Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue
A former nightclub/burlesque theatre in Times Square, a church designed in French High Gothic style in midtown, and a Chelsea speakeasy are among the locations lending their particular ambience to a wide range of live music events in New York this week.
Whether it’s the architecture and design, the colorful history, or the personal memories and associations, context is everything when it comes to music, so Forbes asked a diversity of artists to say a few words about the venues they’re taking over.
Sun Mar 20
“Performing with The 8-Bit Bit Big Band at an amazing venue like Sony Hall in the heart of Times Square is an incredible honor! When people around the world think of New York City, the first place that comes to mind is Times Square, so to be performing what is arguably a fairly niche genre of music (video game music) utilizing an also niche instrumentation (big band jazz orchestra) in the heart of New York City surrounded by theaters that are over a century old that have been hosts to countless great artists and musicians is a true privilege.” — Charlie Rosen, arranger and bandleader
Tue 22 Mar
“Infinity Gradient,” Saint Thomas Church
“When I write music, I often think about the kind of space where it will be performed. Some of my music is best suited for galleries or theaters or smaller rooms, but this piece best belongs in a place that conjures up thoughts of what might exist beyond our world while also helping us reflect on our own universe and laws of physics, and Saint Thomas Church does that spectacularly.” — Tristan Perich, composer
Tue 22 Mar—Wed 30 Mar
“I fell in love with the Armory when we performed my opera “Blank Out” in 2017. I was inspired by the response to this work from the Armory’s open-minded and diverse audiences. It is such a flexible and iconic space, truly one of my favourite performance spaces in the world. We designed “Upload” with the Armory in mind, using the majestic scope of the venue in our set design.” — Michel van der Aa, composer & director
Fri Mar 25
Daddy Rabbit, secret location in Chelsea
Additional dates: Apr 15, 29, May 13, 27
“The new venue is super sexy and mysterious. It’s like being in the coolest jungle room with panthers, jazz, and cocktails. It’s very intimate and there’s no bad place to sit or stand. The band is of course in the middle of the room and you can feel the sweat, smell of excitement, and seduction, lathering your every sense.” — Misha Piatigorsky, pianist and bandleader
Sat Mar 26
Lez Zeppelin, Gramercy Theatre
“The Gramercy has long been our favorite home in NYC as it is a perfect storm of a venue — lovely and grand, yet still intimate. The first time we played there was in 2007. We were booked for two consecutive nights and sold out both nights. At the end of the second show the Gramercy staff presented us onstage with two bottles of Dom Perignon. We opened them on the spot, of course, as the audience went wild. While we managed to drink some of it – maybe about $100 bucks worth — the rest ended up all over our clothes, the stage, the audience and the amplifiers. It was very Led Zeppelin-esque, come to think of it! The Gramercy always seems to brings out the best — and most mischievous — in us.” — Steph Paynes, guitarist
