Leonard Cohen Extends His World Tour with Three U.S. Dates
Honolulu, Portland, and Las Vegas
His biography is extensive and expansive that I will only provide a link to it, as it does an amazing job wrapping Cohen up in explainable terms.
My only regret is that I wasn't aware of Cohen earlier in my life. I heard "First We Take Manhattan" from his 1998 release "I'm Your Man." I promptly bought my own copy, and listened to it through completely. An amazing musical journey commenced, as I began to explore his early work too.
Many more people became aware of Cohen, or at least his music, through the song "Hallelujah," which has been covered around 150 times so far. One of my favorite covers was K.D. Lang at the Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony. Listen here.
Cohen is known and appreciated worldwide, a fact made apparent if one looks at his tour schedule. Just in the closing section of the tour that has taken him to 250 shows. From Zagreb, Croatia to Berlin, Helsinki, Oslo, Moscow, and Florence, to Hobart, Australia and Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Cohen has literally been around the world.
I remember being at a restaurant in Kherson, Ukraine and hearing Cohen playing. Not just one song, mind you, but the entire album. I knew I would always love that place. Troika not only has great food, but great musical taste too!
The Phnom Penh show was going to be the last his tour, until three U.S. cities were added. Honolulu, Portland, and Las Vegas. When I found out from an email that offered presale, I advised my wife of a wonderful opportunity for a birthday gift, as the presale actually started on my birthday!
One of my favorite Cohen songs is "I Can't Forget" and I remember hearing it in that Kherson cafe with my fiance of only a couple of hours, and knowing I would never forget. It's seared into my memory, for sure. Listen here.
Leonard Cohen will be in Portland on December 8th, and I will be counting the days.
Published by Jeff Musall
Jeff Musall has a passion for writing, a knack for frank and informed expression, and a desire to engage the minds of readers. He is an avid sports fan across the board and loves good competitions. His work... View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentGreat article for a deserving artist.
Michael, there is more than one gap....I came on before Hallelujah, but far after you, with the "I'm your man" album...that's what's great, he is about as timeless as a mere mortal can get...
I always feel there is a generational gap among Cohen fans. Us old frrts prefer "Suzanne" from his first album (possibly the greatest song ever), while you young whippersnappers didn't catch on until "Hallelujah." He performed around here earlier on this tour (I guess), but I couldn't bring myself to pay the price. Now, I kick myself every time I think about it. By the way, I first heard/heard of LC when he appeared on the "Today" show in 1968, singing "Suzanne." The first chance I had, I bought that album and have loved it ever since.
Alright, I'm jealous :)
As Sigourney Weaver said, "Lucky, lucky, lucky".
I'm guessing it's pointless to tell you to enjoy the show. Great piece.
lang also recorded Hallelujh on her "Hymns of the 49th Parallel." her cover of Dylan's on there too as well as her recording of Bird on a Wire and acoustic recordings of some of her other stuff. really good record.