Meeting Leonard Cohen World Tour Band Members in 2009-2010

San Diego Concert Poster  
April 7, 2009

Copley Symphony Hall

I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed 16 incredible concerts of the World Tour in 2009 and 2010 and to have had the honour of meeting Leonard Cohen in person for the first time.

I also feel very lucky that I had opportunities to meet every wonderful member of the band, including the three back up singers.

The warm memories of meeting each of these very talented and remarkable individuals will last forever.

I started with the concert in San Diego on April 7, 2009 where I bought a site specific poster (seen above).  I started collecting autographs there at the early entry for Forum members.  After San Diego, I brought the poster to the rest of the concerts I attended in 2009.  In total, there are seven autographs on that poster.  The only two missing are Neil Larsen and Sharon Robinson.  I just never ran into them in 2009.  Ah, but I did in 2010.

Javier Mas, Dino Soldo

San Diego, April 7, 2009 
How I eventually received this photo (more)

Dino Soldo

Gothenburg, Aug 12, 2010
Dino and the red socks story (more)
 

Roscoe Beck
Nashville, Nov 5, 2009
Forum fans early entry (more)

Bob Metzger
Kansas City, Nov 9, 2009  
Forum fans early entry (more)
 

Rafael Bernardo Gayol

Gothenburg, Aug 12, 2009 
Rafael graciously helped with my red socks (more)
 

Hattie Webb, Charley Webb

Los Angeles, Jan 18, 2010
Hotel Cafe gig (more)

Hattie Webb

San Jose, Nov 13, 2009 
Before the final 2009 concert (more)

Neil Larsen

Las Vegas, Dec 11, 2010
Very gracious and well deserved accolades (more)

Sharon Robinson

Las Vegas, Dec 11, 2010

It was wonderful to see her back (more)

...and I can't resist adding a
candid shot by Albert Noonan.

Las Vegas, Dec 11, 2010

Bob Metzger is Popular in my Leonard Cohen Scrapbook stats

Bob Metzger & Arlene
Kansas City, Nov 9, 2009  

From May 22, 2011  leonardcohenforum

The Stats Counter connected to this Leonard Cohen Scrapbook shows "Bob Metzger" is a very popular search. And I would say, this attention to an exceptionally gifted musician is well deserved.

I met the elegant and soft-spoken Bob Metzger only once, at the Leonard Cohen concert Forum early entry in Kansas City.  And, the memory of that meeting is still very warm.

The first time I saw Bob Metzger live in concert was in San Diego on April 7, 2009.  This is what I wrote in my concert report in a previous post.

One discovery for me at the live concert, is the very important contribution of BOB METZGER to the success of the band. I never picked up on this in all the YouTube tour clips, the London Live DVD and CD set. He is an amazing talented musician. He is their solid foundation.

LC has referred to him as the ”Signature of Steady” and the “Architect of the Arpeggio”. I can now understand why LC has wanted him in his troupe all these many years.

LC's band intros at the end of Anthem are legendary. His tribute to Bob Metzger is very moving.

On vocal harmonies,
the pedal steel guitar
and this electric guitar
which on my records and in these concerts
binds the verses one to another,
rising and falling in stunning geometries of loveliness,
a veteran of these many campaigns,
my old friend, the irreplaceable
Bob Metzger

Oakland, Dec 5,2010 Anthem cued to start at LC's intro of Bob Metzger


When we were given the opportunity to show our appreciation to the band at the end of the 2010 World Tour, inspired by Marie Mazur, Speaking Cohen, "Time to say Thank You", this is what I wrote to Bob Metzger: