It was 1987 and I was 21, living in Tokyo, when a black and white music video came on TV. A sonorous rumble of a voice started singing, a voice I'd never heard before, rolling like thunder through my tiny apartment. I was smitten, riveted to the screen, like I'd been struck by lightning. The song was "First We Take Manhattan" and the voice belonged to Leonard Cohen. The next day I went out in search of this song, and paid a lot of yen for "I'm Your Man" on cassette. I played that tape till it started warbling with overuse.
I finally got to see Leonard Cohen perform this song live, last night at Oakland's Paramount Theatre. Watching him sing with no less passion than he had twenty years ago took me immediately back to my own past, living as a girl lost in the big city. It was definitely a high point in my existence, last night sitting in that historic art deco theatre, watching this living legend perform before an adoring and grateful audience.
The glowing, spectacularly ornate Paramount, shimmering like a gilded temple for dreams lost and found, was a strangely ideal setting for this spiritual poet/singer to channel his visions on life, death, love, longing, and searchings of the heart. Cohen's songs are like stories that lure you in, and he sings with such humble wisdom about humanity in all its wonder and fragility that you feel lifted and understood, and yes, it's okay to be where we are because all is as it should be, and nothing lasts forever anyway. You walk away with a bit more compassion after hearing this man and his words, at turns heartbreaking and humorous, self-effacing and provocative, dark and light.
We were treated to three encores, and many words of thanks and bows from Cohen going out to his band, to the angelic vocalists, the audience, the crew, even the "lady who takes care of our hats." His energy lingered with me throughout my sleep and when I woke the first thing I did was go online in search of the music video I saw way back in the 80's. That's when I learned (from user comments) that Leonard Cohen is on the currently released Watchmen soundtrack, allowing another generation to discover his music. Hallelujah!
