CONCERT REPORT: Victoria, B.C., Canada, November 30, 2010

July 25 - December 11, 2010. Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
Natalie
Posts: 223
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2002 8:09 am

Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by Natalie »

A 3 and a half hour concert in Victoria!

I do not have a set list, but it looks similar to some of the Australian dates, but no Famous Blue Raincoat } :

Dear Leonard, You better play Famous Blue Raincoat in Vancouver, Sincerely, Natalie

That being said, it was a stellar performance. Outstanding musicianship! Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters, what can I say? Victoria loves Leonard Cohen. I have been to many concerts in that arena, and he is very well-received, here. My friend, Elizabeth, who recently saw Ozzie Osbourne perform there said that, "He (Leonard) moves a lot better than Ozzie." Leonard was in fine form, skipping across the stage just like he did in April 2009.

I feel so privileged and blessed to have seen Leonard perform once again. Three highlights: Leonard singing "The Future"; Sharon performing Boogie Street, and the Webb Sisters once again with their beautiful rendition of "If It Be Your Will" which, I am sure is akin to angel music.

I am signing off as it is way past my bedtime . . .

Natalie :roll:
dragonflydesign
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:19 am

Amazing Concert

Post by dragonflydesign »

Just returned from Leonard's Victoria, BC Canada concert and he totally, completely blew us away!! The man is friggin' AWESOME! He walked on stage to a standing ovation - then proceeded to earn every single sold-out cheer with 3 1/2 hours of the BEST music and talent and showmanship.....and he still had energy to skip off stage!!

What an incredible night and what an incredible entertainer. Leonard - you are a GOD!!
dragonflydesign
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:19 am

Re: Amazing Concert

Post by dragonflydesign »

This is the review posted in our local Times Colonist newspaper

Rating: Five stars (out of five)

Leonard Cohen literally bounded on stage Tuesday night, looking for more agile — and sounding considerably younger — than your average 76-year-old.

He would prove to be to be even more impressive, in all manner of areas, as the night progressed. Over the course of his truly awe-inspiring three-hour concert, Cohen could do no wrong. In any way, shape or form.

He was met with a standing ovation after stepping on stage at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, which he readily accepted. Forget that the gesture has probably been expressed at nearly every one of his 240 comeback concerts during the past two-and-a-half years. Cohen was genuinely gracious in accepting such a gift.

“So kind of you,” he remarked, in that famous baritone of his, before the night’s opening song, Dance Me to the End of Love. “Thanks very much.”

When you go to a Cohen concert, you aren’t merely an attendee. In his words, you're a “friend.” Showbiz speak isn't in his vocabulary, so when Cohen calls you a friend assume you’re a friend for life. A friend for real.

Such a concept might seem inauthentic on paper, but in person it feels the opposite. “I didn’t come to Victoria to fool you,” he sang during a heaven-sent Hallelujah.

Even his new material cooks in surprising ways. The Darkness, which has yet to be recorded, ruminated on the life he has left (“I’ve got no future baby, I know my days are few”) with a perverse optimism. He touched on the same thread throughout the night, with a series of classic songs, era-defining songs, that made mincemeat of the 5,751 friends assembled before him.

The setlist rarely lagged. He was supported at every turn by a crack nine-piece band that included bassist and musical director Roscoe Beck, keyboardist Neil Larsen, guitarists Bob Metzger and Javier Mas, drummer Rafael Gayol, saxophonist Dino Soldo, singer Sharon Robinson, and background singers Charley and Hattie Webb.

Each musician is worthy of mention; Mas, in particular, was a highlight. It may be Cohen’s name in lights, but it was their sonic support that made the music shine.

Cohen was on his game, too, often perched on one knee, serenading with a single hand cupped near his cheek. His emotion was real. He wasn’t selling anything, other than truth. And he looked darn good, too.

It has been suggested that Cohen’s music can build bridges, save lives, cure diseases. I don’t know about that, but it is powerful. Check that. It’s damn near combustible. His personality, on the other hand, while slightly scoundrel-esque in song is utterly charming in the flesh.

“It’s so great to be back,” he said, making reference to his storied show at the same venue just over one year ago. “I want to thank-you for your most warm welcome. That’s the problem. You see, there ain’t no cure for love.”

At one point, he would refer to Metzger’s astonishing guitar solos (on Bird On the Wire he delivered a pair of scene-stealers) as “geometries of liveliness.”

Once a poet, always a poet. And yet, he's so much more than that these days. Words are his first love (Cohen published his first collection of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956, while still at McGill University) but he’s an equal-opportunity performer these days.

His delivery, his on-stage essence, has become as dramatic as any aspect part of his oevure. And after three years of touring, with a new album in the works, it’s about to get a whole lot more refined.



Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Leonard+Co ... z16qaBJGJL
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mutti
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Location: somewhere in the Pacific Northwest

Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by mutti »

What can I say? Another incredible experience! I am flying high right now... to hear and see Leonard perform again (the last time was Sligo) was such a gift...It was outstanding...a lot of playfulness...
Sharon looked beautiful and her voice was beautiful as usual.
I could go on and on...only played one of the new songs..The Darkness
but Singer must die was on, Avalanche and more...
Very tired right now as its almost 2am.
I feel like I have been dancing all night...
You could have heard a pin drop in the stadium.
I had a banner made which I will post a photo of soon.
3 of us held it up high at the end of the first song...
Welcome Back to Canada!
XXXOOOXXX

Not sure if they saw it as we took it down so fast...
I am in seventh heaven...great crowd, great musicians....
and then there is Leonard...what a man and what a voice and what an experience...
I feel so blessed to have seen him tonight. His kindness and generosity of spirit has touched me deep in my heart
and will be there forever...
Leslie/Mutti 8)
1988 Vancouver
2009 Victoria/Seattle/Almost Red Rocks/Las Vegas/San Jose.
2010 Sligo x 2/Victoria/Vancouver/Portland/Las Vegas x 2.
2012 Austin x 2/Seattle/Vancouver/Montreal x 2.
2013 Oakland x 2/New York City x 2/Winnipeg...
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bridger15
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by bridger15 »

Thank you so much for your wonderful concert report, Les. :D

I have been waiting excitedly for hours for you to post. It is after 2am PT and now I can go to bed. :D

I love your banner idea. Looking forward to seeing a photo.

---Arlene
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

http://www.timescolonist.com/Cohen+stil ... story.html
Leonard Cohen Still On His Game As Emotions Flow

By Mike Devlin, Victoria Times Colonist
December 1, 2010

Image
Leonard Cohen performed for Victoria Tuesday night at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Reviewer Mike Devlin gave the show five stars (out of five). Nov. 30, 2010
Photograph by: Lyle Stafford, Victoria Times Colonist


Who: Leonard Cohen

When: Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010

Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre

Rating: Five stars (out of five)

---

Leonard Cohen literally bounded on stage Tuesday night, looking for more agile — and sounding considerably younger — than your average 76-year-old.

He would prove to be to be even more impressive, in all manner of areas, as the night progressed. Over the course of his truly awe-inspiring three-hour concert, Cohen could do no wrong. In any way, shape or form.

He was met with a standing ovation after stepping on stage at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, which he readily accepted. Forget that the gesture has probably been expressed at nearly every one of his 240 comeback concerts during the past two-and-a-half years. Cohen was genuinely gracious in accepting such a gift.

“So kind of you,” he remarked, in that famous baritone of his, before the night’s opening song, Dance Me to the End of Love. “Thanks very much.”

When you go to a Cohen concert, you aren’t merely an attendee. In his words, you're a “friend.” Showbiz speak isn't in his vocabulary, so when Cohen calls you a friend assume you’re a friend for life. A friend for real.

Such a concept might seem inauthentic on paper, but in person it feels the opposite. “I didn’t come to Victoria to fool you,” he sang during a heaven-sent Hallelujah.

Even his new material cooks in surprising ways. The Darkness, which has yet to be recorded, ruminated on the life he has left (“I’ve got no future baby, I know my days are few”) with a perverse optimism. He touched on the same thread throughout the night, with a series of classic songs, era-defining songs, that made mincemeat of the 5,751 friends assembled before him.

The setlist rarely lagged. He was supported at every turn by a crack nine-piece band that included bassist and musical director Roscoe Beck, keyboardist Neil Larsen, guitarists Bob Metzger and Javier Mas, drummer Rafael Gayol, saxophonist Dino Soldo, singer Sharon Robinson, and background singers Charley and Hattie Webb.

Each musician is worthy of mention; Mas, in particular, was a highlight. It may be Cohen’s name in lights, but it was their sonic support that made the music shine.

Cohen was on his game, too, often perched on one knee, serenading with a single hand cupped near his cheek. His emotion was real. He wasn’t selling anything, other than truth. And he looked darn good, too.

It has been suggested that Cohen’s music can build bridges, save lives, cure diseases. I don’t know about that, but it is powerful. Check that. It’s damn near combustible. His personality, on the other hand, while slightly scoundrel-esque in song is utterly charming in the flesh.

“It’s so great to be back,” he said, making reference to his storied show at the same venue just over one year ago. “I want to thank-you for your most warm welcome. That’s the problem. You see, there ain’t no cure for love.”

At one point, he would refer to Metzger’s astonishing guitar solos (on Bird On the Wire he delivered a pair of scene-stealers) as “geometries of liveliness.”

Once a poet, always a poet. And yet, he's so much more than that these days. Words are his first love (Cohen published his first collection of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956, while still at McGill University) but he’s an equal-opportunity performer these days.

His delivery, his on-stage essence, has become as dramatic as any aspect part of his oevure. And after three years of touring, with a new album in the works, it’s about to get a whole lot more refined.

mdevlin@timescolonist.com

- - -

Set list

1. Dance Me to the End of Love

2. The Future

3. Ain't No Cure For Love

4. Bird On the Wire

5. Everybody Knows

6. In My Secret Life

7. Who By Fire

8. The Darkness

9. Chelsea Hotel No. 2

10. Waiting For the Miracle

11. First We Take Manhattan

12. Anthem

--

Intermission

--

13. Tower Of Song

14. Suzanne

15. Avalanche

16. A Singer Must Die

17. Sisters Of Mercy

18. Gypsy Wife

19. The Partisan

20. Boogie Street

21. Hallelujah

22. I'm Your Man

23. A Thousand Kisses Deep

24. Take This Waltz

--

Encore

--

25. So Long, Marianne

26. If It Be Your Will

27. Closing Time

28. I Tried to Leave You
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist


Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Leonard+Co ... z16rg5Stpy
And there are 8 photos at the link -
http://www.timescolonist.com/Cohen+stil ... story.html

Image
Last edited by sturgess66 on Wed Dec 01, 2010 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
ladydi
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by ladydi »

Hi Leslie,

What a fabulous review of the evening!! I can sense your excitement in every word, and I'm smiling from ear to ear!! :D :D Sounds like it was an wonderful concert and I'm sure they noticed your banner....what a sweet idea! So happy to hear that Sharon is back....the family is one again! :D

All the best,
Diana
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bridger15
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Re: Amazing Concert

Post by bridger15 »

Thank you dragonflydesign » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:35 am for posting the Mike Devlin concert review with setlist so quickly, almost minutes after the concert ended. It is amazing how fast these articles can be written, produced and transmitted with modern technology. Good job of timely posting!
dragonflydesign wrote:This is the review posted in our local Times Colonist newspaper

Rating: Five stars (out of five)

Leonard Cohen literally bounded on stage Tuesday night, looking for more agile — and sounding considerably younger — than your average 76-year-old.

He would prove to be to be even more impressive, in all manner of areas, as the night progressed. Over the course of his truly awe-inspiring three-hour concert, Cohen could do no wrong. In any way, shape or form.

He was met with a standing ovation after stepping on stage at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, which he readily accepted. Forget that the gesture has probably been expressed at nearly every one of his 240 comeback concerts during the past two-and-a-half years. Cohen was genuinely gracious in accepting such a gift.

“So kind of you,” he remarked, in that famous baritone of his, before the night’s opening song, Dance Me to the End of Love. “Thanks very much.”

When you go to a Cohen concert, you aren’t merely an attendee. In his words, you're a “friend.” Showbiz speak isn't in his vocabulary, so when Cohen calls you a friend assume you’re a friend for life. A friend for real.

Such a concept might seem inauthentic on paper, but in person it feels the opposite. “I didn’t come to Victoria to fool you,” he sang during a heaven-sent Hallelujah.

Even his new material cooks in surprising ways. The Darkness, which has yet to be recorded, ruminated on the life he has left (“I’ve got no future baby, I know my days are few”) with a perverse optimism. He touched on the same thread throughout the night, with a series of classic songs, era-defining songs, that made mincemeat of the 5,751 friends assembled before him.

The setlist rarely lagged. He was supported at every turn by a crack nine-piece band that included bassist and musical director Roscoe Beck, keyboardist Neil Larsen, guitarists Bob Metzger and Javier Mas, drummer Rafael Gayol, saxophonist Dino Soldo, singer Sharon Robinson, and background singers Charley and Hattie Webb.

Each musician is worthy of mention; Mas, in particular, was a highlight. It may be Cohen’s name in lights, but it was their sonic support that made the music shine.

Cohen was on his game, too, often perched on one knee, serenading with a single hand cupped near his cheek. His emotion was real. He wasn’t selling anything, other than truth. And he looked darn good, too.

It has been suggested that Cohen’s music can build bridges, save lives, cure diseases. I don’t know about that, but it is powerful. Check that. It’s damn near combustible. His personality, on the other hand, while slightly scoundrel-esque in song is utterly charming in the flesh.

“It’s so great to be back,” he said, making reference to his storied show at the same venue just over one year ago. “I want to thank-you for your most warm welcome. That’s the problem. You see, there ain’t no cure for love.”

At one point, he would refer to Metzger’s astonishing guitar solos (on Bird On the Wire he delivered a pair of scene-stealers) as “geometries of liveliness.”

Once a poet, always a poet. And yet, he's so much more than that these days. Words are his first love (Cohen published his first collection of poems, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956, while still at McGill University) but he’s an equal-opportunity performer these days.

His delivery, his on-stage essence, has become as dramatic as any aspect part of his oevure. And after three years of touring, with a new album in the works, it’s about to get a whole lot more refined.



Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Leonard+Co ... z16qaBJGJL
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
scocoh
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by scocoh »

--
Last edited by scocoh on Sat Jul 21, 2012 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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lizzytysh
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Re: Amazing Concert

Post by lizzytysh »

Thank you so much for posting this article, dragonflydesign... so true all that you said
and so true all the the article's author, Mike Devlin, said.

My heart begins to swell just in reading these words, as I have such clear and indelible images of these moments described.

Thank you for bringing it to me once again.

I'll be taking it all in all over again soon... very soon.


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

Image
Second Set procession.
* Sav On Foods Arena - Victoria, Canada
Image
Tower.
* Sav On Foods Arena - Victoria, Canada
Image
Everyone is on their toes tonight, LC has been mixing up the setlist on the fly.
* Sav On Foods Arena - Victoria, Canada
Image
Wonderful crowd.
* Sav On Foods Arena - Victoria, Canada
Image
The Webb’s deliver.
* Sav On Foods Arena - Victoria, Canada
Image
Thank you Victoria.
* Sav On Foods Arena - Victoria, Canada
And thank you Joey!
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/206 ... oods-arena
ilion
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:38 am

Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by ilion »

This was my first Leonard Cohen concert as I was out of town last time he came through. I brought a friend who was familiar with Cohen but didn't feel she had really connected with him before this - it was always her ex-husbands music. Partway through the night she remarked on how surprised she was at how many songs she did have an emotional connection to. At the end of the night she described it as "a life altering experience."

And it really was. Simply amazing!

I'm heading to the Vancouver concert tomorrow with another friend. Still feeling high from the last one and can't wait!
casterbridgecohen
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by casterbridgecohen »

I thought last nights concert was interesting on a number of fronts

1 To start with I wondered if the band was a little subdued - and my wife wondered if Leonard was tired - but in retrospect I am now thinking it was that possibly the audience was a little restrained.

2 Biggest applauses for greeting a song were Chelsea Hotel, Sisters of Mercy and The Partisan - Chelsea Hotel is revered by fans around the world.

3 Longest interval of any show I have been to meant only one encore not the usual three with just four numbers not seven - Famous Blue Raincoat dropped due to constraints of time heading to the 1130 curfew

4 Charley and Hattie looked surprised when they were called for If it be your will a tad earlier than expected

5 Javiar seemed really on his game and looked very happy - played fantastic

6 The new long introduction for Rafael made its North American debut - Leonards longest moologue of the night bar................

7 ..............A 1000 Kisses deep which is back and kept the audience in rapt attention

8 And perhaps the most notable change from the European leg was 'out with the new' as 'Born in Chains' and 'Feels so Good' were dropped from the set to be replaced by 'in with the old' - 'Avalanche' and 'A singer must die' So the concert had more of an acoustic set.

9 And Sharron Robinson was in great form and looked really happy - the backing singers have so much depth when her voice is added

10 First we take Manhatten appeared in the first half of the show -it has been in the encore since 2008 if not the beginning of the tour.

After the concert the Webb Sisters went out of their way to be friendly and introduce themselves to fans at the hotel and I think everyone has mixed feelings about the impending end of the tour - I asked Sharron if she was looking forward to a break and rest or sad it was all coming to an end and she said 'a bit of both - it is just like a family'
1970 IOW 2008 Dublin - Manchester - Glastonbury - Berlin - Cardiff - Bournemouth 2009 Vancouver - Victoria - Koln - Nimes - Bratislava - Budapest - Barcelona - L Vegas - San Jose 2010 Salzburg - Basel - Strasbourg - Lille - Victoria - Vancouver - L Vegas(2) 2012 Montreal - Quebec - NYC 2013 London - Amsterdam
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mutti
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by mutti »

Tried to upload a photo of us holding the banner...will continue to work on it...
This particular concert was very beautiful as they all are in their own way.
Leonard is loved worldwide and this is ever so evident when he returns Canada.
There was something so sweet about the evening...
Not as wild as some of them as Canadians are more reserved but there was such an air of
love and respect in the air. You could hear a pin drop....everyone was in top form.
Leonard's charm and voice carried us all evening and I am still feeling high....
Getting really intrigued with the banter when Leonard introduces Rafael...it keeps getting longer and was hilarious...
I wonder what "IT" is....
can hardly wait for tonight....
Leslie/Mutti
1988 Vancouver
2009 Victoria/Seattle/Almost Red Rocks/Las Vegas/San Jose.
2010 Sligo x 2/Victoria/Vancouver/Portland/Las Vegas x 2.
2012 Austin x 2/Seattle/Vancouver/Montreal x 2.
2013 Oakland x 2/New York City x 2/Winnipeg...
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mutti
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Re: Concert Report: Victoria, B.C. Canada November 30, 2010

Post by mutti »

DSCN5488.jpg
DSCN5488.jpg (27.5 KiB) Viewed 9814 times
1988 Vancouver
2009 Victoria/Seattle/Almost Red Rocks/Las Vegas/San Jose.
2010 Sligo x 2/Victoria/Vancouver/Portland/Las Vegas x 2.
2012 Austin x 2/Seattle/Vancouver/Montreal x 2.
2013 Oakland x 2/New York City x 2/Winnipeg...
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