He's Not Dead, It's Just That His Tour Has Ended

December 30, 2010 3:19 PM

Notes from the Road is a Tumblr with "notes, photos & video of the Leonard Cohen 2010 World Tour by: J.S. Carenza III". Also: Emily St John Mandel on the tour, at The Millions: Take This Waltz: Leonard Cohen’s Tour Comes to an End
posted by chavenet (7 comments total)

I felt so lucky to see two of the concerts. Horrible, horrible venues, but once he got on stage, he transcended the venues, TicketMaster, high prices, and all the rest of the bullshit.
posted by Danf at 3:43 PM on December 30, 2010

Here's hoping he's back in the black now after that whole manager-ran-off-with-all-his-money thing.
posted by anazgnos at 4:56 PM on December 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

I saw him in Portland a couple of weeks ago, and it was one of the great performance experiences of my life. The ticket came to me by happenstance -- I didn't even know he was coming to town, and I probably wouldn't have gone if I had. I was moved by his presence and charisma -- I laughed out loud a couple of times because I was so ridiculously turned on by a 76-year-old man a hundred yards away -- and by the deep musicianship of his band, and the beauty of his voice. The grain and timber have deepened over the years, and so has his ability to put across a song. He sings with total commitment, but without any gimmicks or pretense.

Above all, those songs...! What a body of work. A person could write any song we heard that night and go to their grave thanking the Muse for it. To hear them all together, from the lips of the man who made them -- I felt I was in the presence of a great poet, a prophet and lover of God, and my soul was uplifted and expanded in a way I can still feel.

I know I sound like a starstruck cultist, but it's all true. Wow. Wow.
posted by ottereroticist at 5:15 PM on December 30, 2010 [8 favorites]

I saw him four times this tour, including his first night back in Montreal. Given my devotion to the man, I can't imagine anything in my life every topping that.

Except for when I met him at Irving Layton's 85th birthday party.

I say this only to make you jealous of me.
posted by Capt. Renault at 5:29 PM on December 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

My wife and I saw Mr Cohen at a wonderful venue in Columbus, Ohio, and I cannot emphasize enough how gracious and wonderful he was. Every performance was wonderful, the band was phenomenal, and we felt lucky to breathe the same air as such a talented, sweet man.

2 weeks later, we saw Bob Dylan in concert, and it couldn't have been more different, in every way.
posted by newfers at 5:40 PM on December 30, 2010

I am sorry that I missed him when he was in Chicago. I LOVE Leonard Cohen! Thank you for this post.
posted by marimeko at 7:15 PM on December 30, 2010

Leonard Cohen was one of my dad's heroes. He played Boston at the start of my season of grief, and I was unable to go.

You see, my dad died on my 20th birthday. My birthday was a week before his and (about) two weeks before Father's Day. There was no way I could have handled seeing someone who meant so much to my dad in such close proximity to those days, so I sat that one out.

Yes, I regret this. I choose to imagine that my father's ghost came to the Music Hall and perched in the rafters as Leonard took the stage, looking down in awe and admiration -- like the reverse of the stagehands in Charles Foster Kane's opera house.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:55 AM on December 31, 2010