Summer in New York. Some people think of escaping to the beach. Two words come to my mind though: Free music.
There's always free music in the parks all over the city. And in the last couple of day I got the chance to indulge my love of klezmer and folk (uhhh, isn't klezmer folk music — well perhaps volk musik).
Sunday at Damrosch Park, as the the Heisei Nakamura-za kabuki troupe was doing its last performance in Avery Fisher Hall at prices higher than I wanted to pay for an art form I love dearly and rarely get to see in NYC, I opted for free, to see the Klezmer Conservatory Band perform with a wide range of guest singers and musicians. It's rare that I feel like I am the youngest person anywhere, but here there were few people my age or younger. They were there, I know, I saw a few, but it was a precious few. Too bad. Because
klezmer is always fun.
Last night in Madison Square Park, as part of an ongoing series of free concerts there, Girlyman was performing. I love their quirky harmonies. Their approach to bluegrass style and ballads. Each member has a distinctive voice, each member contributes to the song writing and the sum total is a unique voice that captures longing, loneliness, celebration, alienation, love and family. They're going to back at Joe's Pub on August 19th. And I'm sorry I'll be away (well maybe not, since I'll be on Fire Island and I so need to get away).
How perfect. Jewish folk music. Queer/Gender-bending pop/folk music. Perfect weather. You just gotta love this city. I certainly do.
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