It is almost impossible to describe the experience of a night with Leonard Cohen in mere words. But let me put a few out there for you, just to give you an idea...... Magical. Sublime. Epic. Enchanting. Transforming.
And these are just the 'tip-of-the-iceberg."
The show consisted of two sets, with a 20-minute intermission in between. Just prior to the intermission, he introduced each member of his band, but not mere introductions were they at all. With each of his colleagues, he brought them into our acquaintance via a poetic mini-story; a tribute in itself. This was the epitome of his grace.
Throughout the concert, he thanked us all - "his friends" - for making the night so special for him, and being a part of it all. He is a truly grateful man, and a spiritual friend to every person on Earth.
There were a succession of special moments throughout the night, but my very favorite one was at the end of the show, when he recited "A Thousand Kisses Deep" with almost no accompanying music (just a light, wavering keyboard tone was all there was). I put both my hands over my face and started to cry.
His live performance last night at Madison Square Garden touched the spirit of every man, woman and child, whether you were in the arena or not. Simple perfection is what Leonard Cohen is to me, and he was all of that last night and more.
Thank you, Leonard. You are an eternal treasure....
5 comments:
Lucky you to have experienced that. I love Leonard Cohen. He's such a poetic feeler whose life experiences - for better or worse - are captured so beautifully in his words and music.
I feel as you do about Leonard when I hear Dylan Thomas recite his works. But he's long gone now. I imagine, though, what it would be like to hear him live doing "A Child's Christmas in Wales."
Nothing like seeing a loved and respected artist in action. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Ananji
Ananji, I'm not surprised to hear that we have a love for Leonard Cohen in common, and to borrow a phrase directly from my blog, I'd bet that's only the tip of the iceberg.
I work a short distance away from a pub in NY City where Dylan Thomas was reputed to have sipped a beer and written many a word in his notebook, so I think of him from time to time. Like Leonard Cohen, he was another 'poetic feeler' for sure....
I admire the passion which with you write about him. It must be awesome to feel that strongly about a performer and enjoy their work
JBT - it was not a concert; it was an experience. That's what made it so unique and special.... :)
Do you know if he'll be playing again in NY state or NYC? I am so jealous you got to see Leonard Cohen. Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and early Counting Crows (August and Everything After) is the only music I can play over and over again. I haven't played any music in the last 6 months; maybe I'll start listening again. My first roommate got me into him; he told me he started out as a Canadian poet, and then went on to music. He also told me he got a little darker, actually very dark, after his wife died. Very few people in the US popular mainstream heard of him, which is a shame, although with Hallelujah appearing in popular culture, he is catching on. Joan Baez, Barbara Streisand and others have redone Suzanne and Famous Blue Raincoat, and numerous American people think they wrote those songs, having never heard of the actual author, Leonard Cohen; such a shame. His music is so poetic and deep, and after hearing him I got into Bob Dylan. After re-watching Pump Up The Volume (Christian Slater, 1990), a teeny movie about a pirate radio DJ, I heard them use Everybody Knows and If It Be Your Will, which was really impressive since it predates West Wing's and Shrek's use of Hallelujah by a decade or more. Your favorite Leonard Cohen songs, favorite funniest lines, and favorite poetic lines, Toddy? Mine are Democracy, Hunter's Lullaby, Hallelujah, I'm Your Man, If It Be Your Will, Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne, The Captain, Suzanne, Tower of Song and Everybody Knows; for me, the funniest Leonard Cohen line (Tower of Song): "I said to Hank Williams how lonely does it get?, Hank Williams hasn't answered yet"; for me, the most poetic: "Let your mercy spill on all these burning hearts in hell, If it be your will to make us well, And draw us near, and bind us tight, All your children here in their rags of light, In our rags of light, All dressed to kill, And end this night, If it be your will...
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