Leonard Cohen
Date: June 24, 2008 Tower of Song For most of those in attendance, witnessing hometown son Leonard Cohen at the Place des Arts was akin to a religious experience. I put myself squarely in that camp, having assumed that I would never get the chance to see the man perform. While the concert's mere existence was a surprise, the fact that Cohen, at the age of seventy-three, delivered a near-perfect set that stretched past three hours was truly astounding. Entering the Place des Arts, it was obvious that this would be a much different demographic and venue than most of the shows that I see. The audience spanned as wide of an age range as you would expect, given Cohen's own, and they were dressed for a night at the theatre. Nonetheless, the air of anticipation and excitement was more than a match for that of any youthful rock and roll concert; and the audience would prove to be as adoring as they were respectful. As for the venue, the huge, four-level Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier looked impressive. Even though my floor seat left me farther back than I am used to being at a concert, I was confident that the acoustics would be superb. That confidence was borne out when Cohen took the stage, preceded by a band of six instrumentalists and three backup singers. This was easily one of the best sounding shows that I have attended, with every slight nuance of Cohen's rich voice coming across. The mix favoured vocals, putting Cohen and his backing singers front and centre; and all sounded excellent throughout the evening. The drums were subtle in the mix but effective, while the most prominent instrumentation came during the solos that accented many songs. Those moments were further highlighted by Cohen himself, who throughout the night introduced whichever band member had just completed a particularly notable piece. Cohen's appreciation for his band was gracious, although the frequency of introductions was as amusing as it was endearing, as was the case when guitarist Javier Mas was introduced moments apart for his solos in consecutive songs. Cohen's crowd demeanour was equally affable and wry. At one point, he noted that he hadn't toured since he was, "Sixty years old--just a kid with a crazy dream." He explained his efforts in the intervening years by rattling off a list of antidepressants and describing a study of world religions, philosophies, and existential strategies that was interrupted because "cheerfulness kept breaking through." That statement makes a good summary for Cohen's music, which mixes the bleak and the cheerful to great effect, as typified with the opener, "Dance Me to the End of Love." A carry-through of "The Future," "Ain't No Cure for Love," and "Bird on the Wire" saw the band span more than two decades of music. The set would go on to pull from throughout Cohen's long career, albeit with an emphasis on the middle years, particularly I'm Your Man, from which the excellent "Everybody Knows" made the next follow-up. The opening act blew by with scarcely a misstep, with the band taking an intermission after about an hour. While the first act was great, the second truly dazzled. Cohen was assisted by only his backup singers and a programmed keyboard beat for a glorious "Tower of Song," insisting that the singers hold the final refrain for more than a minute while he offered comic, free form musings on the meaning of life. "It's all so clear now," he intoned with mock seriousness, "Doo dum dum dum, de doo dum da." Cohen kept a stripped-down stage configuration, picking up a guitar for an excellent take of "Avalanche," a personal favourite that had made its tour debut in Montreal. Cohen's stage movements betrayed little sign of age, as he would drop to one knee or move about, directing a verse to a particular bandmate. When "Boogie Street" saw Sharon Robinson and the Webb sisters seem to carry the heaviest vocal load, there may have been a twinge of doubt as to whether Cohen's voice would hold out for a long night in the midst of a long tour. If so, that concern was perfectly timed, as the subsequent offering, "Hallelujah" was the strongest moment of the evening. Cohen's voice soared to the rafters on every chorus, escaping the restraint that he had employed over the rest of the night. I've always enjoyed this song but not considered it my favourite in his canon; but the live rendition was absolutely staggering, ranking among the best single songs that I have ever heard at any concert. The standing ovation that followed this performance, one of countless such demonstrations of appreciation in the evening, was more than justified. The rest of the set maintained the previous standards, wrapping up with an unaccompanied recitation of "A Thousand Kisses Deep" and a full band take of "Anthem." Two encores followed, providing "So Long, Marianne," "First We Take Manhattan," "Sisters of Mercy," the Webb sisters spotlight of "If It Be Your Will," and "Closing Time." Finally, the band returned for a third encore, stretching the night to three hours of music with the carefully chosen "I Tried to Leave You." The title lyric earned a laugh, coming in the third encore, while the line, "Goodnight, my darling, I hope you're satisfied" could not be answered by anything but heartfelt applause. With every band member taking a solo, this was also a great send-off for a truly talented band. It is always a treat when an anticipated concert lives up to one's hopes. The fact that Leonard Cohen was my most anticipated show in years and it still exceeded my expectations speaks to the perfection of the night. The sound, the song selection, the depth of the set, the excitement in the crowd, and the energy in the performers were all excellent, making for one of the best concerts that I have ever seen. Leonard Cohen setlist First Set
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