Anton Karabushin, a 19 year-old singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer, has released his latest Nu Jazz single, “Central Park Archives.” Currently a student at Fordham University and originally from Denver, CO, Karabushin began his composing career in May 2020, now having released five singles featuring genres from classical piano to Drum & Bass and incorporating multiple languages in the process.
Anton is a first-generation American who makes music he loves, and does not limit himself to one single genres. “Summer Days” fell in the range of synthpop, while “Look in the Closet” took on a more metal feel, while featuring his native Russian language intermittently.
A self described Renaissance Man, arrived at Fordham at Lincoln Center to pursue music, theater, and a higher education all at the same time. Trained in classical piano from age 5 to 16, Anton sang in many school and city choirs from a young age, these two musical foundations made him “nitpicky” about harmonies and vocal tone
“Central Park Archive” was the result of a spontaneous decision to carry my Alesis MIDI Keyboard to Sheep Meadow at around 11am on a Thursday. The cool yet sunny atmosphere of the park and the people there really sparked my creativity, and as 4pm rolled around, the song was nearly complete. The title arrived from my feeling that the sounds encapsulated what it is to walk through Central Park. It is an “archive” because this song embodies that sensation in any time, past, future or present.
Anton Karabushin
Anton cites Aphex Twin, Mid-Air Thief and the Strawberry Guy, as well as newew influences including artists Nujabes and The Avalanches. Utilizing a MIDI to recreate sampling sounds, he notes Nujabes’ song “Horizon” having a direct influence on “Central Park Archive,” and synthpop band Homeshake helping to form his synth x vocals vibe.
Karabushin released “Central Park Archive” on November 19, using his newly developed electronic music production skills. A true self-taught artist in music production and vocal/instrument recording, Anton’s plan is to finish his bachelor’s degree at Fordham University at Lincoln Center and simultaneously create music he truly loves.
Author, poet, songwriter, and Queen of New York Patti Smith graced the stage at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park with her bandfor a free Sunday evening show this past weekend as part of the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage concert series.
Nearly one month ago Smith was set to perform as part of the mega NYC Homecoming Concert in the Great Lawn, which was cut short by the watery remnants of Hurricane Henri before she had her turn on stage. Confirmed in an interview she did that evening with Anderson Cooper, she we would have performed a duet with Bruce Springsteen on the song they penned together, “Because the Night.” While there was no surprise Bruce appearance, Smith made a full-hearted fancy of the tune in dedication to her late husband Fred Smith.
A NYC-cultivated setlist payed tribute and honor to Smith’s equals who’ve either passed or fortunate to still be contributing to the arts. Early in the show Smith dedicated the reggae-infused “Renando Beach” to the late Jamaican record producer Lee “Scratch” Perry and went on to pay tribute to Charlie Watts with “Beneath the Southern Cross.” In tribute to former Saturday Night Live star Norm Macdonald Smith introduced Stevie Wonder’s “Blame it on the Sun” with a quote from the late comedian. Her band paid homage to Hilly Kristal and his CBGB legacy with a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “I’m Free” with an interlude of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” Lastly, Smith tipped her hat to Bob Dylan with her take on his song “One Too Many Mornings.”
As a poet Smith performed her spoken word poem “Perfect Moon” to welcome in the approaching Harvest Moon leading seamlessly into the lyrics and music of “Dancing Barefoot.”
After a short encore break, Smith’s show ended with a message of strength “People Have the Power.” With fists in the air, many sang along in solidarity with that message.
The Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage concert series continues into early October; for more information check out the schedule here.
Setlist: Grateful, Redondo Beach, Free Money, Ghost Dance, Perfect Moon (poem), Dancing Barefoot, Ain’t It Strange, Beneath the Southern Cross, Blame It on the Sun, I’m Free -> Walk on the Wild Side -> I’m Free, Because the Night, Pissing in a River, One Too Many Mornings, Land / Gloria
The Central Park “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” was cut short Saturday, August 21 due to approaching Hurricane Henri. The announcement was made over the PA system in the middle of singer Barry Manilow’s set. Those in attendance were urged to move to the nearest exits and “proceed to outside of the park.”The concert was originally scheduled from 5pm to 10pm, but was abruptly shut down just after 8pm.
Despite the rain, concert organizer and music mogul Clive Davis along with Mayor De Blasio desperately tried to get the show restarted. Unfortunately it was to no avail as the rain was at its heaviest during 9pm and 10pm (a record-setting rainfall for Central Park). The concert was supposed to be the grand finale after a week of other homecoming concerts throughout the city.
Although We Love NYC concert was cut short, the 60,000 fans in attendance still got to witness some pretty amazing performances. “CBS This Morning” host Gayle King kicked off the show by introducing the New York Philharmonic. They performed a bunch of New York themed instrumentals including Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” featuring Billy’s former saxophone player Richie Cannata, and “Theme From New York, New York” made famous by Frank Sinatra. Then italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who himself had a recent battle with covid, joined the Philharmonic for beautiful renditions of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “O Sole Mio”. Before leaving he told the crowd “After a storm comes always the sun.” It was an emotional moment.
Also joining the Philharmonic was Jennifer Hudson who stars as Aretha Franklin in the new biopic “Respect.” As a tribute to “The Queen of Sole” she performed “Nessun Dorma” which Franklin sang at the 1998 Grammy Awards as a last minute replacement for Luciano Pavarotti. Jennifer did not disappoint. It was a wonderful tribute that Aretha herself would have been proud of.
At this point the man of the hour himself, Clive Davis came out and greeted the crowd. He also introduced one of his good friends Carlos Santana who performed “Maria, Maria” with Wyclef Jean. He also performed the 1999 hit “Smooth” with Rob Thomas.
Singer Kane Brown also made a quick appearance. He performed his 2018 hit “Homesick” as well as his 2020 single “Be Like That.”
Senator Chuck Schumer was also on hand. He introduced Journey who also played Jones Beach Theater the same night at the Never Forget 9/11 concert. There performance was explosive as lead singer Arnel Pineda belted out “Any Way you Want It” and “Don’t Stop Believing.” Yet another memorable moment.
Perhaps the best performance of the night goes to grammy award winner and hip hop legend L.L. Cool J. His set tuned into a hip hop lovers trip down memory lane. He was joined by fellow legend Rev Run as they performed the Run-DMC classic “It’s Tricky.” He also brought out Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s Scorpio and Melle Mel and performed one of the earliest hip hop songs ever recorded “The Message.” Other hip hop stars like Busta Ryhmes, Spliff Star, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, French Montana and A Boogie also contributed to Uncle L’s set.
Then, “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert came out and introduced Jon Batiste. He only performed one song, “Freedom”, but it was fantastic.
Perhaps the least favorite guest of the night was New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. The 60,000 strong crowd greeted him with a round of boo’s, but he was able to get them back and he and his wife introduced the next performers Earth, Wind and Fire. They had recently released a new version of their hit song “You Want My Love” and performed it live for the first time with R&B start Babyface. They also sang their 1978 hit “September” with Babyface and Lucky Daye.
At this point of the show, we were starting to get warnings about the incoming weather as plastic tarps were brought out and put over the cameras and other equipment. Cnn anchor Don Lemon came out at this point and introduced Barry Manilow who was cut off in the middle of “Can’t Smile Without You.” It was just a few minutes later that the heavens opened up and New York City experienced the heaviest rain it has seen in years.
Still scheduled to perform was The Killers, Patti Smith with Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Simon who was waiting in his nearby apartment for word on weather the concert was going to resume. Unfortunately it did not resume but now Mayor De Blasio and Clive Davis are in talks to discuss a possible We Love NYC 2.0 Concert in the near future. NYSMusic.com will keep you up to date as soon as any new developments are made.
Armand Hammer and The Alchemist headlined Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage on Sunday, August 15, showcasing underground rap from their latest record Haram. The lineup for the day was rounded out by an opening DJ set from GENG PTP, followed by short sets from Moor Mother and Fielded.
Armand Hammer and The Alchemist at SummerStage, 8/15/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
As with most SummerStage shows, the evening started off with a series of short films, including a two minute short Pumbucha in which a low-level influencer tries to push a disgusting beverage that only causes them physical and emotional pain. After the film, DJ and producer GENG PTP took to the stage to spin original songs and classic hits, including “All Caps” in tribute to the late MF DOOM (remember, all caps when you spell the man’s name). During the set, underground rapper AKAI SOLO joined inand performed “Nebula” and “True Truths” off of his records Eleventh Wind and Mad Space respectively.
GENG PTP at SummerStage, 8/15/21. Photos by Buscar Photo
Next up was genre-defying poet and multi instrumentalist Moor Mother. Blending spoken word poetry with avant-garde and jazz influenced beats and soundscapes, Moor Mother delivers a powerful and thought provoking performance. Standing at the front of the stage, she fervently echoed the mantra “WE ARE STANDING ON GRAVES,” echoing a similar plea from the SummerStage public announcer before the show to honor the native lands and burial grounds our cities are built upon. Moor Mother is currently putting out and featured on some of the most cutting edge music, much of which is available on her BandCamp page.
Moor Mother at SummerStage, 8/15/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Fielded took the stage next and delivered a short set of lighter pop tunes. The three-piece band provided a bit of change of pace for the night, but sandwiched between the high energy and cerebral performances of Moor Mother and Armand Hammer, Fielded soothed the crowd and allowed the evening to take on a different atmosphere as the sun was setting. The singer from Fielded would also later make an appearance to provide vocals on a song for Armand Hammer.
Fielded at SummerStage, 8/15/21. Photos by Buscar Photo
Armand Hammer is the collaborative project of underground rappers Billy Woods and Elucid. The duo occupy a really specific sub-genre within the rap umbrella. Cerebral and relenting lyrical flow is delivered over more minimal but psychedelic beat patterns laced with horns and ambient loops. The instrumentals here serve more of a mood-setting purpose while the lyricists engage in a “stream of consciousness” rap style.
Elucid of Armand Hammer at SummerStage 8/15/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Making their LP debut in 2013 with Race Music, the group hit a major stride with 2018’s Paraffin. Hailed as an underground rap opus, this LP brought the duo’s unique style to the forefront and began inspiring a wave of new rappers in the genre. With their latest release Haram, Armand Hammer is joined by heavyweight producer The Alchemist. His inclusion is apparent right at the start of the record, delivering a dark and hypnotic beat on “Sir Benni Miles” to set the mood of the record straight away. Haram explores, in startling detail, the wounds and fear still experienced by African Americans today as a result of colonial slavery and oppression in America. This fear is embedded in the lyrics and instrumentals across the 40-minute runtime of the record.
The group love sharing the stage with their peers, allowing fellow rap duo Shrapknel on stage to perform a couple of their songs. The whole night was a showcase of the exciting artists on Backwoodz Studios, all the artists who performed tonight have releases on the label.
Billy Woods of Armand Hammer at SummerStage, 8/15/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Concerts right now are nothing short of a spiritual experience. After 18 months of isolation and fear due to the pandemic, being at a concert today is both daring but rewarding. Getting back to the enjoyment of a concert while being safe and cognizant of what is still going on is incredibly important at this time. Artists on stage are acutely aware of this, and seeing these artists take the stage again after all this time you can’t help but feel the energy emanating from them. After a couple of songs, Elucid was so caught up in the performance he desperately pleaded to the sound engineers, “I need more volume up here man, this is a physical experience right now,” a sentiment that was on clear display amongst the audience.
The Alchemist at SummerStage, 8/15/21. Photo by Buscar Photo
Next up for Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is a very special benefit show with Common this coming Sunday, August 22nd. The show is supported by exciting hip hop artist Rapsody. We will be there – make sure to check back for a photo gallery and review of that show. All upcoming SummerStage shows will require proof of vaccination along with a government issued ID to gain entry. Make sure to check the individual requirements of any show you plan on attending as vaccine and testing requirements begin to take shape.
Update: August 20, 2021 – Due to the likelihood of severe weather expected from Tropical Storm Henri, Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage will postpone the Common / Rapsody / Pete Rock show scheduled for Sunday, August 22 at 7 PM in Central Park.
Sunday, August 22, Capital One City Parks Foundation will be presenting SummerStage with two upcoming ticketed benefit performances in Central Park. The performance on the 22nd will feature academy award, Emmy, and Grammy-winning artist, Common with support from grammy-nominated rappers Rapsody and Pete Rock. Then two days later Lake Street Dive will be performing to a sold-out crowd with Allision Russell and Zia Victoria.
With dozens of roles over the past two decades (American Gangster, John Wick 2 just to name a few.), Common is as much of a movie star as he is a rapper. The Chicago-bred MC secured his legacy as a pillar of hip-hop with classic LPs like Resurrection, Be, One Day It’ll All Make Sense and Like Water for Chocolate—few performers have balanced both worlds with such aplomb. He’s joined by Rapsody, the MC from North Carolina who’s widely acknowledged as one of the rap game’s preeminent wordsmiths who signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. The show will be opened with a DJ set by Pete Rock, one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth, who helped pioneer the fusion of jazz, funk, and soul with rap, and is responsible for some of the most iconic productions in New York hip-hop.
Brooklyn’s Lake Street Dive have spent the last 16 years wielding classical chops to craft a sound that’s equal parts pop, rock, jazz, folk, and funk. The group formed in 2004 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, but each of its members—lead vocalist Rachael Price, guitarist/trumpeter Mike “McDuck” Olson, bassist Bridget Kearney, and drummer Mike Calabrese, and their newest member, keyboard and vocalist Akie Bermiss—have been singing and/or playing instruments since the third grade. Now seven albums deep into their recording career, they were recently featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series, performing tracks from their latest, Obviously.
Both shows will begin at 7 pm with doors opening at 6 pm, and unlike most shows during the concert series tickets will be needed. A full list of the concert series will be listed below. Tickets can be bought at cityparksfoundation.org for any ticketed shows.
30 for 30: Once Upon a Time in Queens World Premiere, presented by ESPN Films & Rooftop Films
Central Park
Aug-27
Friday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Jazzmobile and the City Parks Foundation Present: Bird at 100: Featuring Gary Bartz, Vincent Herring & Bobby Watson, with Dave Kikokski, Yasushi Nakamura and Carl Allen / Special Performance by Antonio Hart (quartet) with Miki Yamanaka, Alex Ayala, and Vince Ector
Marcus Garvey Park
Aug-28
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Go Brooklyn! Stetsasonic & Friends – 40th Anniversary Show
Coney Island
Aug-28
Saturday
4:00PM
6:00PM
CPJF – Charlie Parker with Strings: The Donald Harrison Quartet and The Harlem Symphony Orchestra
Marcus Garvey Park
Aug-29
Sunday
4:00PM
6:00PM
CPJF – Willie Jones III – A Charlie Parker Centennial Celebration featuring Sarah Hanahan, Godwin Louis, Justin Robinson, Erena Terakubo with Donald Vega and Endea Owens in association with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Marcus Garvey Park
Aug-29
Sunday
5:00PM
7:00PM
INVINCIBLE: A Glorious tribute to Michael Jackson / DJ KS 360
Coney Island
Sep-1
Wednesday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Yo La Tengo / Mountain Movers Rooftop Films Presents: “Date. Interrupted”& “Sousaphone”
Central Park
Sep-4
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Dom Salvador Samba Jazz Sextet / Screening: “Dom Salvador & Abolition” / DJ Nyack & Eduardo Brechó in association with 25th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival Rooftop Films Presents: “The Orphan (O Órfão)”
Central Park
Sep-11
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Erica Campbell / The Walls Group / Lena Byrd Miles / Jason McGee and Choir Rooftop Films Presents:“A Ship from Guantanamo,”“Miss Panama,”& “Spiritual First Aid”
Central Park
Sep-12
Sunday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Valerie June / Hollywood Anderson Rooftop Films Presents: “More Happiness,” “The Criminals (Les Criminels),”& “To Know Her (母 • 緣)”
Central Park
Sep-13
Monday
6:00PM
7:00PM
Machine Gun Kelly “Tickets to My Downfall” Tour with jxdn and KennyHoopla
Central Park
Sep-15
Wednesday
TBD
TBD
Reggae Gold meets Soca Gold in association with VP Records
Coney Island
Sep-17
Friday
6:00PM
7:00PM
Dawes with special guests Bonny Light Horseman & Erin Rae
Central Park
Sep-18* *NEW DATE
Saturday
5:00PM
7:00PM
Antibalas Rooftop Films Presents: “Excuse Me,Miss, Miss, Miss”& “Red Taxi”
On Saturday, July 24th, The Sun Ra Arkestra returned to Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage for their fifth stint at the concert series. Still led by Sun Ra himself at the time, the band headlined the festival’s first ever concert back in 1986 at the old Central Park Bandshell. After Sun Ra’s death in 1993, the band continued on as The Sun Ra Arkestra, remaining quite active under the leadership of Marshall Allen who has been performing with the group since 1958. At 97 years young, Allen and The Arkestra were as tight as ever in Central Park.
The Sun Ra Arkestra at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by: Buscar Photo
Opening the night was Chicago based trio Sistazz of The Nitty Gritty. The group consists of vocalist/clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid, pianist/vocalist Anaiet and bassist Brooklynn Skye Scott. The performance was a mixture of spoken word poetry, jazz fusion, and Dadaist collages of piano, bass, vocals and clarinet. Heavily influenced by The Arkestra’s signature sounds, the trio injects their own modern edge into avant-garde jazz. The incredibly talented band is surely one to watch as they continue to explore their music.
Sistazz of The Nitty Gritty at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
As the 23-member Arkestra began to file on stage, the once seated audience sprung to their feet to embrace the band’s return to SummerStage. A Sun Ra performance is always more than a musical experience. The band is accompanied by dancers who graced the front of the stage from the start with interpretative, meditative dance routines. This shifted off to the side of the stage and Allen took his place front and center.
Marshall Allen at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by Buscar Photo
The band played a generally continuous set, stopping every so often to reset, but with a band this size there is always music being played. Throughout the show, Allen would survey the band, and point someone out in particular to stand, and take the lead. One-by-one, everyone took their turn, either stepping up for a musical lead or interpretative dance at the center of the stage. This continued throughout the 90-minute set, creating a vividly engaging experience for the audience as there was no way to know where the music was heading. The Arkestra closed to a thunderous ovation from the audience that echoed through Central Park – a second home for the band for so many years.
The Sun Ra Arkestra at SummerStage, 7/24/2021. Photo by: Buscar Photo
The Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage festival continues, with upcoming performances from The Originals, Marc Rebillet, Antibalas, Armand Hammer & The Alchemist (featuring Moor Mother), and many more – check out the full lineup HERE.
SummerStage announced free shows for their 2021 season. There will be six shows put on between July through September and will take place at the Seaside Park Community Arts Center & the Coney Island Amphitheater.
SummerStage free outdoor festival and a seasonal outdoor venue that’s located in Central Park. It is presented by Capital One City Parks Foundation and annually presents approximately 100 performances in 15-18 parks throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The six free performances will take place at the Coney Island Amphitheater.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams spoke on the return of SummerStage saying, “The return of SummerStage to the Coney Island Amphitheater and other outdoor venues throughout New York City fits the bill for exciting summer activities in Brooklyn. New Yorkers have endured much and contributed even more during one of our city’s darkest periods. Re-opening activities that reiterate what makes New York City great is a welcome addition to any summer ‘to do’ list.”
The six free shows will include GRAMMY-award-winning disco hitmaker Gloria Gaynor who is performing on July 17 with Harlem-via-East London selector DJ Stormin Norman of Disco Sequestered. On July 18 Puerto Rican via the Bronx singer/songwriter and the “Princess of Salsa” La India will take the stage on Sunday. On August 7 Multi-platinum R&B artist Ginuwine will celebrate legendary hip-hop DJ Funk Flex’s birthday with special guests who are TBA. On August 28 SummerStage will present Go Brooklyn! Stetsasonic & Friends – 40th Anniversary Show featuring beat-box, sampling and a live performance mixing R&B, jazz, dancehall and rock with these legendary hip-hop pioneers, starring Prince Paul. On August 29, INVINCIBLE: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson, the number one Michael Jackson tribute show in the world, will feature the world’s most authentic Jackson impersonators with the Bronx DJ KS 360 kicking off the evening. The Coney Island season will wrap up on September 15 with Reggae Gold meets Soca Gold in association with VP Records, a reggae and dancehall showcase presented by the Caribbean and woman-owned record label based in Queens. All performances at the Coney Island Amphitheater will be free and open to the public, no tickets required.
SummerStage also announced the additional free performances in Central Park this summer. On July 14, a Bastille Day Celebration will be presented by the French Consulate in New York, the French Institute Alliance Française and CAFUSA featuring a jazz quintet headlined by GRAMMY-nominated singer Kavita Shah, guitarist Matt Munisteri, bassist Matt Penman, drummer Ferenc Nemeth, and violinist Olivier Manchon performing a selection of beloved French classics, a get-up-and-dance set by star Joachim Garraud. On September 1, critically acclaimed indie rock band and SummerStage alums Yo La Tengo will perform a free show in Central Park with underground rock band, Mountain Movers opening the show. Originally formed 30 years ago in Hoboken, New Jersey, the band has recorded 16 studio albums with their latest release, We Have Amnesia Sometimes, recorded during the peak of the pandemic. On September 12, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and SummerStage alumna Valerie June will bring her mixture of folk, blues, gospel, soul, Americana, and bluegrass to the stage. Her latest album The Moon and The Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, released in March 2021, has been described by Pitchfork as her “most heavy-hearted” and “far-reaching” record.
On top of announcing it’s upcoming shows SummerStage has also announced that it will no longer require tickets for it’s free performances. All free performances will be open to the public, first come, first served, and accessible to all but will be subject to venue capacity limits and CDC recommendations for health and safety related to COVID-19 with maintaining social distance between audience members.
For the most information about the SummerStage 2021 season visit their website here.
The Central Park mega concert announced on last month, in celebration of New York reopening and pulling back COVID-19 restrictions, now has a lineup. Paul Simon, Jennifer Hudson and Bruce Springsteen will headline the concert. The show is tentatively set for August 21, 2021 on the Great Lawn.
Photo by Rafael Puerto of the Great Lawn at Central Park.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is planning this mega concert that will host multiple acts. Clive Davis has been chosen by the mayor to pull this mega concert together. Davis is a well known 89-year-old producer and music-industry eminence. Davis has quite a career that has spanned over five-decades. He has worked with big names like Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys and Whitney Houston. He has hosted the Grammy Gala annually since 1976.
It’s going to be one of the greatest Central Park concerts in history. This is something you do not want to miss. This is something for the ages.
Mayor Bill de Blasio
The New York Times had said Davis “is aiming for eight ‘iconic’ stars to perform a three-hour show for 60,000 attendees and a worldwide television audience.” Some details on the event have been released though including it taking place at the Great Lawn, Live Nation will be involved with the production, and the majority of tickets will be free, although there will be some V.I.P. seating. 70% of all tickets will go to those who have received their COVID-19 vaccination.
The Great Lawn at Central Park has hosted lots of famous concerts in it’s time. Some of the big names include Carole King who serenaded 70,000 people there in 1973. Elton John played back in 1980 and the following year Simon & Garfunkel reunited for an estimated 400,000 people. Diana Ross performed in 1983, Luciano Pavarotti in 1993 and the Dave Matthews Band in 2003.
The show is supposed to feel like a homecoming to New York City after the pandemic that has been gripping the world for the last year and a half. In an interview, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that, “This concert is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s going to be an amazing lineup. The whole week is going to be like nothing you’ve ever seen before in New York City.”
https://youtu.be/mefvCRU22oY
The concept for the Central Park mega concert came to fruition recently. Davis said that the mayor called him three weeks ago and asked him to present a show in partnership with the city that would celebrate New York’s reopening and emphasize the need to vaccinate more young people.
It is going to be a great moment for the city, marking our rebirth, marking our comeback. We’re very excited, and it’s going to be a historic event, to say the least.
Mayor Bill de Blasio
More details will be shared in coming weeks for the August 21 mega-concert. Stay tuned to NYS Music!
Update July 27, 2021: The full lineup was announced on July 27, 2021 by Mayor Bill de Blasio, Clive Davis, Live Nation/NYCEDC chair Danny Meyer. The free mega-concert will be taking place on the Great Lawn in Central Park on Saturday, August 21. Although Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson and Paul Simon were hinted as being the headliners previously now the expanded lineup has also been announced and includes big names like Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL COOL J, Elvis Costello, Lucky Daye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jimmy Fallon, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Gayle King, Don Lemon, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana, Patti Smith, and Rob Thomas.
The power duo Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson are the songwriters behind all of the hilarious and character-revealing songs from the hit Apple TV series Central Park. With the first two episodes of the second season premiering on June 25th, they have had to overcome challenges that are brought about by making a TV show during COVID-19. The pair however are used to overcoming adversity by being two successful women in the entertainment business.
The show is a musical about a family who lives in Central Park because the father (Owen) is the park manager. It follows their untraditional NYC life and their attempt in saving Central Park from getting turned into condos.
Making the show during COVID-19 presented obvious challenges not being able to work together in person or in a studio. But as Kate Anderson explained “the music team really pulled off a miracle and got everybody set up at home. All the actors were sent mics and equipment and walked through how exactly to set it up. They would drop off music and all kinds of stuff at their homes. It just became this real team effort to get it going and to keep it going and to keep everybody employed and to keep the show on track.” Anderson then continued how “there were additional challenges after that, It took an incredible amount of patience on the actor’s side and also on the music team side.”
When Samsel and Anderson were writing songs, they are given the script and would “find these little gems,” Elyssa Samsel was saying, “and for example, Elwood had a pet worm named Diane and we were so tickled by that, that we sort of took that and ran with it and it made it into more than one song. And it’s so fun. Now we see fans of the show and they mentioned Diana the worm. And I’m like damn.”
Making these songs was a lot more than just a job during COVID-19, “it was still all over zoom and a lot of times it was the highlight of our day because it was a way to be connecting with people. Working hard on something and having fun and making each other laugh during such a dark time was really a lifeline for us” Kate Anderson said.
“It was love at first write”
Kate Anderson remembering on the first time they had met.
The pair who are now living on the West Coast wasn’t always the prominent team they are now. They had met at a New York City writers’ workshop, being part of the women minority of the class that first day, they were paired together and were wearing the same outfit. They had also figured out that they were practically neighbors “It was just the beginning of the best collaboration and the best friendship that we’ve ever could have hoped for,” Elyssa Samsel recalled.
Elyssa Samsel on left and Kate Anderson on right
But even with all of their success and projects throughout the years “there’s definitely times where we feel not trusted or underestimated because of maybe our gender or our age or both,” Anderson said. But regardless of that, she continued that they “figured out that the best way to collaborate is to be extremely respectful and treat others the way that you want to be treated, so we always try to enter the room and treat everybody like they know what they’re doing, and we are so grateful to be working with them, and I think in that situation it’s helped us to get through some murky water.”
“We want to be that for other women you know and maybe we’re not there yet, but hopefully we will be someday. “
Elyssa Samsel on wanting to be a role model for other women after reflecting on women who have helped them.
Elyssa Samsel then talked about how they’re “so lucky because we had other women to look up to who were crushing it in their field. Women like Jodi Picoult was such a guide for us and always encouraged us in those situations where we might have felt that we were outnumbered or not being taken seriously.”
Central Park is not only the continent’s first public park, but arguably the most iconic. Artists have traveled from across the globe inspired to paint, play and write about the 843 acres of beauty.
The sacred space is surrounded by world-renowned music venues, museums, and galleries. Harlem’s home for R&B and soul, the Apollo Theater, sits just 15 blocks north of the park while Carnegie Hall attracts world-class orchestral talent just two blocks south of it (slightly northeast of Radio City Music Hall). Rock aficionados frequent the Beacon Theatre on West 72nd street to the west of the park while sophisticated symphony-enthusiasts admire the NY Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Hugging Central Park on the east, art-lovers marvel at the rotating and static exhibits on Museum Mile and photographers snap photos of New York’s impressive architecture.
It would be hard to imagine one of the world’s most culturally blended cities without a gathering place for people to connect with nature and community. And some of the most memorable gatherings in the early to mid-twentieth century occurred at Sheep Meadow between West 66th and 69th streets. To bookmark the tumultuous 1970’s in the drug-infused, crime-filled, disco and punk era, James Taylor played the last big concert at Sheep Meadow in front of a quarter-million people. After Sheep Meadow closed its grass to tarps, blankets and bare feet, large concerts were given a new space on the Great Lawn located mid-park between 79th and 85th street.
They don’t call it the Great Lawn for nothing. Some of the largest crowds in recorded history packed the 55-acre plot of land to “be a part of it” as Frank Sinatra would say. Maybe it’s the park’s natural setting that makes it so appealing for concert goers or it could be the central hub, but many performances in the ‘80s created a sense of hope and peace during some of the roughest years. While the NY Times called 1980, “the worst year of crime in the city’s history,” music provided a momentary lapse of chaos. In June 1980, an estimated 200,000 spectators on the Great Lawn welcomed Pavarotti and then two months later, Elton John entertained 400,000 fans.
The following September, Simon & Garfunkel reunited for their first live performance in 11 years as a duo. The free benefit concert supporting the nonprofit Central Park Conservancy was expecting around 300,000 guests, but an estimated half a million people showed up for the legendary reunion. After opening with “Mrs. Robinson” and “Homeward Bound,” Simon commented, “Well, it’s great to do a neighborhood concert,” and thanked the police, the fire department, the park administration. The subsequent live album recorded that night went on to peak at number six on the Billboard 200 chart in 1982 and was positively received by music critics and worldwide fans of NYC-based folk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OegZZNPsKA
While the magic created that night in Central Park between the future Rock and Roll Hall of Famers sparked a world tour the following spring, the relationship between the two musicians was creatively impossible to maintain, so they decided to call it quits before ever releasing a reunion album. On the positive side, their benefit concert to support the park’s restoration and maintenance plans was reimagined by other artists on the Great Lawn for decades to come.
Another major Great Lawn milestone took place in June of 1982 as part of the “No Nukes” movement. Central Park’s Rally for Nuclear Disarmament was held on June 12, 1982, and invited chart-topping musical guests including Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and Jackson Browne to play in front of an estimated crowd of 750,000. Four years later, in July 1986, a record-breaking 800,000 people were reported at the New York Philharmonic and U.S. Marine Band joint concert to celebrate the restoration and reopening of the Statue of Liberty.
In April 1990, another massive crowd of three-quarters of a million packed Central Park for Earth Day. The musical guests were the B-52’s, Hall & Oates and Eddie Brickell. That same year, the Central Park Conservancy’s SummerStage concert series was moved to Rumsey Playfield, located just off the East 69th and 5th Avenue entrance to Central Park. While not as big as the massive Great Lawn and Sheep Meadow gatherings, the SummerStage has brought world-class acts to the area for over three decades, promoting everything from Central Park preservation, Greenpeace, voter awareness and social justice.
Paul Simon returned in 1991 to a giant crowd on the lawn, but every attendance record for a single artist was destroyed by Garth Brooks in 1997 for a show better known as “Garthstock” due to the giant turnout in a city not known for country music. Dave Matthews Band would bring the free benefit show back to the Great Lawn in 2003 to support music and art education in the NYC public school system, drawing an estimated 85,000. Matthews greeted the crowd saying, “So nice to run into you in the park here, the greatest park in the world, and the greatest city in the world.”
The Black Eye Peas filled the Great Lawn in 2011 for yet another benefit concert raising over $4 million for the Robin Hood Foundation. In 2019, nearly $1 billion was raised during the Global Citizens Festival supported by headliners: Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, H.E.R., and Carole King. The city’s incredible fundraising ability is only as powerful as the people that support the events — artists, promoters, attendees. Concerts on the Great Lawn are not only legendary due to the phenomenal performances in the epic “green lung” of the country’s largest city, but many of the concerts have transcended music and focused on the greater impact of people helping people.
What’s so special about Central Park is that you don’t have to be one of the hundreds of thousands to enjoy a memorable live music experience in Central Park. The grounds are full of talented performers from all over the world, and the magic of New York’s most iconic park is that you never know who you’ll run into playing in the paths and park entrances.
If you happened to be in the park during 2013’s installment of Jazz and Colors (a Peter Shapiro sponsored event), you might have run into an impromptu jazzy set with a touch of psychedelia. Bassist Phil Lesh, guitarist Eric Krasno, and drummer Joe Russo dropped their equipment on a random path and started playing to a crowd of zero, then a few dozen, then a few hundred. It’s moments like these that accentuate the excitement of being in the park on a fall afternoon.
Just this past September, as the leaves began to turn during a global pandemic, you might have run into Phish’s Trey Anastasio playing solo acoustic in support of the Parks Foundation’s SummerStage Jubilee. When asked the energy of a quarantined city, Anastasio remarked, “Yes, it’s weird walking through Times Square right now, but Times Square was tourists. But if you go into residential neighborhoods, I mean listen, it’s the greatest city in the world…always has been.”
