CONCERT REPORT: Vancouver, B.C., Canada, December 2, 2010

July 25 - December 11, 2010. Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

The show has not even ended - and yet - here is the second review. :shock: :roll:
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Leonard+Cohe ... z171u1Gwl7
Leonard Cohen Still The Man After All These Years

By Stuart Derdeyn, The Province
December 2, 2010 10:21 PM

Image

[More pictures at the link]

Leonard Cohen is the only septuagenarian selling out stadiums that I can think of.

That the Montreal poet is gigging around the globe as much for financial necessity as creative expression has been oft reported. Nobody would begrudge the man his money after the show he put on at Rogers Arena on Thursday night.

Like his last show here in 2009, Cohen and his incredibly well primed sextet and trio of backing singers delivered a pristine set of his considerable song catalogue.

True, it was much the same as his previous show; all the way down to some of the stage banter.

But the classics are still being re-worked and explored by the man and his band. You needed look no further than the extended version of "A Bird On A Wire," where guitarist Bob Metzger coaxed a gorgeous solo out that saxophonist Dino Soldo answered beautifully.

On the closing word 'free,' Cohen held onto it just long enough to attain maximum drama and get the crowd raving.

Amazing that Hollywood never got its talons into the guy. But he is from a generation of talents that pre-dates maximum product placement.

Literate, probing and always in search of the exact transformative turn of phrase, his work is not about Top 10 - even if "Hallelujah" has replaced "Knocking on Heaven's Door" as the tune every liquor store strummer is strumming this holiday season.

I'd like to hear one of them hit the foghorn basso that Cohen dropped in "In My Secret Life."

The difficulty in attaining intimate moments in an arena is no challenge to this crack unit. The 12-string acoustic solo leading in "Who By Fire" was lovely and the song yielded up some fantastic bass slides from Roscoe Beck as Neil Larsen got funky on his Hammond B-3 organ.

I love the sound person. The entire evening's mix was better than my home stereo.

And an Abba-esque take on "First We Take Manhattan" to boot. It was a night that just kept on delivering the goods.

Plus, he is really self-deprecating too. The line in "Chelsea Hotel" about making an exception for unattractive men was very funny. You've never heard anyone introduce a band the way the group was Thursday night. It was a roast.

Almost as funny as watching the audience sprint to the washroom during the intermission. If only they could design something so you could just go in your seat.

"Thanks so much friends. Thanks for staying." Cohen introduced the second set with the sarcastic "Tower of Song." The lyric about being born with a golden voice was classic. Heck, the whole night was. Yes, he sticks to the script. But it's a good one.
© Copyright (c) The Province




Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Leonard+Cohe ... z171tUsqD7
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mutti
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by mutti »

Its 3 in the morning and I am just off to bed...I have to say this was one of the best concerts I have ever been to!!!
Sligo was one of the best but I would say this was unbelievable...
The Vancouver crowd LOVED Leonard. and he seemed to be love with their response which made things even better...
It seemed to give him energy.
I say the more people clap and stand and sing and respond the more Leonard seems to like it.
So in Las Vegas all bets are off for the last concert!!! ;-)
I will post more soon. Still on a high! He was outrageously grateful and in great spirits.. on so many levels did things I hadn't seen before
and I absolutely loved it...I feel full!
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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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

The rest from Joey -
Image
And the night flew by…
* Rogers Arena - Vancouver, Canada
Image
Never time to rest. A few moments to sign some things for friends and it’s off to the hotel.
* Rogers Arena - Vancouver, Canada
Image
En route to the hotel to catch a final toast to Canada before we head south in the morning.
* Vancouver, Canada
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/208 ... l-toast-to
Thank you Joey!
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

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Some national coverage in Canada -
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/art ... cmpid=rss1
Image
Leonard Cohen performs at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Jeff Vinnick - The Globe and Mail


For One More Night in Vancouver, Leonard Cohen Is Our Man

MARSHA LEDERMAN
Globe and Mail Update
Published Friday, Dec. 03, 2010 5:20AM EST
Last updated Friday, Dec. 03, 2010 5:24AM EST

Leonard Cohen - In Vancouver on Thursday at Rogers Arena

It’s a fact of life that high expectations can lead to disappointment, but for Leonard Cohen fans in Vancouver on Thursday night, they did not. Neither age nor an epic tour – now, finally, nearing its end – seem to have taken their toll on the 76-year-old Montreal-born poet/singer-songwriter/legend.

Maybe it’s all that enlightenment.

Cohen bounded onto the carpeted stage at Rogers Arena shortly after 8 p.m. to an immediate standing ovation (see: legend, above), tipped his hat to the, um, seasoned audience, and launched into Dance Me To The End of Love. Three-and-a-half hours later (including a 25-minute intermission, but still), he wrapped things up with Closing Time.

“I don’t know when we’ll pass this way again,” he said during the first set, “but I promise you that tonight we’ll give you everything we got.”

He did.

In his trademark fedora, dark suit and bolo tie, Cohen offered his lyrical take on the facts of life: holy doves moving, events at the Chelsea Hotel on an unmade bed. Often on his knees, eyes closed, hand held up to his face, Cohen filled the arena with gravelly strains of aural sex. If he ached in the places where he used to play, he had the audience fooled.

He’s been touring for more than 2½ years now and much of the set – even some of the stage banter – may be familiar to anyone who has caught an earlier show (he played Vancouver last year), has been surfing YouTube, or has heard his Live in London album.

But never did Cohen appear to be mailing it in. The guy put the “pro” in “profound,” performing songs he has sung hundreds – thousands – of times with a vigour so genuine that they never felt tired. So that, even though the audience knew what was coming, they couldn’t help but laugh at lines such as: “You told me again you preferred handsome men, but for me you would make an exception.” Or cheer when he crooned “I was born with the gift of a golden voice.”

That baritone of his still stirs, but it also cracks (we’ve always forgiven him his rough voice for his velvety poetry). And the credit for much of the night’s musical magic has to go to Cohen’s impeccable band (Javier Mas performed an extended and extraordinary 12-string acoustic solo leading into Who By Fire, his shadow huge against the curtained backdrop) and excellent back-up singers: Sharon Robinson, who co-wrote Everybody Knows and My Secret Life, among others, and sisters Charley and Hattie Webb. Cohen repeatedly acknowledged their work with a tip of his fedora.

He also tipped his hat to Canada – “my home and native land,” he called it – recounting a long-ago review from London. “One of the reviewers said ‘Leonard Cohen is a boring old drone and should go ... back to Canada where he belongs.’ That’s okay. I am a boring old drone. But is Canada the home of all boring old drones?” he asked before invoking names of other Canadian legends, including Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot. “Are they boring old drones?”

In his 70s, Cohen is still pondering the mysteries with lyrics that awe. In The Darkness, not yet recorded (he’s going into the studio in the new year), he sings: “I caught the darkness from your little cup. I said is this contagious? You said just drink it up.” And when he hit the line “I’ve got no future; I know my days are few,” it was hard not to notice how ghostly he looked in the harsh lighting on the big screen.

We tend to think of Cohen as ageless – 76 and still dancing through 3-hour concerts – but of course he’s not. Will he pass through this way again? It’s hard to know. So the show – steeped in nostalgia, yet still very much alive – was kind of like one last night with an old flame, knowing you might never meet again. He kept calling the audience “friends,” but it felt like more than that. On Thursday night, he was our man.

Cohen’s tour wraps up in Las Vegas with two shows Dec. 10 and 11.
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bridger15
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by bridger15 »

mutti wrote:Its 3 in the morning and I am just off to bed...I have to say this was one of the best concerts I have ever been to!!!
Sligo was one of the best but I would say this was unbelievable...
The Vancouver crowd LOVED Leonard. and he seemed to be love with their response which made things even better...
It seemed to give him energy.
I say the more people clap and stand and sing and respond the more Leonard seems to like it.
So in Las Vegas all bets are off for the last concert!!! ;-)
I will post more soon. Still on a high! He was outrageously grateful and in great spirits.. on so many levels did things I hadn't seen before
and I absolutely loved it...I feel full!
Leslie/Mutti 8)
Thanks, Leslie, for staying up so late after the Vancouver concert to post a report. I was too tired myself (consequence of staying up late waiting for a live Victoria concert report) to stay up this time. :D

I always love your concert reports. So heartfelt, so enthusiastic and so full of love.

I can hardly wait for your further concert posts about Vancouver and further developments of your exciting teaser
So in Las Vegas all bets are off for the last concert!!!
---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
ladydi
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by ladydi »

mutti wrote:I say the more people clap and stand and sing and respond the more Leonard seems to like it.
So in Las Vegas all bets are off for the last concert!!! ;-)
Leslie/Mutti 8)
I'm with you Leslie!!!! Once again, LOVED your enthusiastic report! Canada does indeed love Leonard!!

Off to catch my delayed flight now.....sigh..

Diana
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

For those of us following "vicariously" - I'm praying for video.
So far NOTHING from Victoria. Nada, zippo, zilch, zEEEEro. :lol: :lol:

But - we do have SOMETHING from Vancouver -

Uploaded on youtube by "Benj1701" - Thanks! :lol: :lol:

"Hallelujah on the Canada Line - Benj Israel"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as9ed3Zc6-g
Last edited by sturgess66 on Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mutti
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by mutti »

I will post my banner again here but note that the photo is from Victoria in the lobby...
In Vancouver 4 of us held it up but we waited until almost the last song of the first set
until their was more light so it was more visible.
We fumbled with it and it fell over but we did get it up
and held it for about a minute...
8)
DSCN5488.jpg
DSCN5488.jpg (27.5 KiB) Viewed 10172 times
Last edited by mutti on Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

Um - 76. That's okay - it's a very nice review. :D
http://www.straight.com/article-362852/ ... -vancouver
Leonard Cohen Weaves Timeless Magic in Vancouver

Image
Leonard Cohen dreams of one day landing a role on Mad Men.

Canada's Most Famous Poet Still Looking Spry at 75

By Tony Montague, December 3, 2010
At Rogers Arena on Thursday, December 2

Leonard Cohen is on top of the world, living a poet-vagabond’s dream. Since he started touring again in May 2008, after a long hiatus, he’s performed three-hour shows in more than 200 cities on four continents, and far from showing signs of fatigue, the 75-year-old looks spry and fit, and happy to be on stage. For his performance at Rogers Arena, Cohen came on jogging, and, at the end of the long first set, he literally pranced off, with one arm raised and flapping comically.

The Montreal–born writer and singer was happy to be in his homeland once again. “It must have been 40 years ago after a show in England some journalist wrote ‘Leonard Cohen is a boring old drone, and should go the fuck back to Canada where he belongs,’ ” he told the sold-out audience at one point. After listing off a string of great Canadian artists from Gordon Lightfoot to Neil Young, he ended with “Well, I got that off my chest.” The crowd roared, and Cohen beamed, before launching into “Anthem”, savouring the chorus: “There’s a crack in everything/That’s how the light gets in”. He proved that poetic affirmation with his voice, which was rough, dark, and frayed at the edges yet superbly luminous with all lyrics clearly articulated enough to make the lyrics shine.

Cohen reeled through a back-catalogue of his greatest songs. The list and the order were essentially the same as on his previous Vancouver visit in April last year, but nobody was complaining or yelling out for favourites. The audience stayed rapt, hanging on every word, and the sound was so good you could hear every syllable.

A dry, almost-monotone delivery is Cohen’s way of drawing the listener in; if he drones, that’s an asset not a fault, His singing on this night was mesmeric and cleverly nuanced, the phrasing and slight shifts of timbre, volume, and texture making the performance captivating. For “The Future” he raised his voice to a growl in places as he railed against brutality and stupidity. For “Bird on a Wire” he drew out the spaces between lines to suggest the bewilderment of a man confronted by his own dark side.

The singer’s gestures were also carefully calibrated to enhance the sense of intimacy. Most of the time Cohen was hunched over the microphone in his left hand, while his right hand responded to lyrics with small clutching or waving motions. In many songs he got down on his knees at the front of the stage, not to evoke prayer but to increase his sense of vulnerability and closeness to the audience. As a result, this didn’t feel like a show in a hockey arena.

Cohen also kneeled several times in front of Catalan-strings wizard Javier Mas as his sideman played solos on bandurria, Cuban laud, archilaud, and guitar. Canada's most famous poet seemed genuinely in awe of his nine-piece band, and with good cause – all the musicians played magnificently. Keyboardist Neil Larsen was superb on Hammond B3 organ, embellishing songs with swirling flourishes, Dino Soldo displayed a master’s command of an array of instruments (saxophone, electronic clarinet, keyboards, and harmonica), keeping the sonic textures varied. And Cohen’s ultra-low register was sweetly offset by his three backing singers Sharon Robinson, and sisters Charley and Hattie Webb, the latter occasionally playing a suitably angelic small harp.

Toward the end of the show Cohen, who treated the audience with great respect and gratitude throughout, confided that it might be a while before he returned this way. Let’s hope not. His performance was warm and immensely dignified, and the skip in his parting step hinted that he’s still having a blast being a song and dance man, as well as a great poet.
Last edited by sturgess66 on Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

We have video - :D

Uploaded by "mkht80" - Thanks!!

"Leonard Cohen Performing Suzanne and Avalanche in Vancouver, Dec. 2nd 2010"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_oxrfrPEw0

Leonard sounds magically beautiful in "Suzanne." :D
And then along comes "Avalanche!" :D
jbmurray
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by jbmurray »

I was there and it was great. I haven't been following the news about the tour, so "The Darkness" was a big (and welcome) surprise.

But the big highlight for me was "Avalanche" followed by "A Singer Must Die." I didn't expect those at all, and I particularly love "Avalanche."

Some trivia notes: it may have been my imagination, but I think Leonard flubbed the lines to the second verse of the Partisan ("I have changed my name so often..."). He seemed to try to compensate by switching to French.

At the end, the crowd noticed that there was a guy in the wings with a guitar ready for a second encore... but it never happened.
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

Video uploaded by "Ganelin" - Thanks!!

"Hallelujah" - intense and slow and easy :D
- w/Neil the B3 Wizard :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikGuSKZDgSU
You say I took the Name in vain
I don't even know the Name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
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IrishAL
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by IrishAL »

Not being able to attend the Vancouver concert myself, I sent special envoy.. "Gypsy Wife"... (aka Irishmar) with strict instructions..."whatever you get, make it good".

She rose to the Challenge and below is a link to a special version of Anthem...

Leonard has something to get off his chest and I am so glad that he did get the Fu*k back to Canada so we could hear this....

Rafael gets a special intro also and I cant say I have ever met a "broken vegetarian"...maybe in Vegas.....

enjoy.

Anthem Vancouver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O9HiPvSBI

A.
2008: Dublin x2 London Helsinki London RAH M'chester
2009:
New York Weybridge Dublin x2 Belfast Lisbon Bratislava, B'celona Chicago L' Vegas, San Jose
2010: Zagreb Sligo x2 Berlin Gent x2 Florence Marseille Katowice Bratislava L' Vegasx2
2012 Gent x2 Amsterdam X2 Dublin x4 Verona Paris x2,Boston
2013NewYork,Brussels,Prague,Vienna,Zurich,Manchester,Birmingham,Dublinx2,London,Rotterdam,Amsterdam
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sturgess66
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by sturgess66 »

IrishAL wrote:Not being able to attend the Vancouver concert myself, I sent special envoy.. "Gypsy Wife"... (aka Irishmar) with strict instructions..."whatever you get, make it good".

She rose to the Challenge and below is a link to a special version of Anthem...

Leonard has something to get off his chest and I am so glad that he did get the Fu*k back to Canada so we could hear this....

Rafael gets a special intro also and I cant say I have ever met a "broken vegetarian"...maybe in Vegas.....

enjoy.

Anthem Vancouver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6O9HiPvSBI

A.
OMG - IrishMar/Marie - and Albert. Thank you so much. This is WONDERFUL. I SO wanted to hear this. Yes I did!!!!
I hoped for video - and this video is beautiful.

Some boring old drone, eh? :lol: :lol: :lol:
Last edited by sturgess66 on Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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joyezekiel
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Re: Concert Report for Vancouver Dec 2 2010

Post by joyezekiel »

That is just sublime!!!! Thank you SO much for posting this.

Joy
1976 Leicester 2008 London O2/Cardiff 2009 NYC/Austin/Weybridge/Nashville 2010 Ghent x 2/Las Vegas x 2 2012 Ghent x 2/Austin/Montreal/Quebec City/Boston x 2 2013 Memphis/New Orleans/Winnipeg/Birmingham/London O2/Amsterdam/Auckland
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