Leonard Cohenites International

LCN and the joys of summer!

2008-09-05T12:27:00.011-06:00

Thanks again to everyone who make the LCN fest such a huge success this summer. With almost 2,000 participants, it was by far the largest event ever hosted by the local Edmonton collective "Leonard Cohen Nights Art Society."

Please take a minute to run through the many photographs taken by participants this July:

The Kim Solez + Tom Turner Images
John + Fiona: Photos + Videos
Eija Arjatsalo Photos
Paula Blanco Photos

If you have any images from the festival which you would like to see added to this list, please contact us at cohenites@gmail.com - please include a link to your images or send small versions of the photos in your message.

Have a great summer! We'll see you next year.

Photos by Paula Blanco

2008-09-05T00:42:00.000-06:00

Event pictures by Eija Arjatsalo

2008-09-05T00:35:00.002-06:00

The Edmonton Event is Over...

2008-08-01T17:09:00.003-06:00

But the fun is just beginning!

Thanks to everyone who made the Edmonton Leonard Cohen Event such an enormous hit.

Unfortunately, I (Lila - the hospitality coordinator and web master) am on vacation until mid-August and will not be able to update the sites until I return.

Make sure to check back in two weeks for photos, articles, and links! If you have any photos, links, or videos of your own, please please please send them to us at cohenites@gmail.com - I will post them as soon as possible. Don't keep your glorious photos all to yourselves - share the joy with your fellow cohenites!

Now get out there and enjoy the summer.....

Information Links

2008-07-25T00:00:00.020-06:00

The biennial Cohen Event organized by The Leonard Cohen Files has combined forces with the annual "Leonard Cohen Nights" festival in Edmonton and for a festival bigger and better than ever! The 2008 event will feature multiple concerts with artists from Jann Arden to Serena Ryder, open mike performances, poetry readings, and a visual arts display as well as a wide variety of participant activities and *for the first time ever!* an official hospitality suite.

This site lists information for participants - both local and international - to help everyone have the best possible experience this summer. Links to specific areas of information are available below or along the left hand side of this page. The artist section contains information on the vast number of performers + artists featured during our event. The activities section includes general activities such as walking tours as well as larger events and concerts.

Please feel free to browse the site and contact us at cohenites@gmail.com if you have any questions or requests.

Sign Up Now! - Purchase your festival pass today! (includes all concerts + events - public + private!)

Click on one of the following links for information:

Tickets - Links to order the Festival Pass + Winspear Concert Tickets
Hospitality Suite - What the suite is and when the best parties are
Festival Activities - Concerts, tours, parties and events
Performers - Professional acts at this year's festival
LCN Open Mike - Cohen covers or your own material: sign up info

Volunteers Wanted! - Spend some time at the heart of the action by volunteering with the festival + get a discount on your festival ticket while you're at it

Accomodations - Where to stay in Edmonton and why
What to do in Edmonton - Unscheduled activities and tourist favourites
How to Get Around - Bus, LRT, Taxi and Rent-a-Car information

Winspear Concert Tickets

Sisters of Mercy Tour

2008-07-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

A Tour of Note: On Friday July 25 join Michael Dorsey, a musician who had the opportunity to play with Leonard Cohen in 1966, on a “Sisters of Mercy” tour of the University of Alberta that includes the home in which Leonard wrote “Sisters of Mercy”.

Ticket Information

2008-06-11T00:30:00.003-06:00

The Festival Pass
Covers all concerts, private + public, including all special events, tours, etc. "The Next Step," Friday's "Hospitality Suite Concert," and the DJ Dance Parties are just a few examples of the additional acitivies covered by the Festival Pass - and all for less than the price of individual tickets to the two public concerts!

The Winspear Concert
Only includes Saturday's main concert (see: The Saturday Concert)

Tickets are also available for the friday night Songwriters in the Round concert, at the Haven Social Club. Contact cohenites@gmail.com for details on the different ticket choices or information on how to purchase tickets.

River Valley Hikes

2008-05-18T00:42:00.003-06:00

Feeling particularly perky? Or just need an excuse to get out into that glorious day?

Check out the River Valley Tours, short hike/walks through the glorious valley at the heart of Edmonton... start at the Hospitality Suite and wander through some of the most beautiful scenery in Alberta.

Picnic in the Park

2008-05-18T00:37:00.003-06:00

Time to get outdoors and enjoy the summer!

Take a short walk from the hospitality suite to Edmonton's glorious riverside parks. Master Cohenite Tori Sheldon is hosting the party... Pick up treats at the Save-on-Foods along the way, or indulge in the snacks sold at the picnic itself.

Bring your blankets + get ready for an old fashioned Edmonton picnic party!

DJ Dance Party

2008-05-18T00:32:00.002-06:00

Join us in the hospitality room for the musical stylings of DJ Hot Philly. A fan of Cohen himself, Philly is sure to bring a high energy + eclectic mix to the party. Come dance till it hurts with fellow Cohenites all weekend long.

Clinker: "On the Other Side..."

2008-05-18T00:26:00.004-06:00

Clinker’s “On the Other Side...” explores Cohen’s continued romance with the light and dark inside our human experience. An audio-visual “deep listening” environment which will draw from the vast depths of emotion written into the words and music of Leonard Cohen.

The lush bass tones of Cohen’s voice provide a point of departure for our journey inside Clinker’s cinema of sound and light. Drawing from years of experience in creating and manipulating music and audio, Clinker will deconstruct and reassemble Cohen’s voice into surreal “bass-scapes” using his unique and sophisticated system of analogue and digital electronics. Clinker’s creation will bathe the audience in an array of Cohen’s “golden” vocal chords augmented with a connection between sonic and visual details. A specially designed sub-sonic sound system will be in place to reinforce the experience of extreme sound-movement through the body.

This piece will also be punctuated with musical adaptations of some of Clinker’s favorite Cohen songs featuring special guest virtuoso guitarist and recording artist, Les Robot. This will mark their first on-stage collaboration together drawing on both artist’s penchant for post-future musical arrangement.

Cohen Films

2008-05-18T00:18:00.004-06:00

The Cohenites have pestered, pandered, and bartered their way into attaining a number of Cohen films. Come check them out at the Stanley A Milner Public Library (across the street from the hospitality suite!)

Attendance is free and open to the public.

This Beggar's Description

Philip Tétrault has been locked up in jails and psych wards, kicked out of the house by desperate friends and family and spent long periods living on the streets of Montreal. However, he is also a talented writer and loving father whose deep family bonds and friendships have helped him come through periods of incredible darkness brought on by his schizophrenia.

Directed by Pierre Tétrault, This Beggar's Description tells his brother Phil's story - one of art, love, and madness - capturing the far-reaching effects of schizophrenia on one man, his friends and his family.

Phil's writing is central both to his life and to this documentary - offering extraordinary insights into street life in Montreal, the beauty of nature and what he calls "the gymnastics of my mind". His unpublished novel, Travels in Schizophrenia, is so intense that to this day Phil can't read it, for fear that it will bring on his schizophrenia.

Today he spends his days with friends on the street, collects cans for beer money, plays his beloved pan pipes and writes as much as he can. Phil is celebrated at the launch of his poetry book in Montreal, which is attended by his old friend and great supporter Leonard Cohen, whose songs are woven throughout the film.

In this powerful and moving portrait, we are reminded that rather than continuing to isolate those with schizophrenia, it is a far richer experience to make a place for them.

The Ernie Game

This romantic feature filmed in wintry Montreal could take place in any city with young people who have left their parents but still haven't made homes of their own.

The protagonist of this drama, Ernie, is extremely alienated. For him, life is a game because he's unable to make anything more of it. But for those who befriend him and eventually turn him loose again, his game is not enough.

The cast includes Jackie Burroughs, who went on to fame in the well-loved TV series Anne of Green Gables. The video also features a memorable performance by Leonard Cohen.

Ladies and Gentleman...Mr. Leonard Cohen

This Jazzy 1965 black and white film portrait catches the imaginative energies, lyrical and comic, of a young Leonard Cohen, the quicksilver Canadian poet, novelist, and songwriter as he was on the verge of pop stardom. This Jazzy 1965 black and white film portrait catches the imaginative energies, lyrical and comic, of a young Leonard Cohen, the quicksilver Canadian poet, novelist, and songwriter as he was on the verge of pop stardom.

Early Bird Breakfast

2008-05-18T00:16:00.002-06:00

Like a bird on a wire... They will flock together?

OK so we're not Cohen. But we do throw a good party! Pop by the hospitality suite for breakfast + get a heads up on scheduled activities for the day. Maybe even meet someone new or plan your own adventure for the day!

Additional Concerts + Performances

2008-04-01T19:32:00.004-06:00

Thursday Night - "Dance Me" performance
Friday Afternoon - Academic Talks with Dr. Meuller and Ira Nadel.
Friday Night - Clinker performance
Saturday Afternoon - Monsieur Camembert Concert
Sunday Afternoon - Clinker Performance(s)

Monsieur Camembert

2008-04-01T19:30:00.000-06:00

...a brazen and intoxicating blend of jazz, gypsy swing, Latin & East European influences! (The Age, 2005)

If I had to summarise the immense appeal of this group, it is their subtle quirkiness and sense of surprise they engender...you could groove to them all night...
(Diaspora Magazine)

Gloriously melodramatic, extraordinary musical prowess [and] breathless panache… ensemble playing at it’s finest... (Drum Media Magazine)
…a winning tongue-in-cheek insouciance that is instantly intoxicating and highly infectious (The Adelaide Review)

With a vibrant, contemporary edge, triple ARIA Award winning group Monsieur Camembert has been described as eclectic, virtuosic, theatrical and irreverent. Fusing the wild rhythms of Eastern Europe with tango and Latin music, swing, jazz, klezmer, tarantella and French Musette, Monsieur Camembert’s shows have become synonymous with an atmosphere of celebration and spontaneity. This is gutsy, emotive and irresistibly danceable music, played with originality, virtuosity, sensuality and flair.
The most successful world music band in Australian music history, the core group has been performing for more than seven years and has gained a wide audience at a range of events, including national and international music festivals, concert halls, various performing arts and jazz venues, including the Sydney Opera House, The Basement and the Art Gallery of NSW and celebrity weddings. In 2000, they were a featured act at the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony and were broadcast on ABC Radio National's live concert series: “Live On Stage” three times.

Performances over the past few years have included the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, three sell-out concerts in Paris, WOMADelaide in South Australia and Woodford in Queensland, Port Fairy Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Ohel Leah’s Centenary celebrations in Hong Kong, St Kilda Festival in Melbourne and Bellingen Global Carnival. The group has also devised a full-length show Just a Gigolo based on the life and music of Louis Prima, which played to sell-out audiences in Sydney and the Gold Coast. In 2003, they released their third CD, Absynthe, which has now been on the Australian Jazz Charts for a record-breaking 105 Weeks, after more than 6 months at the No.1 position. Absynthe won an ARIA AWARD for Best World Music album. This followed on from their 2002 win in the same category for their Live on Stage CD.

2005 highlights have included a Best World Music Album ARIA for their new double self-titled CD Monsieur Camembert, performances at the Mosaic Festival in Singapore, the Toyota Muster in Queensland, headlining the Cygnet Festival in Tasmania, and the Sydney premiere of a Leonard Cohen tribute show. Plans for 2006 include recording, national touring, festival appearances throughout Australia, performances in New Zealand and a follow up European tour.
Monsieur Camembert is:
Yaron Hallis - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Edouard Bronson - Saxes/Clarinet/Flute
Marcello Maio - Accordion/Piano
Santiago - Lead Guitar
Mark Harris - Double BassJess Ciampa - Percussion

Guest Artists:
Anatoli Torjinski - 5 String Cello/Balalaika
Daniel Weltlinger - Violin
Julian Curwin - Lead Guitar
Shenzo Gregorio - ViolinVladimir Khusid - Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Svetlana Bunic - Accordion

Academic Speakers

2008-04-01T16:38:00.002-06:00

As part of "Find Yourself Friday," The Cohenites will be presenting three academic talks on Leonard Cohen with special emphasis on healing, Buddhism and minimalism as they reference his works.

These speakers will present at the Hospitality Suite (in the Westin Hotel) on Friday afternoon. Featured performers are:

Ira Nadel - Infamous in Cohen fan circles as Leonard's Biographer, Ira Nadel has spoken at numerous Cohenites events in the past. He will be discussing "The New Cohen" - recent developments in Cohen's life and art.

Dr. Thomas Mueller - A local Nephrologist, and ex-LCN board member, Dr. Mueller will be talking about Cohen's connections to medicine, meditation, and Buddhism.

Volunteer Registration Form

2008-03-16T16:36:00.003-06:00

Register as a volunteer for the July festival and receive 30% off your festival pass (as well as free bus tickets, snacks, and lots of other perks!)

Register now to receive your discount! Email cohenites@gmail.com or download the registration form from www.leonardcohennights.org/volunteer.doc

Artist Line Ups

2008-03-16T16:30:00.005-06:00

The Saturday Concert

Jann Arden,
Serena Ryder,
Peter Elkas,
Roddy Hart,
Darrell Scott,
Tom Rush,
Ted Bishop (spoken word),
Todd Babiak (spoken word),
Emceed by Kate Hammett-Vaughan

Held at the Winspeare Centre, Edmonton

Fan Event (Friday Night):
Karla Anderson
Ann Vriend
Hospitality suite performances.

Songwriter in the Round Concert (Friday Night):
Peter Elkas,
Roddy Hart,
Darrell Scott,
Tom Rush
Performing a combination of Cohen covers and the performer's own work. Held at the Masonic Hall, Edmonton

Fan Concert (Friday Night)

2008-03-16T16:05:00.004-06:00

Karla Anderson
Ann Vriend

Performances will be at the Westin Hotel Hospitality Suite.

Songwriter in the Round Concert (Friday Night)

2008-03-16T16:03:00.008-06:00

Peter Elkas,
Roddy Hart,
Darrell Scott,
Tom Rush

Performing a combination of Cohen covers and the performer's own work.

Held at the Haven Night Club, Edmonton (151 st and Stoney Plain)

The Saturday Concert

2008-03-16T15:58:00.009-06:00

Jann Arden,
Serena Ryder,
Monsieur Camembert
Peter Elkas,
Roddy Hart,
Darrell Scott,
Tom Rush,
Ann Vriend
Ted Bishop (spoken word),
Todd Babiak (spoken word),

Emceed by Kate Hammett-Vaughan

Held at the Winspear Centre, Edmonton

2008 Edmonton International Event Schedule!!

2008-03-16T15:54:00.021-06:00

All Events are held/start at the Westin Hospitality Room unless otherwise specified.

Wed July 23- "4 Old Songs"
2pm Registration begins
3-7pm Downtown Tours
6-9pm Collage-a-thon

Thur July 24- "Inspiration/Temptation"
8-10am Early Bird Breakfast
11:30-4pm Whyte Ave Shopping trips
4:30-6:15pm Cohen Films at the Library
6:30-10pm “Dance Me” performance at Citadel Theatre
10-10:45pm "The New Step" Play
11pm onwards Collage-a-thon

Fri July 25- “Find Yourself Friday”
1-3pm Sisters of Mercy Tour
5-7pm Academic Talks
8-10pm Songwriter in the Round at Haven and Hospitality Suite concert
10:30pm - Midnight Clinker "On the Other Side..." Live Performance at Citadel Theatre

Sat July 26- “Dance Me to the End”
9:30-1pm River Valley Tours
2:30-4pm Open Mike
8-10pm Winspear Concert
10:30pm onwards DJ Dance Party

Sun July 27 - "Back on Boogie Street"
11-3pm Picnic in the Park party at Rundle Park
3pm, 5pm Clinker "On the Other Side..." Live Performances
8-10pm Monsieur Camembert Concert
10:30pm onwards DJ Dance Party

Mon July 28- "Closing Time"
8-10am Survivor’s Breakfast at College Plaza
1:30pm Bus departs for Banff Mini-Event

The Post Event Party in the Rockies

2008-03-16T14:23:00.007-06:00

The Banff After Party
(Where the cool kids will be post-LCN 08 )

Monday July 28th
 Leave 1pm, arrive 8pm ish via Greyhound
 Drinks at St James' Gate Pub

Tuesday July 29th
 Tunnel Mountain Hike (AM)
 River Kayaking (PM)
 Drinks at the Banff Springs Hotel (Latenight)

Wednesday July 30th
 Lake Minnewanka Hike + Picnic (AM)
 Spa Evening (PM)
 Jam Night at HI Hostel (Latenight)

Thursday July 31st
 Sulfur Mountain Hike (AM)
 Lunch at the summit of Sulfur (restaurant or bag lunch)
 Hot Springs soak (PM)

Friday August 1st
 Shopping! Main St and the Banff Springs Hotel (AM)
 HI Kareoke night (latenight)
 Airport Shuttle or Greyhound back

* Other things you may wish to do in Banff: White water rafting, horse riding, carraige ride, visit Lake Louise (1hr drive or $10 busride), browse the many galleries... or a million other things!

- Lots of time for your own activities and adventures!
- Easy hikes every morning, relax every evening
- Choose your own activities and reconnect with the group whenever you want
- Spa and shopping options for non-athletes (or those who are partied-out)
- Discounts for anyone with a car
- Great way to enjoy the best of Banff within the safety and energy of a group

** For all the activities listed (except shopping/spas/etc), the estimated price is about $350. You can do as little or as much as you want - this price also includes your stay at the hostel + the busride to Banff.

email cohenites@gmail.com to sign up today!

Jann Arden (Saturday Night Headliner)

2008-03-16T14:21:00.002-06:00

Recording artist, Jann Arden continues to be one of Canada’s most talented songwriters and performers. Starting 2007 as Chatelaine’s covergirl and with a personal transformation that people can’t stop talking about, her star will only continue to shine. With 9 CDs, 16 top ten singles, a substantial collection of industry related awards and honours, a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, acting, writing and charity work, Arden is truly an entertainment icon.

In February 2007, Arden released her ninth album, Uncover Me, a collection of Arden’s favorite songs. Uncover Me debuted at #1 on the Digital SoundScan Chart and placed 3rd on the Nielsen’s SoundScan Chart. This was Jann’s highest debut to date spanning her illustrious 15 year recording career.

Led by the hit single “Bring The Boys Home,” Arden takes ownership of these personally selected tracks crafted by some of the best songwriters of our time. The tracks include everything from “You’re So Vain” (Carly Simon) to “At Seventeen” (Janis Ian) to an amazing rendition of “California Dreamin’” (the Mama’s & the Papas). Arden has not forgotten her loyal fans and has included a new original track “Counterfeit Heart.”

Arden has continued to tour at an unstoppable pace. Last summer, she returned from a US tour with Canadian crooner Michael Bublé. This marked her third outing with Bublé – having also toured Europe and Australia in the past 18 months. Her recent Uncover Me Tour, visiting cities across Canada this spring, was one of 2007’s most anticipated and successful tours.

In 2006, Arden was awarded 2 Western Canadian Music Awards, including Pop Recording of the year for Jann Arden. SOCAN honoured Arden with its 2006 National Achievement Award for career success in songwriting, as well as 6 Classic Awards for singles reaching 100,000 spins on Canadian radio and 1 Pop Music Award for the single “Where No One Knows Me.”

Arden is also well known for her comedic talents, abilities as a speaker and as a bestselling author. In the Fall of 2004, Arden celebrated the publication of her second book – a collection from her popular on-line journals. i’ll tell you one damn thing, and that’s all i know! continued where her bestselling first publication, if I knew, don’t you think I’d tell you? left off (much to Arden’s surprise, her first book climbed to #3 on Canada’s Globe and Mail Non-fiction Bestseller list). Arden’s ability to candidly discuss topics ranging from bra size to spirituality has solidified her reputation of being unpredictably entertaining, which explains the sell-out crowds at the notable “My Life, My Way” and “Lifefest” speaking series, presented by Chatelaine.

Arden is no stranger to theatre, having performed in Eve Ensler’s Broadway hit, The Vagina Monologues on stages across Canada. She also returned to the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal to host An Evening at Eve’s Tavern. On the screen, large and small, Arden filmed Jann Takes Manhattan (a documentary-style network television special filmed while performing in New York City), was featured in the Gemini nominated episode of the sitcom Big Sound, and was cast in the feature movies White Lies and Don’t Cry Now.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• Millions of records sold worldwide, with 15 top ten singles from eight albums: Time for Mercy, Living Under June, Happy?, Blood Red Cherry, Greatest Hurts–The Best of, Live With the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Love Is The Only Soldier, Jann Arden and her latest release, Uncover Me.
• Winner of 8 (eight) Junos, 8 (eight) 2006 SOCAN Awards, 2 (two) 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards and many other industry accolades including a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
• Active supporter of charities including the 2007 “Cure” Foundation for Breast Cancer and is the 2007 national spokesperson for Kids Help Phone. In 2006, Arden performed for and supported Gilda’s Club of Greater Toronto, Make A Wish Foundation and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Arden also continues to be an active supporter of World Vision

Jann Arden (Headliner)

2008-03-16T14:18:00.003-06:00

Recording artist Jann Arden continues to be one of Canada’s most talented songwriters and performers. Starting 2007 as Chatelaine’s covergirl and with a personal transformation that people can’t stop talking about, her star will only continue to shine. With 9 CDs, 16 top ten singles, a substantial collection of industry related awards and honours, a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, acting, writing and charity work, Arden is truly an entertainment icon.

In February 2007, Arden released her ninth album, Uncover Me, a collection of Arden’s favorite songs. Uncover Me debuted at #1 on the Digital SoundScan Chart and placed 3rd on the Nielsen’s SoundScan Chart. This was Jann’s highest debut to date spanning her illustrious 15 year recording career.

Led by the hit single “Bring The Boys Home,” Arden takes ownership of these personally selected tracks crafted by some of the best songwriters of our time. The tracks include everything from “You’re So Vain” (Carly Simon) to “At Seventeen” (Janis Ian) to an amazing rendition of “California Dreamin’” (the Mama’s & the Papas). Arden has not forgotten her loyal fans and has included a new original track “Counterfeit Heart.”

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