A SON’S DAUNTING DUTY
Adam Cohen on tribute to Leonard
Adam Cohen, like his father, Leonard Cohen, has a way with words, and he has a remarkably poetic way of talking about everyday life. But when asked during an interview Monday morning what the year since his dad’s death has been like, Adam doesn’t beat around the bush when trying to describe his life since Cohen Sr. died last Nov. 7.
“It’s been terrible,” said Adam Cohen in a chat at the Musée d’art contemporain. “I’ve been irritable. They don’t prepare you for these kinds of things. They don’t prepare you for the wonderful birth of a child and they don’t prepare you for the loss of people who are beloved to you. I’m not sure if they did prepare you that it would serve much (purpose). It’s stirring and pivotal and in this case deeply, deeply disagreeable.”
Though he has been consumed by grief, Cohen still felt it was his duty to organize a concert paying tribute to his father, and he has spent months preparing Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen, which will take place at the Bell Centre Nov. 6. The lineup includes Sting, Lana Del Rey, Elvis Costello, Feist, Philip Glass, Damien Rice, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites from The Lumineers, Patrick Watson, k.d. lang and Adam Cohen. I suggested to Cohen that working on the show might be helping with the grief, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
“Not a drop, it just makes it worse,” Cohen said with a laugh. “Frankly, my pre-occupation with my father’s work, his being, his influence, the standard of excellence that I feel he’s owed has probably all been an undue burden on me. But this is what I feel he deserves, and I want to be part of this celebration.”
Cohen has followed in his father’s footsteps and is also a singersongwriter, with four albums to his credit.
He said “it’s nervous-making” talking about the daunting task of pulling together this major concert. But he kept coming back in the conversation to the notion that he really had no choice in the matter.
“Now that it’s being announced, I’m rather intimidated,” Cohen said. “What have I done? Why have I done this? I know it’s out of filial devotion. My old man was very modest. It’s one of his chief distinguishing characteristics and he was so preoccupied with the work. Literally shaved his head, abandoned civilization and went on top of a mountain to meditate, while everyone else was worrying about what they were wearing and who they were (having sex with) and who they were allied with.
“As a result, money was stolen from him and he was left with the impression of a lower stature in society than I believe he actually had. So I grew up with a notion that he imparted to me, both that of his modesty and his lack of concern for celebrity. I grew up thinking he was just this (everyday) genius and fringe icon at best. And to see at the end of his career such a testimony from his community and peers and colleagues of admiration, love and warmth, and to see the span of his influence, that’s what I wanted to put on display.”
Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen takes place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Bell Centre. Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon and cost from $40.25 to $276.50 (including taxes and service fees). They will be available at evenko.ca and via 514-790-2525.