Description and review of the recent Leonard Cohen tribute concert presented by Paul Emery and Swell Productions at the Crest Theatre on the K Street Mall in Downtown Sacramento.
Friends invited me to join them at A Thousand Kisses Deep: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, a tribute to singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen on a recent Saturday evening. I was happy to join them as I always enjoy the live performance of music.
Prior to the performance we dined at Frank Fats, a favorite restaurant of ours. We tried to restrain ourselves when ordering as we did not plan to leave the restaurant with leftovers. The three of us enjoyed the combination platter appetizer, chow mein, honey walnut prawns and brown rice. Yum!
See related blog post: Frank Fat’s – Sacramento Restaurants
SacramentoRevealed.com – All Things Sacramento (from a personal perspective)
After dinner we strolled to the nearby Crest Theatre and found our seats. It is always a delight to attend an event in the beautiful Crest Theatre.
See related blog post: Crest Theatre – Sacramento Landmarks
The lineup of the musicians and vocalists performing that evening included Anni McCann, Kimberly Bass, Eleanore MacDonald, Shay Dillon, Paul Emery, Pat Jacobsen, Peter Wilson, Stephen Holland, Perry Mills, Mark McCartney, Murry Campbell, Brady Mills and Arthur Gould.
The first set performed by the eight-piece band was acoustic, followed by a second, longer set utilizing a variety of instruments (woodwinds, strings, guitars, keyboards).
Six singers took turns performing solo’s and singing back-up depending on the song. Several of the vocalists blew us away with their renditions of Cohen songs such as “Hallelujah” and “I’m Your Man” and “A Thousand Kisses Deep”.
Enhancing the performance was an ever-changing backdrop of vintage images and footage of Cohen performing throughout his long career.
The performance lasted a full three hours – a fitting tribute for Cohen who has been called one of the greatest lyricists of all time.
About Leonard Cohen
Canadian Leonard Cohen (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a man of many talents. I would describe him as a Renaissance man. He was a singer-songwriter, poet and novelist.
During the 1950s and early 1960s Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist. It was not until 1967, at the age of 33, that he launched his musical career.
Over the course of his career Cohen was the recipient of many awards – including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
A very complex man, Cohen explored a variety of issues with candor – including religion, political and social justice, war and peace, depression, love and hate, sexuality and romance.
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