CONCERT REPORTS: Halifax, NS (May 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17)

[zintman61]

This one is cool too!

[Claw at your heart]

....a lone woman in the crowd shouted
"WOO HOOOO," cheering a pitiful little solo that had no right being
cheered.

Thanks so much to Rosemary's friend for his review of a great evening. It was completely spontaneous at the time, but in retrospect I cheered for love of this particular riff, for Leonard's self-deprecating and coy relationship to the apparatus on which he played it, and for all of us sharing this experience together, loving this generous and humble man. As someone earlier said, she'd be happy to hear him read from the phone book! I guess I was also laughing with him laughing at us loving him. It felt quite right at the time!

[Claw at your heart]

This website provides links to other reviews of the Halifax concert, among other things!

http://1heckofaguy.com/2008/05/13/leona ... esome-fun/

[mnkyface]

This reviewer was unimpressed (understatement!) with Bob Dylan's Wednesday concert in Halifax:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Columnists/9006883.html

But he did have the nicest things to say about LC:
And if you saw Dylan after listening to Leonard Cohen last week, Bob’s performance made you weep.

There was Leonard at 74, playing five nights at the Dalhousie Arts Centre.

All Cohen did every night was make tender, witty, unforgettable love to every song he sang and ever word he declaimed.

And after listening to Bob, I have only two words to say about Leonard Cohen.

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

[mirka]

haha, I like this paragraph "Heck, no — we’re talking songicide. They should add this offence to the Criminal Code."

I was to a Dylan concert a couple of years ago, it was exactly as Jim Meek describes: Dylan was to so occupied with himself that he barely paid attention to what's going on around him. The concert was about seeing/listening to him singing, but he wasn't in touch, while LC had excellent rapport with the audience, and whenever he felt he was losing this grip, he did something to get back in touch. Seems like he's sensing emotions coming from the audience very well.

[hanes]

I'm seeing Dylan this Saturday in St.John's, Newfoundland then Leonard Cohen the next night. It's Dylan's birthday and from what I understand people are going to sing happy birthday to him before the encore, if he doesn't address the crowd there then that will be shameful. I bought a Dylan ticket because not much rolls through St. John's and it's Dylan, but I'm much more looking forward to Leonard's show the next night. It will be interesting to compare the two shows back to back. The talk of the town here at the moment is having two musical legends in town at the same time. Sounds like Bob needs to take a little time off and reinvigorate himself.

[Shep]

Leonard raised us up in grace.
I cannot imagine a concert could be any better. From my unbelievable front row centre seats on Saturday night, I was overwhelmed by the magic of it all. I have loved him since the very beginning and now, I too, feel fulfilled.
But what a contrast to see Dylan four nights later: a self-centred performance by a man who seems not to care about his audience. Apparently he was pleased, and his band was excellent, but what a waste of time.
As I leave soon for Europe for six months, I am hoping there is a Cohen ticket somewhere near where I can be: I would follow Leonard to the edge of time. I will not bother with Dylan ever again.

[liverpoolken]

Dylan was to so occupied with himself that he barely paid attention to what's going on around him.

Bob has never embraced the cabaret style when it comes to performing.

He justs lets his music do the talking.

Leonard is different. Vive la difference!

Happy Birthday Bob.

Ta Ken

[lightning]

He was more audience friendly when he was young. Age has hardened him.

[Claw at your heart]

I wanted to avoid comparing Dylan's bizarre concert to Leonard's gift of grace, but might was well weigh in since others have. I admire Dylan because he has never catered to his audience and had no intention of ever being "the voice of a generation" that we made him. This concert was a real teaching in letting go, impermanence and non-attachment.

I just was just plain sad as I'd brought my 13-year-old daughter to see this "greatest singer-songwriter of all time" and she seemed pretty confused by my adulation. "He seems pretty arrogant, Mum, and he doesn't have much of a rapport with the audience." That's fine. And the fact that many of his lyrics were unintelligible was also fine. And I guess the fact that he took his own beautiful songs and rearranged them until they were barely recognizable is also fine, except that the music was ugly and aggressive. The best songs were from Modern Times, probably because these songs were not as much a part of my very gut as "Positively 4th Street" or "Like a Rolling Stone".

But my daughter had heard me rave for a week about Leonard's graciousness and his humbleness and his deep appreciation for his band members and his caressing of his lyrics and his physical poise and elegance. Dear Bob was just plain cranky. I told her when we got home from the concert we could listen to the songs again, but the way Dylan had originally sung them and the way I loved them. And I reminded her that some artists are always experimenting with new styles and that Dylan is in his aggressive rock and roll phase now and not to think twice about it, because it's alright!

I guess "Dear Heather" was a bit of an experiment for Leonard, and so was "Death of a Ladies' Man", in retrospect. But Leonard has many years of Buddhist meditation behind him, which plays a large part in his lack of self-centredness. I bet a little sitting would soften Bob, but that just ain't his style. As a recent forum member said, a chacun son gout.

[Claw at your heart]

I made an inexcusable presumption by attributing Leonard's lack of self-centredness to his time as a Zen practitioner at Mount Baldy. Checking the liner notes of the Field Commander Cohen Tour of 1979, Leonard's humbleness and deep appreciation for his audience and his band are very obvious at this stage. He didn't spend time at Mount Baldy till the '90s, so the seed of humbleness was planted much earlier.

[tomsakic]

That CD was released (and the liner notes written) after he went from the monastery, in Fall 2000

BUT LC did spent time at Mt Baldy regularly from mid-70s, for few months of retreat every year (i.e. in 1978-80 he was even included in the publishing of the Zen magazine for Roshi's Zen organisation, and was publishing or sponsoring a number of Zen publications for Roshi's Centre over the 1980s). His total seclusion to monastery was, as LC said, logical step further after 20 years of commitment and needed because of Roshi's age.

I don't know is his humbleness connected with the Zen experience; there surely are traces of it from very early stage of career, but also, it has grew very deep in decades to come. The attitude to backup singers and the band was surely very visible from first years (according to bootlegs), and particularly from 1976 tour. This kind of show LC has from tour of 1979 (FFC CD, yes, released in 2001), with introductions, solos, duets, etc.

[Claw at your heart]

Thanks for filling in those gaps, Tom. I guess all of us are a compilation of socialization, upbringing and DNA, so not much point in me trying to attribute Leonard's personality to any one thing!

[lightning]

Humbleness is a self-protective mechanism some prominent and wealthy people use to ward off jealous attacks.

[mirka]

Also I think that exactly this Humbleness allows for a spiritual experience among audience: feeling safe they put down all their guards, and open themselves to the positive energy that LC seem to radiate.
ps.
IMHO it's also possible that a pinch of crowd hypnosis/meditation is thrown in the mixture...