Seeing Leonard Cohen at the Citi Wang Theatre last night was a little zen retreat of its own. Cohen's lyrics can go as deep and mystical as Dylan's, and last night, singing brilliant songs like "Who by Fire" and "Tower of Song," he sounded in fine voice for 74.
Cohen's voice has always been a rasp, of course, and while it's not broken, like Dylan's, it's huskier than ever now and more reliant on speak-singing. His incantatory solo reading of the first stanzas of "A Thousand Kisses Deep" was one of the night's highlights. His band and backup singers were jazzy yet polished in a way that reminded of Steely Dan, but almost all the time played down to make sure his voice was heard. (Spanish guitarist Javier Mas was a standout.)
Somehow, too, Cohen came off less dark and more light than on record. Clad as usual dark suit and fedora, he was smiling and gracious, as well as zennishly eccentric - he sang from his knees a lot, and took off his hat whenever a band member was going to solo. Sure, there was plenty of his signature gloom and doom - "Everybody Knows" and "The Future" being among the ditties that really make me want to jump off a building. But "Bird on a Wire" and "Anthem" and "Chelsea Hotel" seemed to offer more redemption than when they come up in shuffle play.
"Hallelujah" was still a glory, despite the cover versions that make it almost as overplayed as Coldplay's "Clocks." And in Obamamerica, "Democracy is coming/to the USA!" was a cue to cheer. Given the squeals when he launched into "Suzanne," some folks in the audience had been waiting a loooong time to hear him.
Clocking in at over three hours including intermission, it was a terrifically generous show, which it ought to have been, given what we paid for tickets that turned out to be ten rows behind the center aisle. Last night must have gone a long way toward rebuilding the life savings that Cohen's former manager stole a few years back. But it seems wrong to talk about money with Cohen. The artist who wrote, "Ring the bells that still can ring/Forget your perfect offering/There is a crack in everything/That's how the light gets in" let it shine through last night.
Sounds like a fantastic time. I have yet to see Cohen live, but that's something I'll have to rectify soon.
But the real reason for my comment: he sang from his KNEES? I'm not even thirty and I'd be limping for a week if I stayed on my knees for more than a minute or two. At 74, having the stamina and health to sing proposal-style says a lot.
Posted by: Jennifer Escalona | May 30, 2009 at 11:03 AM