"To you friends, who kept my songs alive all these years - my deep gratitude! It is a great honour to play for you. You've been through so much, you know so much of the human spirit, where it can thrive and where it can fall. It is an honour to play for heart like yours, to be accepted by you. So we don't know when we will pass this way again, friends. Until then, may you fall on the side of luck, may you be surrounded by friends. And if this is not your luck, may the blessings find you in your solitude. We are deeply grateful for the hospitality that you've shown us this evening"

Thank you so much, Lumi, for pointing it out! I've been looking for it. The blessing is quite similar in various concerts; but I felt that at least the "you've been through so much" part addressed to us, HERE.

Carmen, thank you very much for the answer, also. I'm actually the 80's generation too, not so young anymore. As it happens, I found Cohen on my own, and I thought nobody here knew about him (maybe I just didn't listen to the radio at the right times?!). I've been alone in my love for him, until I found this forum and international group (more than 10 years ago!). The people here have given me countless embraces and warm moments; but finally, when everything is said and done, when it's closing time, everybody goes back to their own homes and countries and I'm left alone again... That's why, finally, I'm looking for friends a bit closer to home.

So Long Marianne -at the beginning of the video, Leonard accepts a large bunch of flowers from someone in the audience and raises them up in the air as he sings "I used to think I was some kind of Gypsy boy before I let you take me home." He carries them for a quite a while during the song before he lays them on the stage!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7CUr91ftkw

Although the English is awkward, there is a sense that many of the concert goers arrived late because of the change of concert venue. Jarkko/Marie posted the news about this change on August 27. It is possible that not all ticket holders knew about this and ultimately ended up arriving late at the new location. http://www.nineoclock.ro/index.php?page ... 906-507137

Leonard Cohen charmed the public again with his immortal music
The artist impressed his Romanian audience on Friday with an unforgettable show, melancholic and breathtaking songs and exquisite musicians that seduced his thousands of listeners of all ages.

published in issue 4510 page 12 at 2009-09-07

The famous Canadian musician Leonard Cohen performed for the second time in Romania, on the “Iolanda Balas Soter” Youth Stadium in Bucharest, charming again his approximately 7,000 listeners by his wonderful, haunting songs and poetry. The artist came on stage at 8 pm after the last group of viewers arrived from the initial location of the show, the Constitution Square. The concert required to be moved in the last moment, due to the beer festival that was organized nearby.

The artist wore a black suit and a hat. He took it off, while paying a reverence to greet his audience. “Thank you very much, my friends. We do not know when we will pass your way again, so we will give you all we have tonight,” the artist said..

Warmly applauded by the audience, he started his show with “Dance Me to the End of Love.” The artist performed evergreens such as “Everybody Knows,” “In My Secret Life” and “Waiting for the Miracle,” in the first part of his show. After approximately an hour and a quarter, the artist and his band thanked the audience and withdrew for a couple of minutes.

When coming back on stage, Cohen thanked his fans for staying to listen to his music, and continued by performing “Tower of Song,” “Suzanne,” “I’m Your Man” and “Take This Waltz.” The latter also closed the approximately 150-minute concert, which highly resembled last year’s show, as both were part of “The Fall Tour,” Cohen’s return tour after a break of 15 years.

The audience warmly applauded the artist after the show. The viewers stood up to honour the Troubadour of Anguish with enthusiastic cheers, rewarded with four encores: “So Long, Marianne,” “First, We Take Manhattan” and “If It Be Your Will.”

“It was a great honour to sing for your hearts,” Leonard Cohen confessed, when leaving the stage for the last time.

On September 21, 2008, the artist celebrated his birthday with the applauses of the 10,000 fans who attended his performance on the Arch of Triumph Stadium. On that occasion, the issued tickets sold out fast and many fans missed the chance to watch the performance.
by Nine oClock

Hello everyone,
Yesterday I was telling Laura that it would be nice, for LC fans closer to home, to meet somewhere in a coffee-shop and "talk Cohen" (and not "about" him). I'm not sure she has received the message anyway. Today I saw the poster of the fans' meeting in Krakow next year. I found both Laura and Arlene on the list - good for you, ladies!
I wonder if anyone could tell me more about these meetings - were there others, what usually happens during these meetings... and so on. I would love to get there myself, but it's a little early to tell. It's not full house yet, so I still have some time to think it over and a few opinions on the matter would be of great help.
Thanks!

Carmen wrote:Hello everyone,
Yesterday I was telling Laura that it would be nice, for LC fans closer to home, to meet somewhere in a coffee-shop and "talk Cohen" (and not "about" him). I'm not sure she has received the message anyway. Today I saw the poster of the fans' meeting in Krakow next year. I found both Laura and Arlene on the list - good for you, ladies!
I wonder if anyone could tell me more about these meetings - were there others, what usually happens during these meetings... and so on. I would love to get there myself, but it's a little early to tell. It's not full house yet, so I still have some time to think it over and a few opinions on the matter would be of great help.
Thanks!