It was announced last month that the Toronto music scene was losing yet another institution: the Phoenix Concert Theatre. The Sherbourne Street venue will close its doors on January 15, 2025, after more than three decades of having countless live acts grace its stage.
Surprisingly, Daniel Lanois is not one of those acts; at least not technically, anyway. The legendary Quebecois musician and producer performed at 410 Sherbourne in 1989 behind his seminal album, Acadie, but back then it was still the Diamond Club — the building's first iteration as a music venue, which opened in 1984.
The concert hall only became the Phoenix in 1991, so Lanois was a little ahead of its time — a course he's correcting this fall. As part of A Final Spin – Celebrating 33 1/3 Years of the Phoenix Concert Theatre, the venue will host An Evening with Daniel Lanois on September 28.
"We are honoured to have Daniel play the venue as part of our farewell programming to the Phoenix, 35 years after his initial appearance at the Diamond Club," venue co-owner Lisa Zbitnew said in a press release. "He was at the top of our list to be part of A Final Spin. We are huge fans of his music, his production and his musicianship. His artistry is beyond measure. What better way to salute the Phoenix than to have one of the most influential sonic experimenters of our time perform on our stage."
Tickets go on sale Monday (July 22) at 10 a.m. ET.