CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario, May 19

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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LisaLCFan
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by LisaLCFan »

These you-tube clips were wonderful!

As for the critics who manage to find things not to like about Leonard's most amazing concerts, I am reminded of Leonard Cohen's own words in some recent interviews in the Canadian media, when asked about the most important things he learned from his time in the monastery, and he said, to paraphrase, "Don't complain," and what he seemed to mean is that, most things, for most people, are pretty bloody good, so why complain and try to find fault?

These critics are experiencing the show of a lifetime, with an amazingly talented guy (that would be LC) and a group of other very talented folks he's surrounded himself with, who put on a sublime, transcendental concert, and these critics just don't get it. I pity them, really. Even though these critics may be physically present at the show, they are obviously not there in ways that matter, and thus they are missing out on one of the great joys in life, and it is, indeed, their loss.
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by brightnow »

MaryB wrote:Thank you sturgess66,

I had never seen the Miami Vice LC appearance, so the link provided was a real treat! Was that the extent of his appearance?

Best regards,
Mary
Mary, if you have Netflix, they rent it on DVD and also have it ready to stream. Just search for "Leonard Cohen" and Miami Vice season 2 is there. :D
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
stfa
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by stfa »

krewechief wrote:Hamilton mp3's

http://dylanomaniac.blogspot.com/
Thanks Krewechief - another excellent taping job - thanks for your kindness yet again - it is soo nice to have a record of such a memrable show!
I think your links show that the sound in Copps was really pretty good!!!
Hamilton Place April 1993, O'Keefe Toronto July 1993, Center in the Square Kitchener June 2nd 2008, Hamilton Place June 3rd 2008, Copps Coliseum, Hamilton May 19th 2009, Labatt's London May 24th 2009, ACC Toronto December 4th & 5th 2012, Labatts London Dec 11th 2012 Copps Coliseum Hamilton April 9 2013 Tower of Song, Centre Bell November 6th 2017
stfa
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by stfa »

Dream Warrior wrote:Here's the deal with all this talk from some critics about 'static' material and patter. When actors perform in plays they do the same material over every night, word for word, for as long as two years, depending on the show's success. What the best actors say is that this does NOT get boring or repetitive. Each night is a fresh experience with a new audience. Rather than becoming stale, the material, if its really good, allows actors to go DEEPER into the material and discover something a little different in it each time. Of course, human is human and sometimes even the most brilliant, talented, superhuman will be tired. But that's life.

My personal opinion is that the nightly repetition, sometimes verbatim, permits the Maestro and his hardy band to explore the material deeper. It also helps create the ritualistic (in the real sense of that word) quality which so many people have called transporting and transcendent. I think this enriches the experience.

Crass critics who are paid to find fault are a dime a dozen. This tour flies too high and runs too deep for their meager minds.
Agreed and where the crtitic is really wrong is that that particular setlist was not really static either as there were five GREAT songs played that were not played last time in Hamilton (and were not on the DVD) and many of the others that were played had new twists and subtlties it would be hard to change it up too much more without losing crowd favourites (ie we did not get Democracy or Gypsy Wife) - the critic is a Cohen fan but seems stuck in the past - last year was amazing, especially because of the intimacy of Hamilton Place - in many ways though this was a better show! Musically especially!!
Hamilton Place April 1993, O'Keefe Toronto July 1993, Center in the Square Kitchener June 2nd 2008, Hamilton Place June 3rd 2008, Copps Coliseum, Hamilton May 19th 2009, Labatt's London May 24th 2009, ACC Toronto December 4th & 5th 2012, Labatts London Dec 11th 2012 Copps Coliseum Hamilton April 9 2013 Tower of Song, Centre Bell November 6th 2017
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by sturgess66 »

The plot thickens - now he is taking "the world" - again. :lol: 8)

From The National Post - Toronto

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blog ... world.aspx

First Leonard Cohen took Manhattan, then — the world, twice

Posted: May 21, 2009, 6:30 PM by Jason Rehel
Music, Leonard Cohen

He's been on the road for more than a year now, leaving no doubt in any fan's mind — on this side of the Atlantic or in Europe and beyond — as to his continued dedication to his craft, his art and his genuine ability to entertain. On Tuesday, Leonard Cohen returned to Canada (his tour had dipped into the U.S. upper Midwest and back down to New York City), to Copps Coliseum, where the deep sound of his baritone and his spry 74-year-old figure kept Hamilton natives and pilgrims from all over the 905 area code rivetted for a three-hour set.

Tomasz and Kohila stood blinking in the sunlight outside the arena, and asked how long they'd been fans for, they responded as so many Cohen fans tend to: Tomasz had been listening since 1994, Kohila for only a few months. But such is the fandom of Leonard Cohen: less a flavour of the month to be tweeted, and more a torch to be gingerly passed. Why does Tomasz think Cohen's musical legacy has endured, basically without commercial promotion, for so many decades and across generations? "It's the lyrics, the poetry," he says with a hint of reverence. "They mean so much to us."

Two women (perhaps in their fifties) leaned against a fence grabbing some dinner before the show. Asked if they were attending Cohen's concert, they responded incredulously: "We wouldn't be here [they gestured to the parking lots and derelict surroundings] otherwise." One of them leaned in and whispered something about how her friend was a former "girlfriend" of Cohen's, but her counterpart was a little too shy to comment. "It was before he was famous, you know, back in Montreal. Back when he played coffee houses and in people's apartments." Did she think she'd get emotional when she saw him onstage? "No, but maybe he will be!" and they both laughed hysterically.

Before the show, fans mingled and meshed while being herded into the arena by a man with a megaphone. Scalpers abounded, but mostly everyone seemed to be ticketed already. Some vendors seemed even willing to part with their ducats for less than face value, which was a nice, accessible turn from some of the imbroglio (and in turn karmic rebalancing) that has followed the tour, at least in Canada. Cohen's only goal (besides rebuilding a nice retirement nest egg) seems to have been to allow anyone with a desire to see him perform get their wish. He's played more than 125 shows over the last year, criss-crossing North America twice, circling Europe, dipping down under to give his Aussie and New Zealand fans a listen — and he's not done yet, with a schedule packed with dates across Europe (he only has a handful remaining in Canada: see below) and some festival appearances as well.

Set list from Tuesday night's show:

Dance Me to the End of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure For Love
Bird on a Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Waiting for the Miracle
Anthem

Tower of Song
Suzanne
Sisters of Mercy
The Partisan
Boogie Street (sung by Sharon Robinson)
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (spoken word)
Take This Waltz
So Long Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will (sung by the Webb sisters)
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You

Leonard Cohen plays in Quebec City tonight at Pavillon de la Jeunesse at 8 p.m., in Kingston, Ont., at the K-Rock Centre on May 22 at 7:30 p.m., in London, Ont., at the John Labatt Centre on May 24 at 8 p.m. and in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre on May 25 and 26 at 8 p.m.

[Avery Ross and her family drove down to Hamilton from Mississauga, Ont. to see Leonard Cohen perform on the second leg of the tour, and Ross didn't want to wait for the T-shirts at the swag booth, either. She made these souvenirs for the group herself.]
btcull
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by btcull »

Great concert. Terrible price, not rationalized in light of the ethics one usually associates with a man steeped in the contemplative tradition. His third act is mostly inaccessible to young people who have been studying his works in the classrooms of the country over the last few decades. Leonard, the middle-class luxury!

Barry
stfa
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by stfa »

Did any of the band members come out for meet and greet? If so where were they?
Hamilton Place April 1993, O'Keefe Toronto July 1993, Center in the Square Kitchener June 2nd 2008, Hamilton Place June 3rd 2008, Copps Coliseum, Hamilton May 19th 2009, Labatt's London May 24th 2009, ACC Toronto December 4th & 5th 2012, Labatts London Dec 11th 2012 Copps Coliseum Hamilton April 9 2013 Tower of Song, Centre Bell November 6th 2017
btcull
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by btcull »

Sturgess:

Why re-cycle National Post propaganda? Leonard, accessible? Hardly!! Last year was accessible, this year it is one of the three poisons - greed.
stfa
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by stfa »

Why the negativity???? We are on borrowed time here my friend - any chance to see Leonard (and his fine band) is a gift. If you don't like the prices don't pay - let those who want to, do so. I might give a (very) slight edge to my concerts last year but would go see the show I saw on Tuesday again in a heartbeat. The day will come when you won't be able to see Leonard or this band at any price......for me the memories will live on forever!!!! If money is more important to you I wish you prosperity!
Hamilton Place April 1993, O'Keefe Toronto July 1993, Center in the Square Kitchener June 2nd 2008, Hamilton Place June 3rd 2008, Copps Coliseum, Hamilton May 19th 2009, Labatt's London May 24th 2009, ACC Toronto December 4th & 5th 2012, Labatts London Dec 11th 2012 Copps Coliseum Hamilton April 9 2013 Tower of Song, Centre Bell November 6th 2017
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brightnow
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by brightnow »

btcull wrote:Great concert. Terrible price, not rationalized in light of the ethics one usually associates with a man steeped in the contemplative tradition. His third act is mostly inaccessible to young people who have been studying his works in the classrooms of the country over the last few decades. Leonard, the middle-class luxury!

Barry
btcull: I'm sorry that you feel you were charged too much. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay? and where did you sit?
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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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by sturgess66 »

From NationalPost.com
Leonard is now 73 years old. Maybe it's a kind of "time travel," reverse sort of thing when you go north? :lol:

Picture and more links - at the link - here:

http://www.nationalpost.com/arts/story.html?id=1621004



From shy monk to song-and-dance man


Jason Rehel, Weekend Post
Published: Friday, May 22, 2009

He might regularly doff his hat to his fellow players and the audience alike, but Leonard Cohen has been the one enduring the heavy glare of the spotlight for more than a year now.

Since his descent from Mt. Baldy in 2001, Leonard Cohen had managed to remain the elusive poet-monk that many under the age of 35 had always known him as, eschewing the singer-songwriter role that made him widely popular in the '60s and '70s. But now, after more than 125 gigs, from Canada to Europe to Australia and back again, Cohen has been living in the spotlight for more than a year. Having been lucky enough to see him last year in Toronto and earlier this week in Hamilton, it was difficult not to observe a few things that have evolved with An Evening with L.C.

Then Long-time Cohen collaborator and tour musical director Roscoe Beck had the band humming, with instrumentation and orchestrations true to much of Cohen's original album material. Room was made for musicians' solos, but the songs were played mostly straight-up.

Now The pressure to keep things interesting (for the band and Cohen himself, at least) pushes Roscoe to more syncopated arrangements, and the ensemble takes on the aura of a tight jazz band. This allows Cohen to rest his voice here and there, and put vocal emphasis in interesting spots, especially in materials from The Future.

Then Standing ovations were, well, standard, including when Cohen initially jaunted onstage to prove his vivaciousness, even at 73.

Now Ovations continue, though now fans sit promptly when he begins a song, as if he were leading a religious service. Cohen skips to and from the stage in a manner that elicits gasps from baby boomers nearly 20 years his junior. "He could hurt himself!"

Then Bird on a Wire, Chelsea Hotel, Suzanne and Hallelujah garner the biggest cheers.

Now Second-tour-leg add-ins such as Sisters of Mercy and Famous Blue Raincoat get giddy, ecstatic reactions, too.

Then Reciting A Thousand Kisses Deep hearkened back to Cohen's poetry-reading days at McGill in the 1950s.

Now A man standing reading his poetry in a dead silent hockey arena gives hope that verse will see better days in Canadian belles lettres.

Then Waiting to get a glass of wine during intermission behind Peter C. Newman, it was clear Canada's illuminati were celebrating their own.

Now Waiting for a beer behind a bulky fellow in a Maple Leafs ballcap gives one the sense that Leonard Cohen is finally getting the broad-based Canadian recognition he so richly deserves.

-Leonard Cohen plays at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ont., on May 24 at 8 p.m. and in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre on May 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. before heading back to the United States and then overseas to complete his world tour.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario - May 19

Post by sturgess66 »

Another terrific fan video ("futureconcept") on YouTube from the Hamilton show - "If It Be Your Will" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVnpXAeDOr8
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Hamilton, Ontario, May 19

Post by sturgess66 »

Good video posted at VIMEO by NOW Magazine -

Famous Blue Raincoat
http://vimeo.com/4749907
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