Leonard Cohen Adds Four 'Final' North American Tour Dates

Now approaching age 76, Leonard Cohen has announced what is ominously being billed as his "final four North American dates." Thankfully, the context appears to just be for his current world tour, which began in 2008 and saw the iconic performer play three-hour marathon concerts to packed arenas and venues everywhere; however, Cohen himself did hint at retirement several times along the tour path. Even when his career was in full swing, Cohen often took an excessively long time between albums and tours as he pursued other interests and he would drop out of the public eye for years at a clip.

That said, Cohen does plan to return to the studio in 2011, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that he'll grace the next generation with his awesome stage presence and his impeccable performances. But, for now, there will only be four more chances to see him in concert, in North America, and they are all at intimate 3,000-seat venues.

On Dec. 4, Cohen will perform in Honolulu, Hawaii followed by a Dec. 8 engagement in Portland, Ore. After that, Cohen will head to an oasis in the desert for a two-night stand, beginning Dec. 10, in Las Vegas, Nev. Those shows will take place in the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace, which has been home to resident shows by Cher, Celine Dion and Elton John. Unfortunately, Cohen's "residency" there will only be for a weekend and don't expect any showgirls -- expect show stopper after show stopper instead.