CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD, May 11

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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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by brightnow »

dzzz wrote:At the end he said: We don’t know when we’ll be back again this way, so, until then, take care, friends. If you’ve got to fall, try to fall on the side of luck. And may you be surrounded by friends and family. And if this is not your lot, may the blessings find you in your solitude.
Thanks dzzz, that sounds pretty accurate to me, much better than my vague recollection.
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
Rain
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by Rain »

It's raining Cohen....Hallelujah....it's raining Cohen....Amen.....

I just wanted to confess that, unfortunately, I was one of the few people who had to leave the concert early, due to illness. Believe me, if I could've remained longer, I would have. Against better judgement, and the doctor's office advice, I traveled all the way from Lexington, Kentucky to Columbia, MD to see Mr. Cohen for the first time. So PLEASE, don't think that EVERYONE who left early simply didn't care about the show. It broke my heart, believe me....but I'll remember that night the rest of my life.....when I saw Leonard Cohen in a perfect rain. Please forgive this fan....next concert I'll be in better health!

By the way, Maryland is beautiful and has the nicest people on Earth. We had NO bad experiences the whole time we were there.

--Rain
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by brightnow »

Rain wrote:... Maryland is beautiful and has the nicest people on Earth. We had NO bad experiences the whole time we were there.

--Rain
You bet! Glad you liked our little state, sorry you had to leave.
Luckily for me, I only got sick two days after the concert. The bright side: As long as I have this chest cold I can sing all of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs, including the more recent ones, and my voice does not bottom out. Gotta love these viruses...
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
MaryB
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by MaryB »

What a disaster trying to get to the show! Started out at 5:10. Trip should have been 30-40 minutes. Nice weather, horrendous traffic! Not moving, not moving, inching, not moving. An hour to go 10 miles. Looking for restroom :roll: . First gas station, will buy gas - no restroom. Second gas station, restroom locked, no key. BP - no place to pp. Fourth gas station - no restroom. Where do these employees go? Chinese restaurant (if you want to call it that), restrooms for customers only. Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now (ahh, the joys of getting older). Purchase egg rolls to go. Use restroom(?) - no sink to wash hands. That's okay, have sani-wipes. Why did we even wait to get the egg rolls? Inedible. On the road again. Not moving. Starting to inch. Moving 20 mph on the highway. Not moving again. Finally moving. Got to move faster! Horror of horrors - we might be late for an LC concert - inexcusable! Signs for Merriweather Post. Getting closer. Starts to rain. Take correct entrance (2nd one). Drop us (my sister, Sybil, and myself) off. Already 7:05. Almost 2 hours to get there! I hurry to stand in line for will-call. Searching through my LC tote, where is my ID? Did I leave it back at the house? Oh no, oh no, oh no. Will buy a ticket if I have to! Found it. Waiting, waiting. Third one in line. What is taking the first person so long. Someone comes by. "Where is will-call line?", he asks. Can't believe it - have been waiting in the wrong (sales) line! Belong in the line with over 20 people waiting. George (my husband) joins me in line. 7:20 - parked in last row by the woods. Waiting. Getting closer. Eureka! Got our tickets - 7:32! Through the gate. 7:35 - the show has started. We're late! Pouring down rain. Able to walk down on the side of the venue. Don't block anyone's view. Into seats - disturbing 6 people :oops: . Feet soaked (open toed shoes - it was nice when we left :roll: ) and oh so cold. Intermission. Find hot coffee. Loooooong line. Wait, wait. Get up front - ran out of coffee. More in 15 minutes. Back to seat. Freezing. George leaves, comes back with coffee. What a wonderful husband. What to do with coffee - drink it or pour it on my feet :roll: :lol: . Slip out of shoes, put coffee cup against the bottom of my feet. The feeling comes back. Drink coffee - all is well. Too much information, sorry :( and I'm complaining when all those people were out there on the lawn - double sorry.

The concert was phenomenal! Off to a somewhat shaky start, LC's voice an octave lower than usual at the beginning of 'Dance Me To The End Of Love', making the ladies adjust. As a result, their vocals, from where we were sitting in the right floor section, were somewhat muffled. This was very quickly rectified. Aside from this, everything was spot on! What an enthusiastic crowd! One of the standing ovations just increasing in intensity and would have gone on forever if LC hadn't asked everyone to please sit down. It was a cold and miserable night to attend a concert but his music warmed my heart and entire being.

My sister and Sybil mentioned seeing Tom Daschle at the concert. They both have worked for years in the federal government and apparently, in the DC area, a Leonard Cohen concert had become 'cutting edge' and 'the' concert to attend. Both their bosses prided themselves on 'scoring' tickets to this show, only to be shot down when informed by my sister and Sybil that they already have had tickets for over two months. They both attend the theater and many shows. Sybil was already a fan. My sister, not that familiar with his music. To them, this was undoubtedly the best concert they have ever attended.

ubik333(Jerry) - I listened closely, and I could have sworn LC sang 'careless' sex.

bigdee -The soundcheck would have been heaven - to have heard them do 'Heart With No Companion', 'That Don't Make It Junk', and 'Lullaby' , which were not included in the concert. You were indeed fortunate.

All that time, trying to get to the venue, thinking we were missing out on meeting up with some of the entourage was miserable. Now I read that there had been no 'meet and greet'. Since this was an outdoor venue, there did not seem to be any place that would have been amenable to this type of activity. I hope this is not a precursor of things to come in Red Rocks :cry: . Reading all the posts about the pre-concert meet ups has spoiled me :oops: . I guess it's just a way of getting closer to the man himself.

The set list looks like it has been changing somewhat since Columbia, so I am so grateful to have heard LC do 'The Gypsy's Wife' and 'The Partisan' again. LC and his entourage do pay attention to the reviews and posts, so perhaps by the time Red Rocks comes around, we will be priviledged to hear songs not performed before or in new sequence. Whatever they decide - these concerts are always so sublime and exciting! They can do no wrong in my book - concert after concert proves it.

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
ubik333
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by ubik333 »

Mary,
So sorry for your travails,... so glad you overcame them.
"Careless sex" was used(as on the DVD) in the concert. "Anal sex" was heard in the soundcheck(as in the original).

Jerry
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KaimiK
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by KaimiK »

Mary! Oh my goodness - what a near disaster! :shock: Your description brought me back to the few years I lived in the DC area. Having grown up in rural Montana, we judged travel time by this equation: 1 mile equals 1 minute, literally! You need to drive 10 miles, plan for 10 minutes!!! Wow, was DC a new experience for me. :lol:

So glad you were still able to have a great experience - I'd have been a wreck! Before the Seattle concert I kept having dreams that I'd lost my ticket or overslept and missed the concert. What a testament to the power of these concerts that you can survive horrible traffic, get drenched and cold - and still call it the best experience of a lifetime! Now, if we can just get everything sorted out for Red Rocks - I will be SO disappointed if we don't get our meet and greet! Keep hoping Fred might make an appearance too?
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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hydriot
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by hydriot »

ubik333 wrote:"Careless sex" was used(as on the DVD) in the concert. "Anal sex" was heard in the soundcheck(as in the original).Jerry
How intriguing. That implies Leonard for some reason feels the need to censor himself in front of a live audience, rather than the suggestion made recently that the change was just to make the line more topical.
“If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse.” - Leonard, July 1988
MaryB
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by MaryB »

hydriot wrote:
ubik333 wrote:"Careless sex" was used(as on the DVD) in the concert. "Anal sex" was heard in the soundcheck(as in the original).Jerry
How intriguing. That implies Leonard for some reason feels the need to censor himself in front of a live audience, rather than the suggestion made recently that the change was just to make the line more topical.
Perhaps it is in deference to the number of children now attending the concerts on this tour? This did not seem to be the case on the 93 tour.
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
maglover
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by maglover »

brightnow wrote: It's over. It's finished. It's completed. It has been paid for.

(Really, it has; the pre-sale was a while ago and the credit card payment has gone through :D )
I love these Cohenisms!
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hydriot
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by hydriot »

MaryB wrote:
hydriot wrote:
ubik333 wrote:"Careless sex" was used(as on the DVD) in the concert. "Anal sex" was heard in the soundcheck(as in the original).Jerry
How intriguing. That implies Leonard for some reason feels the need to censor himself in front of a live audience, rather than the suggestion made recently that the change was just to make the line more topical.
Perhaps it is in deference to the number of children now attending the concerts on this tour? This did not seem to be the case on the 93 tour.
If anyone is interested, MaryB, myself and various others debated the anal/careless enigma (interweaved with the doyou/doya switch) here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=14339&sid=020e07959 ... 29#p169152 .

As I said then, it is illogical to protect sensitive ears from the concept of anal sex when in the same phrase you ask for crack, a much much more offensive thing.

(For example, recently Van Morrison had to clarify that when he sings 'crack' it is actually 'craic', which happens to sound the same.)
“If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse.” - Leonard, July 1988
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hydriot
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by hydriot »

bigdee wrote:Soundcheck 5/11/09 (May be incomplete)
1. Dance Me To The End of Love (already in progress when I arrived)
2. The Future
3. Ain't No Cure For Love
4. Lullaby
5. Who By Fire
6. Heart With No Companion
7. That Don't Make It Junk
8. If It Be Your Will (Webb Sisters only)
How interesting (and sad) that Lullaby was in the soundcheck but not in the performance.

When was it last performed? Not for a long time, I reckon. I am really hoping he will sing it for us when he returns to Europe, but the omens do not appear to be good.

I supposed he must be dissatisfied with it.
“If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse.” - Leonard, July 1988
MaryB
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by MaryB »

Hydriot,

Maybe he is just fine-tuning it so that he feels confident enough to make it a part of the performance. We live on hope and his doing 'Lullaby' during the sound checks sounds promising to me :? :D .

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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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by sturgess66 »

A capture by a fan (dsotmoy) of some of "Who By Fire" - Javier Mas's breathtakingly beautiful solo at the beginning - on YouTube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYxjGATN1N8
Rain
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by Rain »

So, did anybody else out there get any snapshots or cell phone "footage" of this concert? I didn't take any because, as usual, I followed the "no pictures" rule, even though there were dozens of people taking photos left and right. But, of course, if I had done that, I'd be sitting in prison right now! lol :roll: I missed a lot, due to being so sick and having to leave early. If anybody's got ANYTHING, please post! Apparently it's okay to do so!
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Columbia MD May 11

Post by brightnow »

Rain wrote:So, did anybody else out there get any snapshots or cell phone "footage" of this concert? I didn't take any because, as usual, I followed the "no pictures" rule, even though there were dozens of people taking photos left and right. But, of course, if I had done that, I'd be sitting in prison right now! lol :roll: I missed a lot, due to being so sick and having to leave early. If anybody's got ANYTHING, please post! Apparently it's okay to do so!
Rain, Actually the policy for that concert was: no video, no professional cameras, other cameras OK. So you would have not been imprisoned...
I have a few pictures, I'll post them and link here in a couple of days.

Avi
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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