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Leonard Cohen in Boston, 2012

My husband and I got back quite late from the Leonard Cohen show in Boston last night (the show got out at midnight and it’s a three hour drive back to Maine so needless to say I’m exhausted). Still, it was an excellent concert and I’m extremely impressed by the man. I’ve grown used to seeing living legends on stage who are out of shape, seem tired, and sound little like their former selves, but with the exception of a more gruff and low voice Leonard is none of the above. He sprinted out onto the stage and for the duration of the concert (which consisted of two parts and two encores totaling 4 hours) danced and knelt and bowed and moved from one band member to another with more flexibility than I as a 26 year old possess. He also had a humility that was terribly endearing, at one point jokingly asking after a spontaneous round of applause from the audience if we really meant it or if we were just being nice to an older gentleman. I don’t have any pictures from the concert because they specifically stated it was prohibited to take any and I respect such rules (unlike the 10 or so people in front of me with their iphones), but I did purchase a mug and lapel pin from the merch table.


Aubin with Leonard Cohen merch from the 2012 tour

I think the “Cup of Longing,” modeled after the cover of his Book of Longing, definitely wins the prize for my favorite tour merch of 2012.

For the curious, here is the set list from the show:

Set One:

1) Dance Me to the End of Love, 2) The Future, 3)Bird on a Wire, 4) Everybody Knows, 5) Who By Fire, 6) Darkness, 7) Ain’t No Cure For Love, Amen, 9) Come Healing, 10) In My Secret Life, 11) A recitation of “A Thousand Kisses Deep”, 12) Anthem

Set Two:

1) Tower of Song, 2) Suzanne, 3) Chelsea Hotel #2, 4) Waiting for the Miracle, 5) Show Me the Place, 6) Lover Lover Lover, 7) Democracy, Sharon Robinson performing Alexandra Leaving, 9) I’m Your Man, 10) Hallelujah, 11) Take This Waltz

Encore One:

1) So Long Marianne, 2) Going Home, 3) First We Take Manhattan [note: the lights and instrumentation ont his song was fantastic- it was like attending the Leonard Cohen disco]

Encore Two:

1) Famous blue Raincoat, 2) Spoken introduction by Leonard and then “If It Be Your Will” performed by The Webb Sisters), 3) Closing Time

PHOTOS / SETLIST: Leonard Cohen @ Wang Theatre, Boston, MA 12/15/12

Last night legendary singer/songwriter, Leonard Cohen took the Stage at the Wang Theatre in Boston. The 78 year old Cohen played his first of two Boston shows (the second is tonight) on Saturday, putting on a nearly four hour. The sold out crowd gave Cohen a warm welcomen and were treated to a truly special evening. See the setlist and my photos below. – Stephen Atkinson
SETLIST: Leonard Cohen @ Wang Theatre, Boston, MA || SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16TH, 2012

I: Dance Me to the End of Love, The FutureBird on the Wire, Everybody Knows, Who by Fire, Darkness, Ain’t No Cure for Love, Amen, Come Healing, In My Secret Life, A Thousand Kisses Deep (Recitation), Anthem

II: Tower of Song, Suzanne, Chelsea Hotel #2, Waiting for the Miracle, Show Me the Place, Lover Lover Lover, Democracy, Alexandra Leaving (performed by Sharon Robinson), I’m Your Man, Hallelujah, Take This Waltz

ENCORE 1: So Long, Marianne, Going Home, First We Take Manhattan

ENCORE 2: Famous Blue Raincoat, If It Be Your Will (performed by the Webb sisters), Closing Time

]Music Review
Leonard Cohen Makes It Memorable

By Sarah Rodman
Globe Staff

December 17, 2012


Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, pictured here in Paris in September, played the Citi Wang Theatre Saturday night.
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Several times during Leonard Cohen’s epic and enveloping show at the Citi Wang Theatre Saturday night, the legendary singer-songwriter would sing one of his famous, devastatingly precise couplets and the audience would break into applause.

If the crowd had applauded every time Cohen’s poetic eloquence was displayed, it would’ve meant a nonstop ovation for almost the entirety of the 3-hour-plus performance. That might’ve been distracting but it would’ve been understandable given how deep his gift for expression runs and how impeccably it was brought to life by the man and his superb band.

At 78, it would make sense, even be expected, that Cohen would move a little slower or play for less time. But the opposite was true. The spry Cohen — cutting a natty figure in black suit and fedora as did most of his band — literally skipped about the stage, went down on his knees frequently, and played more than two dozen songs, ambitiously covering the ground between his 1967 debut and this year’s “Old Ideas.”

Gracious, funny, solemn, and admirably appreciative of his band, it was as if Cohen sensed that time for this kind of activity may be running out and he was going to make sure that both he and his fans were able to wring the most possible out of the experience.

The moods of the evening were varied, sometimes within the songs themselves from acoustic hush to full-band heat and from bleak to bawdy as Cohen sang in his burnished croak of love, life, sex, faith, and death.

First set peaks included the dark slow burner, “Everybody Knows,” the insidiously funky, organ-fired “Darkness,” and a poignant “Anthem.” The second set included many tasteful takes on Cohen classics — “I’m Your Man,” “Suzanne,” and “Democracy” among them — as well as backing singer and his songwriting collaborator Sharon Robinson’s powerful take on “Alexandra Leaving.” And as many strong covers there are of Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” it is always a pleasure to hear it back in its owner’s voice.

In a band full of stars, backing vocalists the Webb Sisters and Robinson were a particularly celestial choir — with the sisters reducing many to tears with their encore performance of “If It Be Your Will” — and Javier Mas, a master of several instruments including 12-string guitar and archilaud, provided warm colors throughout the night.

If the crowd had applauded every time Cohen’s poetic eloquence was displayed, it would’ve meant a nonstop ovation for almost the entirety of the 3-hour-plus performance. That might’ve been distracting but it would’ve been understandable given how deep his gift for expression runs and how impeccably it was brought to life by the man and his superb band.

Tchocolatl wrote:Thanks Sturgess66 (again )

If the crowd had applauded every time Cohen’s poetic eloquence was displayed, it would’ve meant a nonstop ovation for almost the entirety of the 3-hour-plus performance. That might’ve been distracting but it would’ve been understandable given how deep his gift for expression runs and how impeccably it was brought to life by the man and his superb band.

This is exactly the feeling I had at the concert I've attented.
Oh! To drop everything and rush to Boston for tonight...Dream, dream, dream...

sturgess66 wrote: I would love to see video of - Chelsea Hotel / Lover, Lover, Lover / Darkness etc. - the new arrangements.

Eskimo wrote:

sturgess66 wrote: I would love to see video of - Chelsea Hotel / Lover, Lover, Lover / Darkness etc. - the new arrangements.

I am hoping for a video of Leonard channeling his inner Jerry Lee Lewis during Tower of Song from night 2 ...

jll.jpg

... goodness, gracious ...

For those not at the 2nd night in Boston, to explain Eskimo's request for video of Tower of Song. During LC's "solo" on the keyboard where he always gets cheers then follows it with the "you're too kind..." quote on night 2 he did something new. He followed it with "Next time I'll work up the strength to play it with 2 fingers, like this" then went into a quick 2 fingered solo which got the crowd going. Then he decided to really let loose and ran his elbow across the keys which cracked everyone up especially the Webbs and Sharon. Then to top it off right before he went back to the song he lifted his leg to try to put his foot up on the keyboard. I was sitting 3 rows from the stage and could tell from the reactions of the band and those standing in the wings none of that was rehearsed and was just something LC came up with on the spot. Hope he keeps it in for the NYC shows as it was a really good and fun to see (and totally unexpected might I add).
Overall he seemed to be really "on" on Sunday and was really having fun up there. Makes me wonder why he pulled the plug on the show so early in the evening (by LC's standards anyway). After Manhattan as the band was getting ready to walk off and come back for the last set of encores he callled Roscoe over and gave a verbial call for Save The Last Dance which sent everyone into scramble to start the song. The crowd lights that are turned on when he goes to leave and come back for encores were still on when the song started so even they were not prepared for that song and end of the show. Right before it started he said something about it being a work night and having to go to work on Monday then went right into the song. Then when it was over he put the mic down, the band did a quick wave and everyone was off and the house lights came up and the load out began. Even the crowd thought there was more as nobody left or stopped cheering until the crew started to pack everything up. No closing thank yous or speech like other nights "Don't catch a cold, ect". It was a really odd and cold feeling ending compaired to every other show I've been to over the past 4 years. Hope he's feeling ok and he just wanted to get everyone home early to beat the bad weather that was expected later in the evening.