KW-32-2024: Looking For Leonard – Patrick Page and Perla Batalla: Looking For Leonard September 21, 2024 This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

Patrick Page and Perla Batalla: Looking For Leonard

September 21, 2024

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

Join the captivating duo of Patrick Page and Perla Batalla as they ignite the stage with an electrifying celebration of Leonard Cohen’s enduring legacy. In a soul-stirring evening of music, poetry, and personal anecdotes, they honor the profound impact of Cohen’s genius on their lives and careers.

Grammy-nominated powerhouse Perla Batalla, once a cherished member of Leonard Cohen’s inner circle, enchants audiences with her velvety vocals and intimate reflections. Having blossomed from Cohen’s backing vocalist to a globally acclaimed artist with seven albums in her own right, Batalla’s concert-homage to her mentor, In the House of Cohen, continues to captivate sold-out crowds worldwide. Her second album devoted to Cohen’s repertoire will be released this year.

Meanwhile, Grammy-winning virtuoso Patrick Page, celebrated for his magnetic performances on Broadway, infuses Cohen’s melodies with a poignant depth born from his own reverence for the iconic troubadour. Known for his Tony®-nominated portrayal of Hades in Hadestown and his multifaceted roles across 15 Broadway productions and numerous films and television shows, Page’s voice has frequently been compared to Cohen’s.

In Looking for Leonard Page and Batalla tenderly navigate through a tapestry of personal anecdotes and cherished memories, uniting with a dynamic ensemble to deliver soul-stirring renditions of Cohen classics like “Hallelujah,” “Bird on a Wire,” “I’m Your Man,” “Suzanne,” and “So Long, Marianne.”

This premiere event marks the beginning of a journey destined to traverse the globe, offering an unforgettable experience for devotees of Leonard Cohen, Patrick Page, and Perla Batalla alike. Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the timeless magic of Cohen’s legacy brought to life by two extraordinary talents.

KW-32-2024: Three Books in ONE – 3 Bücher in Einem – Das erste Kapitel, „Book Of Marillion“ genannt, widmet sich der britischen Progressive Rockband „Marillion“, die eine besondere Beziehung zu Leonard Cohens Stadt Montreal hat.

The first chapter, called „Book Of Marillion“, is dedicated to the British progressive rock band „Marillion“, which has a special relationship with Leonard Cohen’s city of Montreal. On the one hand, they have been celebrating their so-called „Marillion Weekends“ there since the early 2000s. On the other hand, they even dedicated a song, „Montreal“, to their esteemed city, which also refers to Leonard Cohen. Last but not least, the entire „Marillion Weekend“ in 2023 was dedicated to Leonard Cohen, as her current album at the time „An Hour Before Ist Dark“ included the Tribute To Leonard Cohen song „The Crow And The Nightingale“, a kind of declaration of love from singer Steve Hogarth to Leonard Cohen.

From March 28 to 30, 2025, a three-day Marillion Weekend will once again take place at Montreal’s Olympia. Montreal is the city where the festival still takes place for three consecutive days.

Das erste Kapitel, „Book Of Marillion“ genannt, widmet sich der britischen Progressive Rockband „Marillion“, die eine besondere Beziehung zu Leonard Cohens Stadt Montreal hat. Zum einen feiern sie dort seit Beginn der 2000er Jahre ihre sogenannten „Marillion Weekends“. Zum anderen widmeten Sie gar einen Song, „Montreal“ ihrer geschätzten Stadt, in dem auch Bezug auf Leonard Cohen genommen wird. Zuguterletzt stand im jahr 2023 das gesamte „Marillion Weekend“  im Zeichen von Leonard Cohen, da ihr damaliges aktuelles Album „An Hour Before Ist Dark“, den Tribute To Leonard Cohen – Song „The Crow And The Nightingale“ behinhaltete, eine Art Liebeserklärung von Sänger Steve Hogarth an Leonard Cohen.

Vom 28. Bis 30. März 2025 findet im Montrealer Olympia wieder ein dreitägiges Marillion Weekend statt. Montreal ist die Stadt, in der das Festival nach wie vor an drei aufeinanderfolgenden Tagen stattfindet.

Vol. 6 – Marillion , Montreal & Leonard Cohen – UK-Prog Rock-Band #MARILLION on Montreal and on Leonard Cohen – Essays, Photos, Interviews – #Marillion #Montreal #LeonardCohen

 

KW-32-2024: Three Books in ONE – 3 Bücher in Einem – Das zweite Kapitel, „Book Of Montreal“ genannt widmet sich den sogenannten COHEN PLACES in Montreal, also den Orten in der kanadischen Metropole, die in besonderer B eziehung zu Leonard Cohen stehen, wie z.B. Elternhaus, späteres Wohnhaus, seine Uni, Cafès, die er besucht hatte, etc.

The second chapter, called „Book Of Montreal“, is dedicated to the so-called COHEN PLACES in Montreal, i.e. the places in the Canadian metropolis that have a special relationship with Leonard Cohen, such as his parents‘ house, later home, his university, cafes he had attended, etc.

Vol. 6 – Marillion , Montreal & Leonard Cohen – UK-Prog Rock-Band #MARILLION on Montreal and on Leonard Cohen – Essays, Photos, Interviews – #Marillion #Montreal #LeonardCohen

 

KW-32-2024: Three Books in ONE – 3 Bücher in Einem – Das dritte Kapitel des Buches widmet sich dem aus Montreal stammenden Leonard Cohen

The third chapter of the book is dedicated to the Montreal-born rock poet Leonard Cohen

Vol. 6 – Marillion , Montreal & Leonard Cohen – UK-Prog Rock-Band #MARILLION on Montreal and on Leonard Cohen – Essays, Photos, Interviews – #Marillion #Montreal #LeonardCohen

 

 

KW-32-2024: „It`s Time To Sing A Leonard Cohen-Song“ – RUFUS WAINWRIGHT sings HALLELUJA and SO LONG MARIANNE at the ZELTIVAL 2024 in Karlsruhe/ Germany – A concert review in English

„It’s Time To Sing A Leonard Cohen – Song“ – Concert Review :

Rufus Wainwrightat Kulturzentrum Tollhaus, Karlsruhe, Germany

By Christof Graf

Concerts by the Canadian singer, composer and songwriter Rufus Wainwright are always also devotions, as one pays attention not only to his virtuoso piano playing, to his voluminous voice, but also to the words sung and said between the songs. Everything is of the highest quality: the songs, the Steinway grand piano, the light, the sound and the suit of Rufus Wainwright. Wainwright loves the staging of himself and this includes the first three songs („Agnus Die“, „Montauk“ and „Vibrate“) on the keys and the two following „Sanssouci“ and „He Loved (from Hadrian)“ on the strings. It quickly becomes clear once again how much Wainwright knows how to merge pop and classical music. This is probably also a reason why the curators of the „Zeltival“, – a cultural summer event of the Karlsruhe Tollhaus – have been courting a performance by the Canadian for years. In the 40th anniversary year of the Zeltival, the time had come, Wainwright agreed, says Sebastian Bau, spokesman for the Zeltival.

In the heat of a hot July summer day, the audience appreciates this. The concert hall is sold out and celebrates Wainwright for his melange of sometimes contrived, sometimes only theatrical drama. He knows how to reward the enthusiasm with an invitation to a journey through his musical hourvre. He presents classics such as „Gay Messiah“ as well as excerpts from his operas („Ready For Battle“). „I made my second opera. I love saying this. ’second opera‘,“ Wainwright is eloquent, sympathetic but also self-deprecatingly talkative. „It was all very artistic and a financial disaster. Which is pretty much my thing.“ Wainwright also introduces a new song titled „Old Song (Early Morning Madness)“. Then he picks up the guitar and shouts: „It’s Time To Sing A Leonard Cohen Song“ and interprets „So Long Marianne“ with such a powerful voice and vehemence as if he wanted to say that if Leonard Cohen hadn’t written this song, he would have composed it himself. What not everyone knows: Rufus Wainwright is the father of Leonard Cohen’s granddaughter Viva. Before his marriage to his husband, the German-American Jörn Weisbrodt, Rufus Wainwright was in a relationship with Cohen’s daughter Lorca Cohen and had a daughter Viva (13) with Lorca.

After the Cohen tribute follows „Poses“, the title song of his second studio album from 2001. This song stands for Wainwright’s art of wrapping metaphorical lyrics into sociable melodies. „Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk“ is a second song from the „Poses“ album and the last one before the encore. Especially with these two songs it becomes clear that Rufus Wainwright likes to write music for the big stage: deep, dynamic and imposing.

The first encore is „Going To A Town“, where he sings „I’m so tired of you America“ and points to the upcoming election campaign scenario in the fall of 2024 in the United States. This is followed by a second Leonard Cohen cover: „Hallelujah“. He has already performed this in several flash mob versions and at the Karlsruhe Zeltival 2024 he also knows how to animate his audience to listen reverently and at the same time sing along enthusiastically. His full beard has given way to a gray sideburn, but his elegant appearance has remained. His presence is immense even without a backing band or orchestra. Rufus Wainwright loves dramatic theatricality with depth and chic and intones a cover of Jean Renoir with „La Complainte De La Butte“ as the last song in the tradition of his usual noble, subtle, impressive way. Da Capo, Rufus Wainwright.

Setlist at Kulturzentrum Tollhaus, Karlsruhe, Germany, 11th of July 2024

  1. Agnus Dei
  2. Montauk
  3. Vibrate
  4. Sanssouci
  5. He Loved (from Hadrian)
  6. Peaceful Afternoon
  7. The Art Teacher
  8. Old Song / Early Morning Madness
  9. Gay Messiah
  10. Ready for Battle (from Opening Night)
  11. So Long, Marianne (Leonard Cohen cover)
  12. Poses
  13. Dinner at Eight
  14. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
  15. Encore:
  16. Going to a Town

Encore:

  1. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)
  2. La complainte de la butte (Jean Renoir cover)