Remembering a musician and his work in the days following his passing can take on many forms, depending on the fandom and how those fans want to pay tribute.
If the artist contributed to a soundtrack, a local theater might screen the film. If a cover band regularly plays the artist's hits, they might pop up at the local bar.
And if the communal experience of listening to a legend's work is what draws devotees together, then a famous place with "music" in its very name will simply put on the legend's songs and invite fans to enjoy the classic catalog, together, simply, in a beautiful space.
That enjoyment will go down to the sounds of Leonard Cohen at The Music Center Plaza on Thursday evening, Dec. 8.
There isn't a lot of frills or doodads to add to this one, an approach that serves Mr. Cohen's lean and poetically powerful oeuvre well. It's simply a night of people coming together to dig deep into some iconic music, and remember the musician who passed away on Nov. 7 at the age of 82.
It's free. Again, there are no frills, no tickets to order or reserve, no presentations to arrive for or live songs on a stage. Just show up and find an old friend, or make a new buddy, and turn your ears upward to the speakers as you find a step to sit on or bench or chair.
Food, too, will be nearby (and for sale), as well as drinks.
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As for what Cohen classics you'll hear? It's a four-hour event, so the flow could easily encompass everything from "Hallelujah" to "You Want It Darker" to "First We Take Manhattan" to "Chelsea Hotel No. 2."
Start time? Find your place on the plaza starting at 5 o'clock and settle in for memory, music, and a man who moved millions with his straight-to-the-stark-center-of-it songcraft.
