CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Concert reports, reviews, links, set lists - and meetup information + meetup reports
holydove
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by holydove »

Hartmut wrote: So it was a typical Leonard Cohen concert last night?

Yeah, same old thing. . . :D
holydove wrote: But yes, he is evidently, as far as we know, a human being
I like the cautious 'as far as we know' ...
Well, really, what do any of us know about such things?

David: Thank you. Happy holidays to you too. Hope to see you down the road again too!
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

From BrooklynVegan - some good pictures!

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2 ... Rock+Music

Image
sue7
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sue7 »

Review from Spinner:
http://www.spinner.com/2012/12/21/leona ... -barclays/

Leonard Cohen Brings Grace and Gratitude to Brooklyn

Posted on Dec 21st 2012 2:15PM by Dan Reilly

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Mike Lawrie, Getty Images
Leonard Cohen was incredibly grateful to be in Brooklyn last night, and if he were a less-classy gentleman, he might have made one of those "at my age I'm lucky to be anywhere" jokes. But of course, the 78-year-old is one of most dapper, graceful performers alive, so he showed his gratitude by repeatedly thanking the crowd, his band and what seemed like most of his crew, from sound engineer to rigger.

His trademark fedora almost permanently pulled down to his eyes, Cohen delivered an unforgettable evening at the Barclays Center, performing 29 songs over three hours without breaking stride. He skipped onstage at the beginning of both sets and both encores, dropped down to his knees almost as many times as he said "thank you," and made more than a few references to ladies-man persona.

Early on, he told the crowd that he plans to tour for a few more years, adding that he's going to start smoking again once he turns 80. Oddly enough, his already-heavy voice has deepened by half an octave since he quit, giving it a warm, full-bodied tone that makes his songs even more captivating. The added weight makes classics like "Bird on a Wire," which came third in the set, even more mournful than the originals, especially when Cohen's band gets into a bluesy groove.

Cohen also took time to pepper in a few jokes for the crowd, thanking those in the cheap seats for climbing the arena's great heights and those on the floor for putting their income in jeopardy. Before "Ain't No Cure for Love," he quipped that he sometimes looks at himself in the mirror and says, "Lighten up, Leonard, you stubborn bastard."

After finishing the first set with "Anthem," Cohen returned on keyboard for "Tower of Song," chiding the audience for cheering his sparse solo. "I can do a lot more than fingering," he said. "I'll break my guitar over this and set it on fire. No more of this charity!"

The second set was full of even more hits, including "Suzanne," "Chelsea Hotel #2," "I'm Your Man," "Hallelujah" -- with Cohen tweaking the words to mention the "holy city of Brooklyn" -- and the set closer "Take This Waltz."

Following barely any time off the stage, Cohen hurried back for a pair of three-song encores, beginning with "So Long, Marianne" and "Going Home" off his latest album, Old Ideas. He ended the show, appropriately, with "Closing Time," sending the Brooklyn audience back out into the cold, drizzly December night.

In the end, it seemed as if Cohen knew that he doesn't have many years left, hence all the gratitude, the youthful energy and the epic length of his set. His constant self-deprecation belied a man conflicted about his success and adoration, but nonetheless enjoying every minute of it. And as well he should -- nobody his age is putting out albums as interesting or concerts as compelling.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

From New York Times -
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/arts/ ... itter&_r=0
Music Review
Confessions of a Man in a Fedora

Leonard Cohen at the Barclays Center
By JON PARELES
Published: December 21, 2012

During his concert at the Barclays Center on Thursday night, Leonard Cohen spent a lot of time in an unusual pose for a rock star: on his knees, like a supplicant or a suitor. Those are just two of the roles he takes in his songs. He’s also a lover, a cad, a penitent, a believer, a cynic, a comedian, a kindly codger and a prophet of catastrophe.

Image
Leonard Cohen brought his “Old Ideas” tour to the Barclays Center on Thursday night.
Chad Batka for The New York Times

Mr. Cohen, now 78, playing an unhurried three-hour show.

And, at 78, he is calmly and suavely tenacious; he released an album this year, “Old Ideas,” and sprinkled a few of its songs through the concert. The show stretched to three hours of music (plus an intermission), outlasting some of his reverent fans.

“I promise you we’ll give you everything we got,” he said near the beginning of the show, and in his leisurely, elegant way, he did.

In the years since financial troubles forced him back on the road, Mr. Cohen has perfected the arena concert as a miraculously hushed ritual. His age is a matter of pride, a rhetorical foundation and a long-running joke; he sang, “My hair is gray/I ache in the places where I used to play,” in “Tower of Song,” which was released back in 1988. (He also, while playing a proudly dinky electric keyboard, used his elbow for a glissando, a Jerry Lee Lewis flourish.)

Onstage, the dress was formal: dark suits for the band and Mr. Cohen, who wears a fedora that he tilts slightly differently for certain songs, or doffs in deference to his audience or musicians. The backdrop was simply a tall, lighted curtain, sometimes with giant silhouettes of Mr. Cohen and his band projected on it. His three backup singers had synchronized, undulating, dignified moves. And the sound was both detailed and subdued, making the audience lean forward to listen as Mr. Cohen intoned his painstakingly balanced lyrics.

His songs rarely tell stories or proclaim easy emotions. Instead, with diction that is often measured and biblical, they mingle regrets and desires, hope and disillusionment, spiritual aspirations and carnal appreciation. Most often, they make lists: of a lover’s vows in “I’m Your Man,” of bitter realizations in “Everybody Knows,” of metaphorical choreography in “Dance Me to the Edge of Love.”

Yet while the lyrics are absolutely central — Mr. Cohen simply recited one song, “A Thousand Kisses Deep,” over sustained keyboard chords — they would not sustain a three-hour concert without musical variety. Quietly but ingeniously, Mr. Cohen’s internationally sourced band (with the bassist Roscoe Beck as music director) moved the songs across genres and continents: to blues or country, to Gypsy or hoedown violin lines (from Alexandru Bublitchi) and Middle Eastern modes.

Mitch Watkins on guitar provided American roots; Javier Mas, on long-necked Spanish lutes called bandurrias and on the archilaud (or archlute), which was tuned like an oud, moved some songs to the Mediterranean. Neil Larsen on keyboards — usually a Hammond B-3 organ — conjured ghosts of gospel. And for “First We Take Manhattan,” a thumping beat and flashing, circling stage lights — suddenly active after hours of more restrained use — brought the show a moment of disco.

Mr. Cohen places his songs between the earthbound and the sublime, and his performance embodied that contrast in the vocals: his grave voice, a baritone that has lately been plunging toward bass but will still carry a tune, and the weightless near-whispers of his female backup singers. When his longtime collaborator Sharon Robinson stepped forward to sing lead on “Alexandra Leaving,” it was clear how much she had been holding back. The English sisters Hattie and Charley Webb, playing Celtic harp and acoustic guitar, performed “If It Be Your Will,” turning it into a celestial invocation.

The unhurried yet absolutely concentrated performance was a world away from other pop events and a haven for long attention spans. With precise artifice, Mr. Cohen made it appear to be an utterly natural setting. When he returned for the last few encores, near midnight, he skipped his way to center stage.

“I hope that we’ll be on the road for a few more years at least,” Mr. Cohen had said earlier, acknowledging mortality and just as urbanely shrugging it off.
A version of this review appeared in print on December 22, 2012, on page C1 of the New York edition with the headline: Confessions of a Man in a Fedora.
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dari
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by dari »

The New York Times reviewer didn't get one of the song names correct. :D

He called it - Dance Me To The "Edge" Of Love".
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by astranger »

I have to echo the other reports on here of it being another magical evening. I flew from Charlotte, NC just for the concert and had the pleasure to stay in a hotel very close to the venue. Before the show, while waiting for the doors to open I had the distinct and unexpected pleasure of meeting and briefly talking with Rafael. He was very gracious and kind, as I was the only person who stopped him. A for the concert I had great seats that were pretty much dead center. For as big as the Barclays center is it is very intimate. It is redundant to say that Leonard and the band did not disappoint. After his piano solo on "Tower of Song" he threatened, "I'm going to break my guitar over this keyboard and set it on fire. I'm tired of this charity for the elderly." This had everyone cracking up. Hearing the new version of "Lover Love Lover" was fantastic, Alex and Javier really sounded great together. Speaking of Alex, I think it really does take seeing him live to really understand his contribution to the band. Like many others I was saddened and disappointed to see Dino go and from the videos I had liked what I heard from Alex but wanted something more. Well, now I get it. He really does bring the appropriate amount of intimacy and flair to the band's sound. During the encores people made their way to the front of the stage and I couldn't help but follow suit. I was about 20 feet from Leonard from "Going Home" to the end of the show. That is something I'm never going to forget. That's when something bigger took over the venue and everyone there felt it. I was hoping for "I Tried to Leave You" since it was the last night of the year but the show went on business as usual and there was no mention of it being the last night, but I suppose there really isn't a "final night" of this tour just yet! The experience still feels like a dream and it's one of the best ones I've had. My hands were almost sore from clapping so much. Sorry if this is a bit incoherent as I'm trying to make sense of it all. Thank you Leonard!
Jake.........Durham, NC 11-3-09; Brooklyn, NY 12-20-12
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

dari wrote:The New York Times reviewer didn't get one of the song names correct. :D

He called it - Dance Me To The "Edge" Of Love".
I don't know about this reviewer - but definitely not the first time the New York Times has been wrong. :razz: :lol:
Last edited by sturgess66 on Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

This is good !
Uploaded by Tony Azios - Thanks!!

EDITING HERE: This is NOT just "another video" - lol
It's a little "Q&A" with Leonard.
A fan at the Brooklyn show ["post" concert] asks Leonard Cohen a good question -
And receives a good answer from Leonard. :D

Leonard Cohen Question
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvYFhXkt-10
My four-year-old niece is a big Leonard Cohen fan. Her favorite song is "Hallelujah," which she knows all the words to. So when she found out that I was going to see Leonard live in Brooklyn on Dec. 20, 2012, she requested that I "Ask Mr. Cohen, 'why is the king baffled?"'

(She's referring to the last line of the song's first verse:
"The baffled king composing Hallelujah")

Seconds after the concert ended, he stopped to answer her question. Here it is:

It's been a while since I said this :D - but -

I think it’s time for Leonard Cohen’s magnificent “Hallelujah” to receive the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
“The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Award was established by The Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts.”
http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy ... ll-of-fame
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

From TabletMag -

http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/120050/ ... arry-white
Is Leonard Cohen The Jewish Barry White?

A question from last night’s four-hour Leonard Cohen concert
By Adam Chandler
December 21, 2012 3:57 PM

Image
(THR)

I probably shouldn’t write about anything Leonard Cohen because my brilliant office-mate Liel Leibovitz knows more about Cohen that anyone else in the world–including Cohen himself. BUT…Liel isn’t in the office today and I am still riding a high from the concert that Cohen put on in Brooklyn last night.

A few quick thoughts about seeing the 78-year-old man perform for four hours in a three-month-old arena:

1. There is no substitute for the experience of walking through a stadium filled with people of all ages speaking in French, Hebrew, Spanish, German, and Russian.

2. There is nothing quite like hearing a crowd roar mid-song when Cohen bellowed the lyric “I was the little Jew who wrote the Bible.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_drEFOaPaK8

3. The concert did start just after 8. It did end just before midnight. There was a 20-minute intermission, but otherwise, Cohen outlasted a big portion of the crowd.

4. During the intermission, an usher–who was probably about 20–approached me and a friend and asked if we thought that Leonard Cohen’s music was available on iTunes. After we said definitely yes, he replied “Good. I like him, he’s mellow. Kinda like Barry White. Some alone time music.”

5. This prompted the question: Is Leonard Cohen the Jewish Barry White? I think the answer is probably that Barry White is the black Leonard Cohen.

6. Leonard Cohen did play an Ozark harp. If that’s unfamiliar to you, it’s probably because it’s still better known by another name. [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jew%27s_harp ]

7. Cohen pulled out “Lover, Lover, Lover,” which has to be one of the best of his least-known songs. See the clip below from French television where Cohen explains that he wrote the song in Sinai during the Yom Kippur War when he was assigned to perform for the IDF troops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfqNb28z-Hk
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

A video uploaded by eleni apeyitou - Thanks!

The video is not up close - but audio is good

Chelsea Hotel :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MUks6R6BV0
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LisaLCFan
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by LisaLCFan »

sturgess66 wrote:This is good ! A fan at the Brooklyn show ["post" concert] asks Leonard Cohen a good question -
And receives a good answer from Leonard. :D
This is nice!
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by brightnow »

MaryB wrote:
sue7 wrote: Thousand Kisses Deep produced the magical quiet of 20,000 listening to the smallest sounds of one man's heart.
Sue
Sue,
Thank you for your wonderful review. The above is the best phrase yet re: this recitation!
Best regards,
Mary
I have that one recorded in its entirety, will upload soon!
Columbia May 11, 2009; Boston May 29, 2009; Durham November 3, 2009; Las Vegas December 10 & 11, 2010; Austin November 1, 2012; Boston December 15, 2012; Brooklyn December 20, 2012
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by brightnow »

The night's funniest moment (from memory, so quotes might not be verbatim):

Leonard played his usual keyboard riff during "Tower of Song", which was followed by applause. In previous concerts he replied to the applause with "You're very kind" (or some variation of that -- a few days earlier in Boston it was "Are you just humoring an elderly chap?"). This time he gave us an amused look and said "Are you humoring me?" and after a pause added "because I can play with more than one finger". He proceeded to play a version of the same keyboard riff using two (!) fingers, when the laughs subsided he proceeded to run his left elbow down the keyboard, this resulted in more laughs but also in the selection of a new chord, so he gave the keyboard an exasperated look and said "I'm going to break my guitar on this thing and set it on fire". More laughs followed, and someone behind us yelled "do it Leonard!". Somehow everyone managed to recompose themselves and the song continued.
Columbia May 11, 2009; Boston May 29, 2009; Durham November 3, 2009; Las Vegas December 10 & 11, 2010; Austin November 1, 2012; Boston December 15, 2012; Brooklyn December 20, 2012
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

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IMG_0616.JPG
Columbia May 11, 2009; Boston May 29, 2009; Durham November 3, 2009; Las Vegas December 10 & 11, 2010; Austin November 1, 2012; Boston December 15, 2012; Brooklyn December 20, 2012
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Brooklyn, New York - December 20, 2012

Post by brightnow »

IMG_0591.JPG
Columbia May 11, 2009; Boston May 29, 2009; Durham November 3, 2009; Las Vegas December 10 & 11, 2010; Austin November 1, 2012; Boston December 15, 2012; Brooklyn December 20, 2012
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