CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Concert reports, reviews, links, set lists - and meetup information + meetup reports
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sturgess66
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CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

The venue is the Akoo Theatre, previously known as the Rosemont Theatre. The concert hall opened in 1995 and is located in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Seating capacity is 4,300.
Leonard Cohen last played there on October 29, 2009.
http://bit.ly/Tcj8VO

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Entrance -
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Chicago Tribune -
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... 806.column
Top weekend shows: Leonard Cohen, Kids These Days, Titus Andronicus

Greg Kot Music critic

5:15 p.m. CST, November 21, 2012

Leonard Cohen: The master songwriter’s baritone voice remains equally adept at poetic seduction and black humor. Cohen at 78 is in the midst of a career renaissance. His latest release, “Old Ideas” (Columbia), is one of the year’s finest, 8 p.m. Friday at Akoo Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont, Ill., $27.50, $47.50, $87.50, $127.50, $167.50, $250; ticketmaster.com.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/ar ... a-fri-1123
The Reader's Agenda: Fri 11/23
Posted by Drew Hunt today at 06.12 AM

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Looking for something to do today? Agenda's got you covered:

Leonard Cohen performs at the Akoo Theater in Rosemont, marking his first appearance in Chicagoland since 2009, when he performed at the Chicago Theatre, where "he stalked the stage like a man one-fourth his age, and his Jehovah-like baritone was shockingly undiminished by time—as was his ability to seduce several thousand listeners at a go," according to Miles Raymer.
...
Last edited by sturgess66 on Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

‏@platour68 Stage is ready. Just 30 minutes until Leonard Cohen takes it over. #rosemont #liv @ Akoo Theatre at Rosemont http://instagr.am/p/SZNZw6RnO4/
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‏@KurtStein13 Leonard Cohen...t-minus 33 minutes. http://instagr.am/p/SZM-DPiOd3/
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@TyLiner Well dressed crowd for Leonard Cohen with Xmas in full effect. @ Akoo Theatre at Rosemont http://instagr.am/p/SZKEupBOBY/
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‏@vaupelganger 20 min to Leonard Cohen. There are two monitors so you can see close ups. Camera operator has been doing 10 min of fast zooms in & out. Ugh.
‏@paulsuwan Pretty sure Leonard Cohen's merch table is one of the few at which you'll find cufflinks for sale. (And a relative bargain at only $15!)
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

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@Critch5 It's intermission at the Leonard Cohen concert. Here's a picture of the guy: pic.twitter.com/0km9HmBp
@robertloerzel Leonard Cohen sounds terrific, looks as dapper as ever. He has a great band backing him up tonight at the Akoo Theater, too.
@robertloerzel "I want to start smoking again in a few years," says 77-year-old Leonard Cohen.
@teachingyoushit "Way better than Billy Joel!" - some dude during intermission at the Leonard Cohen concert
@KrentDDS Leonard Cohen's voice just gave the 60 year old woman in front of me an orgasm. Dude's still got it.
@IsaacMishlove Leonard Cohen you're incredible, your music is beautiful and it's an honor to be in your presence #hallelujah
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

From Notes From The Road/Camp Cohen/Joey -
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/364 ... ts-set-one

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Checking The Projection Sound check is winding down and Sharon Robinson takes a solo moment to check.

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Cracks Starting To Show - Javier Mas and guitar tech Leif Bodnarchuk inspect the newly formed cracks in Javier's ax.


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Go Chicago UHTC is good to go.

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Second Set in the Second City Tower of Song starts now.

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Encore
Last edited by sturgess66 on Sat Nov 24, 2012 5:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Joe Way
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by Joe Way »

Vlasta has the set list and will post it. Leonard was greeted by a very enthusiastic crowd in Chicago. There were quite a few standing ovations and Leonard seemed very relaxed and enjoying himself. I can't quite remember verbatim what he said in his intro to "Ain't No Cure for Love," but it was something to the effect of "Getting up and looking at himself in the mirror and saying 'Christ, Cohen you have to quit pouting and cheer up 'cause you know you'll never find the cure for love.'"

Raphael has added a drum solo to "The Darkness."

"Democracy" received a huge ovation from the crowd-I'm sure from Chicago democrats relieved that the President who hales from Chicago made it through a tough election. I just love how much Leonard's playing of the Jew's Harp adds to the rocking of this song. The girls were really marching tonight!

His words during the close of Tower of Song again reflected delaying the "confrontation with the audience" which he was sure would be brutal and he ended by asking if the girls could come back to his hotel room to keep the mood.

"Anyhow" was again a wonderful crowd pleaser with the audience laughing after all the lines. I love the new verses, I wish someone would transcribe them if possible. What a great song, that sounds kind of like a downer on the album but turns out to be one of the great ones in concert. His introduction was something to the effect that two years from this date, he will begin smoking, and they will bring out a small table with an ashtray and a young lady dressed up in a nurse's uniform will accompany him on stage as he lights up and starts to sing this song.

The band sounded just wonderful and I continue to be struck by how effective Alex's violin is in songs such as "Suzanne" and "Famous Blue Raincoat."

"I Tried to Leave you" was just great-we missed it in Austin. Everyone stood and danced through "Save the Last Dance for Me." I'm sure that I will think of other things to add and hopefully, others will remember things that I forgot or missed.

It was a very memorable and great day for Anne & I.

Joe
"Say a prayer for the cowboy..."
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bridger15
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by bridger15 »

Thank you Joe for your speedy and wonderful detailed report. I thoroughly enjoyed every word.
I love the way LC keeps it fresh with new twists to his banter.
And very interesting news about Rafael's drum solo in Darkness. That indeed is a fresh addition.
Thanks again. I'm so glad that you and Anne had a memorable day.
---Arlene
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
MaryB
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by MaryB »

Joe,

I love all those new 'spoken bits' you've included in your post. How wonderful to hear that people were dancing - something I only seem to see in Europe.

It was worth staying up to read your review. Great to hear that you and Anne enjoyed it!

Affectionate regards,
Mary
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
zwirnie
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by zwirnie »

Concert review: Leonard Cohen at Akoo Theatre
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... 638.column
With a fedora shadowing his eyes and a sharp suit accenting some spry dance steps, the 78-year-old Leonard Cohen played many roles Friday before a full house at the Akoo Theatre in Rosemont: gentleman caller, graying patriarch, undertaker, assassin, penitent, screw-up, song and dance man.

Cohen added a few more variations in “Going Home,” one of 30 songs he performed in a concert that spanned 3 1/2 hours (including intermission): “I love to speak with Leonard/He’s a sportsman and a shepherd/He’s a lazy bastard/Living in a suit.”

The baritone singer can be wickedly funny, often at his own expense. After a rinky-dink keyboard solo during “Tower of Song,” the tepid audience applause brought a wry smile to Cohen’s face: “You know the blues when you hear them.”

Jokes and the occasional keyboard solo aside, his songs endure. He chisels his words until they can hold up independent of the music, which is as good an explanation as any for why he tours and records so infrequently – no song will be released before its time. Little wonder his songwriting is revered by everyone from filmmaker Robert Altman (whose 1971 Western “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” featured several Cohen classics) to Kurt Cobain and Michael Stipe.

Cohen’s earliest music had a stripped-down, folk flavor, built on little more than the rich, subterranean hues of his sing-speak vocals and acoustic instruments. Over time, he’s cheesed things up on record with keyboards, synthesizers and other gratuitous glop. Though he wrote “Hallelujah,” one of the greatest songs of the last half-century, his original studio version feels leaden compared to superior, less ornate cover versions by John Cale and Jeff Buckley.

The singer’s touring band – which included six musicians and three backing singers – can also come off a tad too tasteful for the unadorned grit many of these songs demand and deserve. But the instrumentalists’ understated style suited Cohen’s delivery, and their transglobal reach touched on East European gypsy flavors, flamenco, blues, gospel and the swing jazz of the opening “Dance Me to the End of Love.” Backing singers Charlie and Hattie Webb delivered a plaintively moving version of his “If it be Your Will.”

Bending a knee or removing his hat while Javier Mas unfurled an oud solo or Alexandru Bublitchi weaved on violin, Cohen often appeared as though he were dispensing or receiving sacraments on stage. Yet his music brims with biblical imagery, cut with Old Testament menace, deceit and blood.

“The Future”? Cohen’s seen it, and “Baby, it is murder.” It’s a world view that may seem impossibly bleak, if not Apocalyptic. Indeed, Cohen seemed to take special relish in enumerating everyday corruption in “Everybody Knows,” rolling his shoulders like a boxer readying an uppercut. But the song is less about cynicism than chopping away illusion. Whether the patriot-dissenter in “Democracy” or the broken lover in “Hallelujah,” the characters in Cohen’s greatest songs arrive without frills or sugar-coating.

It’s fascinating to watch as Cohen faces the toughest truth of all: Death. He ignores the typical crutches of the aging poet, the dying-of-the-light songs that solemnly ponder mortality. Instead, the narrator in “Anyhow” is a crusty scoundrel, gently mocked by his backing singers. Forgiveness just isn’t possible at this late stage: “I know you have to hate me, but could you hate me less?”

Cohen made the most of his limited voice and dapper, unruffled demeanor. He was the low-key charmer, the understated raconteur, the gracious band leader who introduced his accomplices and then kept re-introducing them, as if fearful the audience might forget their names. And yet in the middle of all this first-class, old-world showmanship were songs that needed no extra drama beyond the weight of Cohen’s voice and the conviction he put behind it. The imperfections made it.

“There is a crack, a crack in everything,” he sang, “that’s how the light gets in.”
2010: Wellington, 2012/13: Berlin
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AlanM
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by AlanM »

Hi Joe,
As requested here are the "live" lyrics of Anyhow. I have included the studio ones for comparison.
Can't see how to do 2 columns here - easier to compare side by side. I took the live ones from the first performance in Dublin and have not heard anything different since.
New words are in italics.

Anyhow
Studio version

You know, it really is a pity
The way you treat me now
I know you can't forgive me
But forgive me anyhow
The ending got so ugly
I even heard you say
You never ever loved me
But could you love me anyway

I dreamed about you baby
You were wearing half your dress
I know you have to hate me
But could you hate me less
I've used up all my chances
And you'll never take me back
But there ain't no harm in asking
Could you cut me one more slack

Now I'm naked and I'm filthy
And there's sweat upon my brow
And both of us are guilty
Anyhow
Have mercy on me, baby
After all I did confess
Even though you have to hate me
Could you hate me less

It's a shame and it's a pity
I know you can't forgive me
The ending got so ugly
You never ever loved me
I dreamed about you, baby
I know you have to hate me
I'm naked and I'm filthy
Both of us are guilty
Have mercy on me, baby

Anyhow
Live version Dublin 2012

It's a shame and it's a pity
The way you treat me now
I know you can't forgive me
But forgive me anyhow
The ending got so ugly
I even heard you say
That you never ever loved me
But could you love me anyway

I dreamed about you baby
You were wearing half your dress
I know you have to hate me
But could you hate me less
I've used up all my chances
And you'll never take me back
But there ain't no harm in asking
Could you cut me one more slack

Now I'm naked and I'm filthy
And there's sweat upon my brow
And both of us are guilty
Anyhow
Aw, you told me things you’d like to do
Which I would not allow
But I’ve changed my mind and I’m tellin’ you
That I’d like to do them now


Aw mercy, baby, mercy
I admit I am the worst
And you do deserve to hurt me
but not so hard at first
You say your lover
Keeps you busy
With his acrobatic moves
Hey, don’t call unless you miss me
I don’t need that kinda news


It's a shame and it's a pity
I know you can't forgive me
The ending got so ugly
You never ever love me
I dream about you, baby
I know you have to hate me
I'm naked and I'm filthy
But both of us are guilty
Have mercy on me

Alan
Too much Leonard Cohen is never enough.
London 1972, Adelaide 1980, 1985, 2009
Sydney 2010; Adelaide 2010
Sydney 2013 X2; Melbourne 2013; Adelaide 2013
zwirnie
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by zwirnie »

The setlist for the Chicago concert

Comments by the user who posted it on setlist.fm
The set list used on stage was given to a pleading young woman by a stage hand. I photographed the set list. The big change was 'If It Be Your Will' was moved to the encore. This is my 4th LC show in the past 3 years........ The 'sublime' Webb sisters performed a rousing rendition of 'If It Be Your Will', certainly worthy to be placed in the encore.........although truthfully, he had me nervous there for a while, having deviated so from recent performances.
Can anyone comment on the accuracy? Thanks.

First Set
Dance Me to the End of Love
The Future
Bird on the Wire
Everybody Knows
Who by Fire (with extended guitar intro)
Darkness
Ain't No Cure for Love
Amen
Come Healing
In My Secret Life
A Thousand Kisses Deep (Recitation)
Anthem

Second Set
Tower of Song
Suzanne
Waiting for the Miracle
Anyhow
Heart with No Companion
Democracy
Alexandra Leaving (performed by Sharon Robinson)
I'm Your Man
Hallelujah
Take This Waltz

Encore:
So Long, Marianne
Going Home
First We Take Manhattan
Encore 2:
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will (performed by the Webb Sisters)
Closing Time
Encore 3:
I Tried to Leave You
Save the Last Dance for Me (The Drifters cover)
Last edited by zwirnie on Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2010: Wellington, 2012/13: Berlin
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

Video uploaded by Mark Vitullo - Thanks!

The Future (partial)
(includes Leonard's comments "I hope that we stay on the road for another few more years. I want to start smoking again when I'm eighty,"
and "tonight, we're going to give you everything that we've got")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATvoH_UgpIY

And - I'm not sure - but I think this is from Chicago show -

Uploaded by Angel Hart - Thanks!

Dance Me To The End Of Love (partial)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYO5_dbIeY4
Vlastik
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by Vlastik »

Joe, I agree with your excellent report. I missed some songs, especially I was looking forward to "Joan of Arc" but maybe it still needs some work... Anyhow was stellar with great reaction from audience. Leonard has great fun with it and does it with gustos. And introduction was priceless. I am already imagining that setting two year from now. I want to be that nurse!! Did he really say "young"? :lol:

For Zwirnie: setlist is almost complete. There was one more song - "Heart with No Companion" after "Anyhow".


Vlasta
zwirnie
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by zwirnie »

Vlastik wrote:For Zwirnie: setlist is almost complete. There was one more song - "Heart with No Companion" after "Anyhow".
Thank you!
2010: Wellington, 2012/13: Berlin
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

Here's more - and the video isn't great - but audio is okay.

Uploaded by MrsVinx56 - Thanks!

Anyhow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldX3aaP9lHw

Who By Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89UKk7q-fkg

Suzanne & Waiting For The Miracle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz4xdn3cs5U
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Chicago, Illinois November 23, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

From Twitter -

@JHaus52 - Leonard Cohen and his band last night. #leonardcohen #akootheater #awesome http://bit.ly/R8q1Mn
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@lakeicychill - Leonard Cohen in Chicago. http://instagr.am/p/SbAv9hytdS/
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@nkalafut - So I saw Leonard Cohen last night. He completely blew mind. It was incredible! pic.twitter.com/Ry5FTzvp
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@pcastano - A thousand songs deep. http://instagr.am/p/SarkC8vR6j/
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‏@pcastano - Leonard Cohen singing words of wisdom. http://instagr.am/p/SaqYOdvR5q/
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Last edited by sturgess66 on Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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