Sing another song: Nona and the Anonymous Choir play Leonard Cohen

I got off work a little after 9 p.m. It was supposed to be nine, but a nationwide swine flu outbreak had me waking up county fair managers across the state to ask about precautions they're taking. Turns out that it's not a good idea to pet a sick-looking pig.

Still, I got to the show well before it was supposed to start. I'd been excited since I first heard about it. Leonard Cohen was one of the first non-punk musicians I got really into growing up. Each of his albums holds a different place in my life, for when I discovered it, or when I gave it another chance and found I liked it.

And Nona, of Dark Dark Dark, is one of the most talented musicians around. I still have a couple copies of a CDR I traded them when I was running a short-lived distro in the mid- to late-2000s. They've developed a seriousness that I can now hear in their early stuff, quirky songs about winter in Minnesota performed in matching marching band uniforms. Their brand of minor-keyed yearning is a perfect fit for Leonard Cohen.

The show was at the new Icehouse on Nicollet Avenue. As we rode past the old Vietnamese restaurants and Asian groceries from the Greenway, it's almost like you could literally see Uptown sprawling towards us. It wouldn't surprise me to see all those businesses disappear sometime soon, especially if the city succeeds in its quest to tear down the monstrous K-Mart that blocks off Nicollet Avenue (which I hope they do). When those places are replaced with the next trendy eatery catering only to Uptown folks, it will be a shame, and a loss for the city's culture.

The venue was dark and expensive. There were about 14 women on stage, lined up in front of four microphones. Nona played piano and sang, and it seemed like each song was introduced by piano and voice before the choir joined in. Their voices were pretty, and the orchestration was restrained. Sometimes the chorus rose up behind Nona, only to fall quiet just when you expected it to break into the good sort of cacophony.

Many of the songs are that stark acoustic guitar and two angelic backup singers that characterizes early Leonard Cohen. I would love to hear some of the more crazed "Songs of Love and Hate" tunes done like this. But it was good. With fall coming, it was nice to wear a sweater outside the house. And the music seemed set to the season.

I bought my mom a copy of the tape. I hope she has a cassette player.

Here's the link to the cassette tape and download.