs(his always require double the credits - maybe because they are double the fun and value ) and only 2 because I'm always fearful of overkill for the other patrons). As the songs come on, Mike, a regular, says, "Mary, isn't that Leonard Cohen?" Well, yippie skippy!!!! An opportunity to talk LC! Turns out, Mike has a friend, named Linda, who lives in Montreal, (Mike says she's not a forum member) who used to see him perform in all the coffehouses, little clubs, dives.....and took Mike to an LC concert in Montreal in '97 (he said he thought it had something to do with McGill U.) where he also got to meet him. I will research this further here and the files, but does anyone know anything about this?

Well, I did some searching, but came up with nothing. I know that between 93 and 08 there were those rare appearances here and there, but don't remember reading about Montreal.

[LisaLCFan]

While out for a walk today, I saw a woman carrying a Leonard Cohen tote bag (the "it was the hat after all" self-portrait one). While I don't normally strike up conversations with strangers I pass on the street, I felt unusually bold, so I said, "I love your Leonard Cohen bag!" We ended up chatting briefly about how great Leonard's concert was (she bought it at the Edmonton concert in April, which I also attended), and, of course, we talked about how great Leonard is! If she'd been alone (she wasn't, she was with two others, who were engaged deeply in their own conversation), I may have talked with her more, but I'd already used up my daily quota of boldness. It was, however, nice to meet a fellow enthusiast, with excellent taste in tote-bags! (I have one of those, myself!)

[mutti]

That is so cool Lisa! and I am especially impressed with your boldness...being Canadian myself I don't often approach people or talk
but living in the US I do notice how much more outgoing I have become. I think there would be no way to pass someone with a tote bag with Leonard's drawing on it without saying something...like Mollydog said recently all barriers are down...
love it
Cheers and stay warm in the snow up there.
Leslie

[LisaLCFan]

Hi Leslie!

I was partially motivated to be so bold yesterday due to a total lack of boldness a few months ago when I passed a woman wearing a Leonard Cohen concert t-shirt, but at that time, I just couldn't muster the nerve to say anything! (This reminds me of Leonard's delightful introduction to Chelsea Hotel #2 in Las Vegas, in which he talks of first seeing the radiant Janis in the elevator, but noting, "Of course, being Canadian, I said nothing." ) So, after my failure to chat with t-shirt woman, I decided that I would not pass up such an opportunity again. However, there's no guarantee that this uncharacteristic boldness will ever strike me again! One must cherish these fleeting moments.

Cheers!
Lisa

[mutti]

Hi Lisa
I too loved

Leonard's delightful introduction to Chelsea Hotel #2 in Las Vegas, in which he talks of first seeing the radiant Janis in the elevator, but noting, "Of course, being Canadian, I said nothing." )

For me it is so true no matter how long I have lived some where else..that being said I find myself being more bold and applaud you that you spoke to that woman. Here's to all those moments! Cheers!
Leslie

[bridger15]

This past weekend, I had to kill some time in between one grandkid's soccer practice and another grandkid's basketball game. So, I slipped into the ubiquitous STARBUCKS for a decaf. To while away the time, I picked up one section from a pile of available newspapers. It was the Arts Section of the "New York Times". And there I was, sipping coffee in a mainstream coffee shop with a mainstream newspaper reading a review article about Leonard Cohen's Isle of Wight DVD. It just tickled me.

If you haven't read the review yet, it is available on Mod Marie's TODAY'S COHEN blog.
http://speakingcohen.blogspot.com/search/label/REVIEWS

---Arlene

[Mollydog]

I was driving into work this morning listening to CBC Radio 2 when a song came on that is played a fair amount at the moment. I really like this song and find it very moving, but it is very unlike other music that I listen to as it is hip hop. Anyway, I was singing along and thinking about the much anticipated announcement about Leonard and the tour when the presenter stopped me in my tracks (metaphorically, I didn't want to cause an accident!). He said that Leonard Cohen had contacted K'naan and told him "I am a songwriter but you are a poet". Wow, what a compliment! It certainly explained to me why I connected to the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6e7Tg6r ... playnext=1

K'naan grew up in war-torn Mogadishu — he moved to Toronto at 13 and learned English with the help of Eric B & Rakim records — which helps lend grittiness to his storytelling. But in "Fatima," performed here, he tells the story of a lost childhood friend with gentle humor and a sober understanding of what our loved ones leave behind.