For those among my readership who may have questioned the reasonableness of paying for such NYC related expenses as airline tickets, an expensive 2-night Manhattan hotel stay, pricey meals – all to see a concert… allow me to direct you to the video above. This, alas, is not footage from the Radio City show that I saw, but from the Beacon Theatre concert a few months back. He gave the exact same recital of this gorgeous poem, though, and if I find a video of the RCMH version I shall update appropriately.
Allow me, too, to post the set list from Saturday night – if only for the benefit of my own memory. The list is from an anonymous commenter at BrooklynVegan.com, which has its own review of the Radio City shows as well as other info, pictures, etcetera.
Dance Me to the End of Love
The Future
Ain’t No Cure for Love
Bird on the Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Chelsea Hotel
Waiting for the Miracle
Anthem
–intermission–
Tower of Song
Suzanne
Sisters of Mercy
Take This Waltz
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I’m Your Man
(Poem)
Democracy
–1st Encore–
So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan
–2nd Encore–
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Closing Time
–3rd Encore–
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest
This might have been, quite simply, the best concert I have ever attended. Was it worth the trip and the expense? Yes. In fact, in the long record of the reckless, impulsive decisions I have made over the years, this one was by far the most successful.
…
A side effect, it should be mentioned, appears to have reared its head. As a consequence of Mr. Cohen’s concert, I am now – perhaps hopelessly – in love with New York City. It is not pretty or picturesque. It has no deep sense of history – not that I care anything about. It is a gargantuan, undulating city; ugly as sin. But it is the hub of everything. The heart of the world. Now there’s a metaphor we probably shouldn’t explore too deeply, eh? I want to be there. I want to be a part of that energy. If you asked me why, beautiful reader, I could not give you an answer.