Three notable Canadian artists will be honouring the late Leonard Cohen on Nov. 7 at Meridian Hall in Toronto.
Feist, Rufus Wainwright and Serena Ryder have been tapped to perform at Everybody Knows Leonard Cohen: The Official 10th Anniversary Concert Celebration, to commemorate the legendary singer’s passing.
They’ll join the late singer’s son Adam Cohen and his own son (Leonard Cohen’s grandson) on the lineup to honour the Montreal-born poet, songwriter and artist.
The evening will give fans “a rare gathering of Cohen’s family and a powerhouse lineup of artists deeply woven into Canada’s musical fabric,” as Adam and his son carry the torch of Leonard’s legacy. It’s set to be “an intimate family homage and a major cultural moment.”
Wainwright has famously covered many of his tracks, including “Hallelujah,” and shouted him out on his 2005 project Want. He shares a daughter, Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen, with Cohen's own daughter Lorca (they are co-parents).
Meanwhile, Feist released an official studio version of her rendition of “Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye” following her tributes at the 2017 Juno Awards and Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen at Montreal's Bell Centre. Ryder is well-known for her cover of “Sisters of Mercy,” a track that anchored her 2006 album, If Your Memory Serves You Well.
Created and directed by Adam, the celebration is set to weave together Leonard’s “most enduring songs with a carefully curated selection of rare photographic and film archives.”
The Toronto show is slated as the final night of the concert celebration tour, which kicks off on Nov. 2 at Quebec’s Grand Théâtre de Québec, followed by two Montreal stops at Théâtre Saint-Denis on Nov. 4 and 5. Get tickets here.
Cohen passed away on Nov. 7, 2016, in Los Angeles. Following his death, Cohen’s 14th studio album, You Want It Darker, hit No. 1 on the Nov. 12-dated Billboard Canadian Albums chart and spent three non-consecutive weeks at the top. Released three weeks before his death, the album's themes include death, God and humour.
He later received a posthumous Grammy Award for the album’s title track for best rock performance in 2018. You Want It Darker was followed by 2019’s Thanks for the Dance, Cohen’s only posthumous album. It went on to debut at No. 1 on the Dec. 3-dated Canadian Albums chart.
Since his passing, Cohen has received shoutouts from Sabrina Carpenter, boygenius, Sabrina Carpenter and Lana Del Rey — who covered “Chelsea Hotel No. 2.” Other singers, including Nick Cave and Mark Knopfler, have cited Cohen’s impact on their music over the years with public tributes.
