Leonard Cohen Gives Allen Theatre Night to Remember
Ricardo Derrek J. Brown
Issue date: 11/2/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
On October 25th, Leonard Cohen came to Cleveland and he gave the Allen
Theatre quite the show. Put simply; the concert was awesome. Cohen refuses to lose
his grace or style, and his voice has only gotten richer with the
passing of time. He stopped in Cleveland to perform the old
favorites like "I'm Your Man" and "Anthem." The master performer managed
to make a concert that was scheduled to last only two hours go on for
nearly four due to all the encore performances. He brought his
whole band with him, a huge ensemble, and with each band member
being a master at his or her craft, it was a special treat.
It was easy to lose count of how many times Cohen and
the band got a standing ovation from the awe-swept crowd.
He sang "Hallelujah," "Waitin' on the Miracle," and so many other favorites. Cohen
continues to prove that he is an amazing showman by performing songs
that never lose their edge. Then again, Cohen himself has not lost a
single step. At the age of 75, he continues to be one of the most
celebrated names in music. It is no surprise Cohen's lyrics are so meaningful, considering Cohen did not even start off in music,
but poetry. The poet always shines through in his songs,
like the opening lyrics to Anthem, "ring the bells that still can
ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in
everything that's how the light gets in…."
The man is a unique and exceptional performer. To sit in the audience and watch him
perform is like no other concert experience-- his voice, his
band, and his magical words made the show unforgettable. After going to the show, one comes to
understand the beauty of well-crafted message. He moved across the stage and sang with all the
timing and rhythm of a man many times younger, and through it all he
kept a smile on his face and in his voice. The best part about going
to see this tour was knowing that after sitting in the dark for three
and half hours, there was not a single minute wasted. Every
moment spent in that dark theater felt like magic being seen and heard first hand.
Theatre quite the show. Put simply; the concert was awesome. Cohen refuses to lose
his grace or style, and his voice has only gotten richer with the
passing of time. He stopped in Cleveland to perform the old
favorites like "I'm Your Man" and "Anthem." The master performer managed
to make a concert that was scheduled to last only two hours go on for
nearly four due to all the encore performances. He brought his
whole band with him, a huge ensemble, and with each band member
being a master at his or her craft, it was a special treat.
It was easy to lose count of how many times Cohen and
the band got a standing ovation from the awe-swept crowd.
He sang "Hallelujah," "Waitin' on the Miracle," and so many other favorites. Cohen
continues to prove that he is an amazing showman by performing songs
that never lose their edge. Then again, Cohen himself has not lost a
single step. At the age of 75, he continues to be one of the most
celebrated names in music. It is no surprise Cohen's lyrics are so meaningful, considering Cohen did not even start off in music,
but poetry. The poet always shines through in his songs,
like the opening lyrics to Anthem, "ring the bells that still can
ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in
everything that's how the light gets in…."
The man is a unique and exceptional performer. To sit in the audience and watch him
perform is like no other concert experience-- his voice, his
band, and his magical words made the show unforgettable. After going to the show, one comes to
understand the beauty of well-crafted message. He moved across the stage and sang with all the
timing and rhythm of a man many times younger, and through it all he
kept a smile on his face and in his voice. The best part about going
to see this tour was knowing that after sitting in the dark for three
and half hours, there was not a single minute wasted. Every
moment spent in that dark theater felt like magic being seen and heard first hand.
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