I came late to Leonard Cohen.\u00a0 I\u2019d heard of him, of course \u2013 what Canadian growing up in the 60\u2019s and 70s hadn\u2019t \u2013 but I never really heard him until about twenty years ago (at which point I was nearly 40 and he’d have been homing in on 60).<\/p>\n
At the time, I was embarking on a new relationship, and my new paramour was a lifelong Cohen fan.\u00a0 She\u2019d discovered him when so many did, in her tormented teens, and he\u2019d been a part of her life ever since.\u00a0 Under her influence, I began listening to Cohen songs old and new, and quickly fell under his spell.<\/p>\n
Twenty years on, I\u2019m still listening, marvelling always at his alchemy with words, his deceptively catchy melodies, his casual commingling of the sacred and profane, his determined, indestructible, overarching humanity.<\/p>\n
A few years ago, my appreciation of Mr. Cohen was dramatically enhanced when we saw him perform in concert.\u00a0 To explain why, some backstory is in order.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d read that Leonard Cohen was embarking on a world tour, with early dates in Victoria (close by) and Vancouver (ditto) and my first thought was: my wife has never seen him live \u2013 we have to go.<\/p>\n
My second thought was: look where he\u2019s playing.\u00a0 Stadiums.\u00a0 Arenas.\u00a0 Big concrete bowls.\u00a0 In other words, entirely the wrong environment in which to enjoy the acutely personal, intensely intimate charms of Leonard Cohen\u2019s music. (My wife hates big box performance venues; if you can\u2019t see the whites of their eyes, what\u2019s the point of being there?)\u00a0 So I passed.<\/p>\n
A couple of months later, the reviews of those early shows appeared.\u00a0 And I realised that I had made a huge mistake.<\/p>\n
Every reviewer raved.\u00a0 About the show. About Leonard.\u00a0 About the set, the band, the backup singers. About Leonard some more.\u00a0 Seems he\u2019d crafted a show that delivered all his signature intimacy and emotion with incredible power \u2013 despite the cavernous venues.\u00a0 If anyone could make a football stadium feel like a St Urbain coffeehouse \u2013 it was Leonard Cohen.\u00a0 It was, many wrote, the best concert of the decade\u2026<\/p>\n
I spent the better part of a year kicking myself for the missed opportunity, while Mr. Cohen travelled the world performing to universal acclaim.\u00a0 Then: a second chance.\u00a0 A couple of dates were added to the end of the tour, one of which was a second stop in Victoria.\u00a0 I booked tickets the instant they became available.<\/p>\n
That show remains one of the most memorable concerts I\u2019ve ever seen (and having worked for years in rock radio, I\u2019ve seen a few).\u00a0 There was no opener, no fancy effects \u2013 it was just three hours of Leonard Cohen and his band, performing his songs.\u00a0 In every aspect, it was a superlative show: artistically, technically, you name it \u2013 it was flawless.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s what makes it even more amazing to me.\u00a0 At the time, Leonard Cohen was around 76 years old.\u00a0 Read that again.\u00a0 76.\u00a0 When we saw him, he\u2019d been on the road performing this gruelling three hour show for an entire year.\u00a0 Yet the show he gave us was as fresh and tight and sincere as if it was their first week on the road.\u00a0 Knowing this deepened my appreciation of the show, and the man, enormously.\u00a0 Not only is he an artist of international stature; as a performer he is a professional of the first order.<\/p>\n
I understand he is marking his 80th birthday with the release of a new CD.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be picking up a copy for my wife.\u00a0 And myself.<\/p>\n
Happy birthday Leonard. And many more.<\/p>\n