A happy encounter with young fan

[Andrew (Darby)]

I went into a local coffee shop today to see if they would assist in promoting our Toowoomba LC birthday celebration event (see separate topic) by putting up our (rather artistic) promotional poster. The young woman I initially spoke to consulted with someone out the back of the cafe and then came back to inform me they would indeed put it up where patrons could see it.

As I was leaving I heard her tell one of her staff colleagues about what had transpired and then, almost instantaneously, a shrill young female voice uttered Leonard Cohen!!??...hang on!! I turned around to see another young woman looking at me in excited astonishment and quickly twigged to the fact that her first take on the poster was that LC himself was coming to our town! So I quickly clarified this apparent misapprehension by saying that Leonard himself wasn't going to be coming, but that it was just a celebration of his birthday!

Anyway, she was still most keen to come along in 4 weeks time and also mentioned the Sydney tribute (involving Cave & co). I enquired about her discovery of LC and she indicated that she was a fairly new fan and had been introduced to LC's music through hearing a Nick Cave cover. She added that she and her housemate (when recently living in London) used to listen to LC in the kitchen and that they found this 'soothing'! She also shared her satisfaction about having a copy of "The Essential Leonard Cohen".

Needless to say this happy encounter made my day!

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

[altinkum]

Andrew
What made me smile about your post was the young lady thinking Cohen was going to be there. Back last year when I arranged a small gathering of members here, I was setting up the room when one of the commitee members asked " What time is he arriving then?"
It's nice to see that the younger generation taking interest too.
Good luck with your event.

Wendy

[lizzytysh]

I had a good Leonard day, too, Andrew . You walked into a local coffee shop, while I walked [well, loose use of that term] out [staying much longer than usual, emptying the old pots, making and waiting for a new pot to brew, while I readied the other pot for later brewing] of a convenience store with my coffee and crutches ~ and as soon as I turned on the key to my car, I hear, "L-i-i-i-i-i-ke a b-i-i-i-i-r-d on a w-i-i-i-re....." on NPR ! They were at The Hit Factory in N.Y.C. It was a brief segment with kd lang regarding her new cd, but the only song she sang from it was Leonard's. The whole thing ! On first [and only] listening, I wasn't as impressed as I'd expected to be, but the interviewer [Scott Simon] is obviously well aware of Leonard.

The discussion lingered on how difficult it is for other artists to cover Leonard Cohen's songs, due to the indelible mark he makes on them. Kd said it's true with both Leonard and Joni Mitchell; that with their being poets, the pacing[? ~ may not be the correct word] of the lyrics [and something else], and they're very concentrated. She said she still feels it's very important to do it, regardless. By that point, I was driving, and couldn't get any of it written down; but, it related to the 'concentration of reality' in the lines of poems ~ so she apparently feels that Leonard carries this same tendency over into his songs.

Then, they brought in Dylan ~ and his being another; that when someone covers a song of his, people still 'hear' Dylan's voice singing it. I don't think their interview will be posted on the NPR site this soon, but I'll try to bring it here later [if it's in print vs. audio]. Anyway, kd has a large audience, and this will still continue to introduce new people to Leonard.

This was a bit reminiscent of the magazine incident. At least with what little of Leonard does show up around here, 'someone's' looking out for me, and I'm being made privy to it, when it does , with laser-timing even .

~ Elizabeth

[Andrew (Darby)]

Wendy, thanks for your well wishes for our event - it was also amusing to hear of your own experience that relates to my story.

Interestingly, though I've had a few dreams about meeting LC, none of these involved him attending our little annual birthday tribute event. I'm not sure what that means, but I do know I've come to terms with the extreme unlikelihood of his ever attending his own birthday celebration down here! (Mind you, Leonard, if you happen to be reading this, please feel free to demonstrate that my deflated expectations of you and your management are a gross misjudgement! )

Elizabeth, your experience is what I call being attuned to LC!

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

[lizzytysh]

Yes, Wendy ~ I resisted commenting on your posting because my first and ONLY thought was, "Committee member!?! Where did you pick that one up at ??" However, I did find it truly funny. How did you break it to him/her ~ and just how inconsolable was he/she?

Sorry to oversight wishing your Event well again, this year ~ Andrew. Of course, I do ~ but just like last year, I'm still wishing I could be there! For now, I'm having all I can do to arrange for Hydra ~ and then, later, Berlin. Will you be coming there?

[Andrew (Darby)]

Elizabeth, I'm certainly planning to be at Berlin and will do all in my power to realise this goal - I will also do my little bit to assist Henning as well.

Cheers
Andrew (Darby)

[lizzytysh]

Hi Andrew ~

Well, YaaaaY ~ on both counts !

~ Elizabeth

[witty_owl]

Roll on Sept. 25!
BTW Andrew, if Leonard should attend the event don't tell me or I should be too nervous to perform
Cheers, witty.

[altinkum]

Sorry I haven't responded to you Lizzy & Andrew but that was my last posting before going on holiday, I just got back yesterday.
Lizzy the commitee member belonged to the club where I arranged the meet up, he hadn't heard of Cohen so I think he was expecting some small unknown artist

Wendy

[lizzytysh]

Oh, okay, now it makes sense. I meant his "committee member" status, but it applies to your 'holiday delay,' as well . Hope you had a great time . Did he hang around to discover who he's been missing?