Deliriously Happy

I am as happy as a pig in shit.

Some of my favorite pieces of music are: Sisters of Mercy; Bird on a Wire; Democracy; A Thousand Kisses Deep; Here it Is; Suzanne; Tacoma Trailer; Dance Me to the End of Love; Who by Fire; Everybody Knows; Ain't No Cure for Love...I could go on. Imagine, then, that I will be able to hear at least some of those performed live in a concert venue in which I am just a few rows away from the stage.

This morning, I was able to secure two very expensive tickets to see Leonard Cohen in concert on April 3 at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie. That's a suburb of Dallas. I cannot believe it. Leonard Cohen is going to perform in Texas. Apparently, there are others like me out in the world. They've just been hiding.

For a person like me who finds celebrity worshop a disgusting practice engaged in only by very stupid people with very tiny minds, it's hard to understand the way I practically worship Leonard Cohen. I consider him one of the best poets/songwriters of all time. His songs, as hard to follow and as difficult to comprehend as they sometimes are, are works of art. Virtally every one of them is an astonishing accomplishment. His facility with words leaves me in awe.

And I've wanted to see him in person since first started listening to his music and reading his poetry. That was a long, long time ago. I don't know exactly when it was, but I know it was just around the time I went away to college, maybe just before. I started college in the summer of 1972. So it's been well over 30 years. And L.C. has not made a U.S. concert tour in about 15 years. And to my knowlege, he has never played in Texas. But this time, he'll play in Dallas and in Austin.

The world has changed. Leonard Cohen has enough fans in Dallas to warrant a concert?! How could I not have known? Who are these people? The only person I know in the D/FW area who appreciates Leonard Cohen's music is a guy who's involved in one of my client organizations. Most people I know either don't know who he is or have only a vague sense of who he is and his music.

I don't even like concerts. Never have. But this will be an amazing exception. This concert will add to my rare concert experiences that left me very, very happy. I remember seeing Gordon Lightfoot, Mason Williams, and Leo Kottke in concert at various times and being very glad I had the experience. I am sure this experience will be right up there.

L.C. is 72 or 74 years old. An acquaintance of mine said today, when I mentioned that I am going to the concert, "Isn't he a bit long in the tooth?" That comment reminded me that age is immaterial. Genius is genius at any age.