Post
by bridger15 » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:19 pm
AT 8 pm sharp, the show began.
Hundreds of people were still streaming in late.
Ushers were standing in the aisles while hundreds lined up on either side of them to find out where their seats were located.
For those like myself, these people blocked our view and although whispering, were still audible.
This was all visible from the stage.
The hustle and bustle to get to seats was still going on after two songs.
After two songs, LC stopped the show, asked to bring the house lights up so people could find their seats.
Sweetly made a joke, "I apologize for starting the show on time."
And added, now I can see your faces.
After a while he resumed the show.
But people kept streaming in late, it went on and on on and on....
To add to the latecomer chaos, people acted all evening as if they were at a sports game.
This is a very plush theatre, almost identical to Caesars Colosseum. Yet, there were comings and goings all night, movement that was clearly visible form the stage. There seemed to be people walking in the aisles all night, especially visible when the show;s lighting hit certain areas.
Of course if one person in the middle of a row wants to leave and re-enter, more of the row has to rise to let them pass.
At one point I was in tears, both for LC and for myself.
My son Leonard came with me for his first LC show ever and this was the spectacle he witnessed.
And if all this movement wasn't bad enough, as soon as Hallelujah was over, people began leaving causing more movement that never stopped.
I was at the 2009 show and I don't recall movement like this.
Then I remembered, I had a Pit seat in 2009, so I wouldn't have noticed
The movement all night was so bad I stopped trying to take videos.
I have zero complete videos. Too bad, he sang "The Guests". I did try. I hope someone else grabbed it.
As soon as I thought the coast was clear, people walked into the camera view.
I may upload the odd one for the record and /or do a compilation video when I return home from my next two concerts.
In spite of this chaos - Leonard Cohen put on a dynamic concert, "gave them everything he got", went far beyond what he had to.
He announced he would like to do the first song over. People cheered.
Even though people were leaving in droves, he announced he would keep singing to the edge of the curfew.
They still kept drifting out.
Finally, he held up the clock to show it was almost 11:45.
I was in tears by then. I was so rattled and so upset.
I will check my Sony stick for more details. But because of all the movement in my row, my handbag (where I hide the stick) was jostled several times so I may have nothing on it.
---Arlene
btw, My seat was in the main orchestra. People in the Pit section would not notice all this movement behind them.
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
Even though we had a similiar problem in Dublin with people constantly moving around it must have been way worse last night for Leonard to stop the show. I hope there were cheers from those who had arrived on time when he made that comment. Only Leonard could have said that! As for the people leaving after Hallelujah, appalled doesn't suffice. 