I don't do "groupie." But I now own an official Leonard Cohen tour t-shirt and soon will have his Live in London CD. Last night, my wife (who's never been a fan) and I went to see the Leonard Cohen concert at the Nokia Theater in Grand Prairie (a suburb of Dallas). I've never more thoroughly enjoyed a concert. For me, it was the chance of a lifetime to see and hear an artist who's been my hands-down favorite singer-songwriter since my earliest college days.
Cohen is far more than a singer-songwriter. He's a remarkable poet, a master of turning words and twists of phrase, and the images he paints with them, into raw emotions. It's indescribable. When I hear Leonard Cohen's music, I am transported. When I heard his music and saw him and his band, it was nothing short of transformational. He picked his band extraordinarily well. Joining him onstage were Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters (background and vocals); Roscoe Beck [from Austin](bass, vocals); Neil Larsen (keyboards & Hammond B3 accordion); Bob Metzger (electric, acoustic & pedal steel guitar); Javier Mas (bandurria, laud, archilaud, 12 string acoustic guitar), Rafael Gayol (drums, percussion); and Dino Soldo (sax, clarinet, dobro, keys). In my opinion, Javier Mas and Dino Soldo were incredible...but so was Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters...as were the others.
Much of Cohen's music has religious content. But despite my utter lack of religiosity, I find even that content exceptional.
What can I say? I'm a groupie after all, I suppose. I wish I could follow him on tour.
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