Red Rocks concert

USA and Canada (April 1 - June 4, 2009). Special concert for fans in NYC (February 19). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
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PanCogito
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Red Rocks concert

Post by PanCogito »

Anybody is planning to attend at most beautiful and gorgeous venue I’ve ever seen, Red Rocks Amphitheatre?
Here are links to some pictures:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... heater.JPG
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... cksAMP.png
kind regards -דרישת שלום
roman - pan cogito- מר קוגיטו
העובדה שאני שותק לא אומרת שאין לי מה להגיד - The fact that I am being silent doesn't mean that I have nothing to say
|1985Wroclaw|1988Stuttgart|2008Montreal|2009 New York RC| MSG|Red Rocks |Las Vegas |2012Aalborg| Denver|Chicago|2013Milwaukee
Box_of_Rain
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by Box_of_Rain »

I've got my ticket! 17th row. Not too bad. I love Red Rocks. I haven't been there since back in the 80's...
Box_of_Rain
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by Box_of_Rain »

Pan Cogito...could you tell me what your signature means...curious. I like it, I think! I guess I don't really understand the "beginning of life" part. And I just wonder in general.
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PanCogito
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by PanCogito »

I like this fragment for its obscurity. I took it from the most perplexing Kafka’s works: The Zarau Aphorisms. Illness set Kafka free to write a serious of philosophical fragments: some narrative, some single images, and some parables. There are total of 109 fragments in the book and this particular one is 94..... By the way, I’ve got my ticket too; row 4th and I’ll be there with my daughter. I am very glad that Leo is coming to town because I was ready to hit the road and go to Chicago or New York but I worry a little bit since that is not inside and it might be not so great to compare with Chicago Theatre or Beacon Theatre.
kind regards -דרישת שלום
roman - pan cogito- מר קוגיטו
העובדה שאני שותק לא אומרת שאין לי מה להגיד - The fact that I am being silent doesn't mean that I have nothing to say
|1985Wroclaw|1988Stuttgart|2008Montreal|2009 New York RC| MSG|Red Rocks |Las Vegas |2012Aalborg| Denver|Chicago|2013Milwaukee
Box_of_Rain
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by Box_of_Rain »

Maybe he means, by the "beginning of life" to start living?...it's interesting because I think of ways in widening my circle and it's really so comforting, in a way, to think of making it smaller, more simple...I like it anyhow.

4th row! that's nice. I had 5th row at the Beacon. We just can't go wrong with Red Rocks, unless it rains! I've got rain gear. I'm use to Colorado outdoor shows. I think it will be refreshing no matter, a little twist maybe, a little different. Not like I'd know any difference. (the Beacon show was my first show and I'm new to his music) I just think it will be great, no matter what.

I hope to meet you there. Maybe there will be some pre or post get togethers!

Denise
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KaimiK
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by KaimiK »

Sadly I can't make it to the Red Rocks show. But, I just checked for fun to see what kind of tickets are available. Under the AEG/Radio/Venue presale, there's a seat in Row 9!!! I've been ready for every Seattle presale this last week, and have only managed to get Row 23. Wishing I could make it to CO instead! Enjoy the show everyone, what a beautiful venue! I'm really hoping they'll consider adding The Gorge to the show roster...keeping my fingers crossed!
You let me sing, you lifted me up, you gave my soul a beam to travel on. You folded your distance back into my heart.
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PanCogito
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by PanCogito »

Denise –
I really envy you the Beacon Theatre concert. I was little bit disconnected and late for the presale and did not find any good sit so I gave up. I’m listening now to a selection of 12 songs from Beacon concert made by National Public Radio...and I am just speechless. He was great and you were pretty lucky to be there. I am a long time Cohen’s fan, I love his music, his poetry, his writing and for me he is like a guru. I am very glad that you’re a new Cohen’s fan and it would be great to arrange a fan meetup, something like warm-up before Main Event or some kind of gathering after.

Roman
kind regards -דרישת שלום
roman - pan cogito- מר קוגיטו
העובדה שאני שותק לא אומרת שאין לי מה להגיד - The fact that I am being silent doesn't mean that I have nothing to say
|1985Wroclaw|1988Stuttgart|2008Montreal|2009 New York RC| MSG|Red Rocks |Las Vegas |2012Aalborg| Denver|Chicago|2013Milwaukee
MaryB
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by MaryB »

Roman and Denise,

Count my husband, George, and me in!

Best 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
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PanCogito
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by PanCogito »

Mary, George and Denise –
Looking forward to meeting you but we have to decide if that would be pre or post-meetup. I will check what places around Red Rocks or we will choose something in LoDo. Let’s stay in touch.

Cheers,

Roman
kind regards -דרישת שלום
roman - pan cogito- מר קוגיטו
העובדה שאני שותק לא אומרת שאין לי מה להגיד - The fact that I am being silent doesn't mean that I have nothing to say
|1985Wroclaw|1988Stuttgart|2008Montreal|2009 New York RC| MSG|Red Rocks |Las Vegas |2012Aalborg| Denver|Chicago|2013Milwaukee
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Greg Ross
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by Greg Ross »

Salutations people

I'd be delighted if you'd be kind enough to include me in any pre / post concert event, I'm flying on from Western Australia (having been blown away Cohen's concert here in the west.
Cheers
All Good Things
Greg

http://www.gregross.com.au/
Box_of_Rain
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by Box_of_Rain »

Great! We can try to figure out both a pre and post in case some can make one or the other or both! I love this part of the Cohen experience. Listening to the Beacon show from the NPR download is so sweet. So much to look forward to!

Denise
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PanCogito
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by PanCogito »

Greg –
You will be received here with open arms. Too bad that you didn’t make it in Australia but I can assure you that your choice to come to Colorado is a good one and will not regret it. Just say when you’re coming and I will guide you.

Greetings,

Roman
kind regards -דרישת שלום
roman - pan cogito- מר קוגיטו
העובדה שאני שותק לא אומרת שאין לי מה להגיד - The fact that I am being silent doesn't mean that I have nothing to say
|1985Wroclaw|1988Stuttgart|2008Montreal|2009 New York RC| MSG|Red Rocks |Las Vegas |2012Aalborg| Denver|Chicago|2013Milwaukee
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Greg Ross
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by Greg Ross »

Greetings Roman

Good to hear from you, I did in fact see Leonard here at Sandalford Winery in the West, that's why I simply HAVE to go again, regardless of price! I'm meeting an old friend in her home at Oklahoma (I'll have been to Washington, New York and Memphis), then we're flying in to Denver on Sunday 31st May, we're also in Row 17. I've re-posted below, my review of the Perth concert and a couple of photos.
Cheers
Greg

Leonard Cohen at Sandalford
Saturday 7th February 2009

In the past five decades, I’ve been privileged to attend some fabulous concerts – from the sublime (Pavarotti) to the surreal – the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison singing together with Gene Pitney playing organ. I’ve been to concerts vowing never to watch the artist again (Bob Dylan and Tom Petty). But I have never experienced anything like the Leonard Cohen concert at Sandalford last Saturday night.

Now integrity demands full disclosure, I am a fan – well, a Cohen tragic really - since buying his first LP (in Auckland New Zealand) for five pound nineteen and six pence, back in 1967. I still have it. I long ago discovered that I inevitably tested new friends with Cohen’s music, when first they would visit my home, (wherever that has been over the years). And as a result, I’ve slowly established an eclectic, disparate group of friends who also love the words and melodies of the man from Montreal. Consequently, last Saturday afternoon, almost 50 of us climbed aboard a chartered charabanc and were chauffeured out to the vineyard.

First a brickbat and one I suspect should be thrown at the Liquor Licensing bureaucracy, rather than the winery. One could only purchase one bottle of wine at a time, consequently there constant huge queues of people shaking their heads in disgust at the stupidity of it all. For God’s sake, we all set up picnics then one of us goes to get the wine. Hello? How simple is it? We really are the most stupidly over-governed State. Back to the music – well no – drop that bottle off and go back in another queue, which segues into the support act, Paul Kelly

I am shocked (and more than a little ashamed) to admit that such was the single mindedness of many of us, we sat in the shade and picnicked, whilst we took turns at queuing for wine and consequently, ignored one of Australia’s greatest-ever singer-songwriters – Paul Kelly. Normally I will go out of my way to attend his concerts, but his presence almost failed to register with me.

Suddenly 10 minutes earlier than scheduled, the band strolled on to the stage and then the Fedora skipped out. I looked around, there were tears welling in people eyes, as far as my own moist eyes could see, as they waved and cheered, then we truly had a music.

There is often a religious undercurrent to most of what Cohen writes and it struck me, (when at one stage he mentioned he’d spent considerable time studying the different religious philosophies of the world, but in the end, cheerfulness had won out), that this event was almost spiritual. He has a line in the song “Light as a Breeze” “drink deeply pilgrim” … we were.

It would not be wrong to say the crowd was quietly worshipping a man they never thought they would ever see perform live, after all he’s 74. But here he was, skipping impossibly around and on and off the stage, dropping to his knees in supplication to a subject, or bowing gracefully to the glorious voiced Sharon Robinson (his muse) and the other incredibly talented people surrounding him.

And the voice, it’s not possible, but somehow it’s better than it ever was, in fact these days, it’s quite hard to listen to the first couple of albums, that youthful voice now seems reedy and lacking in depth. The years of experience, smoke and wine, have combined to produce a voice that would not be out of place giving some sermon on the mount. Yet at the same time, there is lightness and humour that just grabs your soul.

Now I’m not for one minute suggesting that his is technically a fine voice, in the mode of a Sinatra, or a Pavarotti, but it has depth, structure, phrasing, passion and an understanding of each word that burns across the air. And yes, the female singers are vital instruments in any Cohen equation, indeed there was a moment with “If It Be Your Will,” that took your breath away. Cohen recited one or two verses, then the Webb Sisters began to sing, accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar and harp. I don’t know to this day where they took that work, but 5,000 hushed people moved not a muscle while this extraordinary performance took place.

Then there’s the band. Now Sandalford Winery is notorious for the wind that channels off the Swan River and often ruins the sound, at times, it can be almost as bad as the disastrous Burswood Dome. Bands often compensate by playing too loudly, but these guys were beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed in terms of audible clarity – nothing was loud, but everything was crystal clear. I laughed, thinking of Jimmy Barnes at the Kimberley Moon Concert in Kununurra last year, where painful distortion ruined his show.

It’s trite to say you had to be there to understand , but it is true. This group of musos and their sound techs have mastered the black art of amplified music past the ephemeral point where any other band I have ever seen has managed to go. This is one band that could play with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and not try to drown it.

It’s a little pointless to go on about Cohen’s superb clarity and diction, as 99% of the crown knew ever word by heart anyhow and every person there had a favourite, although undoubtedly “Hallelujah” was a massive crowd pleaser. I love them all, but a personal favourite, one I have loved seemingly forever, is “The Partisan.” Sung in English and French, it tells the story of a resistance member on the run as the Nazis swept across Europe. It was hauntingly beautiful.

And therein is the magic of Cohen’s music, reaching out with a message of the hope for our troubled world. When he sang out his prophetic words, “Democracy is coming to the USA,” a tremendous cheer rang out from the crowd. Amongst my treasured friends that might, was an American diplomat. I can’t talk for that person, but it seemed to me the crowd was welcoming our old friend, the USA, back from the wilderness – there’s that spirituality again.

Another lovely friend is German, she and her daughter love Cohen and were in tears of joy for much of the concert. We sat and talked afterwards and realised that many years ago, thousands of kilometres apart and continents away, we had both been teenagers, spell bound with Cohen’s magic and here we were 40 years later, still spellbound, still emotionally blown away by this impish, humble little poet, who took 5,000 people on a mythical, impossible feast of music, imagery and artistry on an unforgettable summers night.

There was of course, a quiet elephant in the room. Dazed, yet somehow complete, we walked slowly away after his three hour concert – yes, 74 years of age and three hours! – in the bitter-sweet knowledge that he probably will not pass this way again.

A New Zealand reviewer wrote a couple of weeks back, that it was quite simply the best concert he had ever seen in his life, something he never thought he’d write, or would write again. His statement made me slightly nervous, high expectations can be difficult to uphold. But I will go further than he. Not only was it the best concert I have ever seen in my life, I feel humbly blessed.
All Good Things
Greg
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All Good Things
Greg

http://www.gregross.com.au/
ladydi
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by ladydi »

Hi Denise, Mary, Roman and Greg,

I'm still computerless at home...thank heavens for work! ;-)

Roman, we too have seats in Row 4 but a little off to the left and looking forward to Leonard's final US concert SO very much! Have never been to Red Rocks but the venue looks gorgeous! Yes, we are also up for a meetup either pre or post concert.

All the best,
Diana
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lizzytysh
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Re: RED ROCKS CONCERT

Post by lizzytysh »

Yours is a stunningly beautiful review, Greg. Thank you so much for posting it, along with your photos, which elucidate what you're saying. I love his kneeling to Javier Mas. They are so engaged.


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
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