It's been a while, but last night I experienced the best live show I've experienced all year - and it was none other than Leonard Cohen and his band. Did I mention that it was the best show I've see all year? Cohen promptly started at 8pm. I joked with some colleagues at work, that this is the only show where I've had the ticket agency email me reminders (true!) that the show WILL start at 8 pm and that we should not be late, as we might be disappointed to have missed it. Of course, I thought to myself, Leonard's a little older and that he likely will call it a night at around 9:30. Wrong! Indeed, he started performing promptly at 8 and then stopped at around the 10:30 mark. To say that I would have been happy and fulfilled at this point, is an understatement. But it gets better. Cohen said that we will have a short intermission and get together soon, for the second part of the show. Intermission. Twenty minutes later, and the music did not stop until he played the last song at around quarter to twelve.
Unbelievable and, even more so, at a young 78 years of age!!

His gravelly baritone voice was wonderful, especially as it stood in stark contrast to the three female voices on stage. His accompanying band was very tight and accomplished in creating a warm, engaging and very mellow mood. As for the sound crew - to think that this was the best sound I've ever heard in a sold out venue of 16,000 - my partner and
I both agreed that if we closed our eyes we could have easily have thought we were in an intimate jazz club of no more than 80. I don't know how they were able to do this, but it was so impressive.

The man played all of his standards, as well as some new material that translated well live. I believe our local music editor in Toronto captured it best in his column here -
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/1297757--leonard-cohen-leaves-fans-spellbound-in-first-of-two-shows

As for you Cohen fans, the set list left no room for disappointment.
Take a look.
  1. First Set
  2. Dance Me to the End of Love

  3. The Future

  4. Bird on the Wire

  5. Everybody Knows

  6. Who by Fire

  7. Darkness

  8. Ain't No Cure for Love

  9. Amen

  10. Come Healing

  11. In My Secret Life

  12. A Thousand Kisses Deep
    (recitation)
  13. Different Sides

  14. Anthem

  15. Second Set
  16. Tower of Song

  17. Suzanne

  18. Waiting for the Miracle

  19. Anyhow

  20. I Can't Forget

  21. The Partisan

  22. Feels So Good

  23. Alexandra Leaving
    (performed by Sharon Robinson)
  24. I'm Your Man

  25. Hallelujah

  26. Take This Waltz

  27. Encore I
  28. So Long, Marianne

  29. Going Home

  30. First We Take Manhattan

  31. Encore II
  32. If It Be Your Will
    (performed by the Webb Sisters)
  33. Closing Time

    It was such an amazing concert that I needed to share it with my raverec friends. (an earlier version of this reflection appeared on a private post with our good rrer, Swish)