Concert Review: Leonard Cohen at the Paramount, Oakland, CA 4/15/09

Last night's Leonard Cohen concert was a true testament to class, professionalism and musicianship. Completing the last of a three-night stay at Oakland's Paramount, the ever so humble Cohen and his band spent over three hours running through classics creating an event so epic, to call it a concert would not quite do it justice.

Giddily dancing onto the stage, Cohen let the hits ("Everybody Knows," "In My Secret Life") do the talking early on, speaking nary a word and breaking just for seconds in between songs. Later, he took moments to introduce his band, engage in self-deprecating humor, and display his gratitude to the crowd. Tipping his hat to the audience, Cohen seemed most humbled by the packed house who frequently showed their adoration.

As the classics continued from "Tower of Song" to "Suzanne" and "Hallelujah," it was clear that what had been organized was not simply a go-through of catalog hits, but instead a carefully orchestrated performance of theater that featured two sets in addition to several encores. Breaks from familiar songs were made to showcase Cohen's poetry as well as the vocal talents of his three backup singers - Sharon Robinson, Charley Webb and Hattie Webb. Robinson took the lead on "Boogie Street" (from 2001's Ten New Songs) while the Webb Sisters harmonized perfectly on the stunningly beautiful "If It Be Your Will." Cohen was right to step aside for this number and nobody seemed to mind.

Cohen's band overall displayed impeccable musicianship, and Cohen showed no ego when it came to yielding the floor to their talents. In the closing number, each member was given a moment to solo while the spotlight shone on them.

Of course, Cohen remained the star of the evening. There are few greater moments in music than having the opportunity to hear some of the greatest lyrics ever composed straight from the songwriter's mouth. Cohen's voice may not be spectacular, but his unmistakable gruff showed surprisingly strong range at points. When Cohen and his band did eventually depart, over three hours had passed and the memories that linger are not ones I will soon forget.