Concerts that end with standing ovations abound. Already concerts that start well, not many are seen. But that's exactly what happened last night when, after the entry of the musicians on stage, greeted with polite applause, the audience of the Atlantic Pavilion overjoyed with the third "appearance" in three years of Leonard Cohen in Portugal. Cohen, it is worth remembering it, celebrates 76 years this month, but proved to be able to withstand three hours of "playing game" - the concert started at 21.15 and ended close to 01:00, with a half-hour by half . More than 40 years after the first album - Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1967 - The Canadian attracted the largest room in Lisbon a diverse audience: distributed by benches and seated audience counted not only the finest outfits and hairstyles, as some proud Holders of visual indie, gothic or metalheads (not forgetting that is Leonard Cohen song "Sisters of Mercy"), a crowd whose ages to the naked eye, we would say quedar is between 30 and 60 years.
At 76, we said, the creator of "Hallelujah" has no difficulty to kneel for several songs in playing or jumping returns to the stage between encores after moments or delivered to their three gorgeous female backing vocals (Sharon Robinson, who has written and recorded with Cohen and the Webb Sisters affectionate, also owners of an independent career and, in the final concert, accompanied "If It Be Your Will," Cohen harvest of 1979, with harp and guitar). But in a first encounter, is the voice, not the physical agility or the sly smile, impressing on Leonard Cohen. In his eighth decade of life, the voice of "Bird on a Wire" is of a gravity and solemnity reminiscent of the wrinkles and gravel last years of Johnny Cash. The Creeper gets his baritone to serve "Dance Me to the End of Love" ("I'm the creepy," warned a bystander behind us), which immediately formed the submission to such arrangements as these songs wear in 2010. Perhaps because of the presence in the band of Spaniard Javier But some of the themes sounded more vaguely Mediterranean (But it is to play bandura instrument families of the mandolin, guitar and 12 string). The "pedal steel" Bob Metzger undertook to install aa folk in the heart of the show, while the saxophone Dino Soldo not always sounded sufficiently distant from one 80 years less subtle, and keyboards Neils Larsen spotted together with the garrida ink soul / gospel. These were the languages most spoken in the first part of the concert, a serene journey with highlights in "Is not No Cure For Love," "Bird on a Wire," "Everybody Knows," "Chelsea Hotel # 2" or "Anthem ", delivered to the safe and applauded Sharon Robinson.
Dressed as usual dark suit and hat, Cohen appeared along the first part, more convincing as closer to its image as a "gentleman of the darkness, wrapped in a certain asceticism evident in" Everybody Knows "or" Who By Fire " . This idea was strengthened with the second half of the show, whose powerful trio has opened for "Tower of Song" - mysterious, floating among the synthesizers handled by the Cohen - "Suzanne" and "Sisters of Mercy." For many and deserved praise that the artist has woven its musicians, to see him sing any of these songs practically alone, or with the band in a dormant state, you get the impression that Cohen, his voice and his aura would be sufficient to fill and marvel the Atlantic Pavilion. Even if we forget everything we know about his enforced stay in a Zen monastery, the truth is that the rigor with which, often with eyes closed, lashes out each syllable and mumbles every word that emanates a nearly religious hypnotizes those present.
Then of course there are the classics that Leonard Cohen has offered the world and the world thanks, absorbed and returned yesterday evening - the "Hallelujah", one of the songs with more versions on the planet and that the Atlantic holds the record for mobile phones lit in the audience, the "I'm Your Man" with our man to take his hat playfully (one of many simple but effective tricks guaranteed), to "So Long, Marianne" (madness and celebration possible, the public already foot) and "Famous Blue Raincoat" with the signature breathy fatal ("Sincerely, Leonard Cohen") to snatch a night of warm hearts affections. On the verge of great little ecstasies, in which there are still smiles exchanged by Idol fans and "First We Take Manhattan", the farewell to the tune of "I Tried To Leave You" and "Heart With No Companion" eventually serve more to soothe than to whip up sentiment. At the same time, proved what we suspected: this may have been the third "lap of honor" by Leonard Cohen in Portugal, but none like this gentleman to reap the rewards with such elegance and dignity.
LEONARD COHEN at the Atlantic Pavilion, 10 SEPTEMBER 2010 - MATCHING
1. Dance Me To The End Of Love
2. The Future
3. Is not No Cure For Love
4. Bird on a Wire
5. Everybody Knows
6. In My Secret Life
7. Who By Fire
8. The Darkness
9. Born In Chains
10. Chelsea Hotel # 2
11. Waiting For The Miracle
12. Anthem
(Second part)
13. Tower of Song
14. Suzanne
15. Sisters of Mercy
16. The Gypsy Wife
17. Feels So Good
18. The Partisan
19. Boogie Street
20. Hallelujah
21. I'm Your Man
22. Take This Waltz
Encores
23. So Long, Marianne
24. First We Take Manhattan
25. Famous Blue Raincoat
26. If It Be Your Will
27. Closing Time
28. I Tried To Leave You
29. Heart With No Companion
Text by Lia Pereira
Fotos de: Rita Carmo/Espanta Espíritos