Freedom Rides (more by David Andrako)

If you missed it for free in Prospect Park over the summer, Hall Willner's Freedom Rides Project happens again tonight (9/15) at Highline Ballroom, though with a slightly different cast...

Hal Willner's Freedom Rides
Featuring Lou Reed, Tim Robbins, Geri Allen, Eric Mingus, James Carter & more
September 15,2011
Music of the Civil Rights Movement
A Benefit for the Clinton Foundation

Also featuring Art Baron, Steve Bernstein, Steve Cardenas, Carla Cook, Helga Davis, Curtis Fowlkes, Briggan Krauss, JD Parran, Catherine Russell, Tao Seeger, James Staten, Jason Walker, AND MANY SURPRISES!

Performers subject to change

Concert starts @ 9:00PM
Doors open @ 7:00PM
Tickets $55.00 in advance
$60.00 day of show

Speaking of Lou Reed, I wonder if he was checking out his good friends Metallica at Yankee Stadium last night.

photos by David Andrako

Hal Wilner's Freedom Riders show graced Prospect Park on June 16. The Celebrate Brooklyn show saw performances by Lou Reed, Rosanne Cash, Toshi Reagon, Tao Seeger, Todd Rundgren, and many others. The show celebrated the 50th anniversary of civil rights activists known as the Freedom Riders, and began with a pre-performance discussion with the artists. The full performer lineup is listed at the end of the pictures, below...

Continue reading "Hall Willner's Freedom Rides Project @ Prospect Park (in pics)"

Bono and Gavin Friday (U2Log)

On October 4 at New York City's legendary Carnegie Hall, (RED) unites a world-class line up of artists for a special (RED)NIGHTS concert "Hal Willner Presents: An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends." The star-studded evening will feature Laurie Anderson, Antony, Elizabeth Ashley, Bono, Adam Clayton, Andrea Corr, The Edge, Flo & Eddie, Joel Grey, Bill Frisell, Guggi, Scarlett Johansson, Courtney Love, Lydia Lunch, Patrick McCabe, Maria McKee, Shane MacGowan, Eric Mingus, Larry Mullen, Jr., JG Thirlwell, Martha Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright, Chloe Webb, plus special guests. Tickets for the event will go on sale beginning Wednesday, September 16 at 11AM EST via CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org and the box office. As is the case with every (RED)NIGHTS show, a portion of the proceeds from the concert will go directly to the Global Fund. For more information, please visit www.joinred.com/rednights or www.gavinfriday.com.

Longtime friends and professional collaborators, Willner and Friday came together to bring the concert to life and raise awareness of (RED)™'s mission. Friday, a childhood friend of Bono, is an Irish singer, composer and painter and founding member of the gothic rock group The Virgin Prunes. Willner has produced albums for Marianne Faithfull, Lou Reed, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, yet is perhaps best known for assembling tribute albums and live events saluting Leonard Cohen, Thelonius Monk, Tim Buckley, Edgar Allen Poe and Marquis de Sade.

Willner said, "This unique evening is a celebration of Gavin and a gathering of friends and amazing musicians. We're all proud to partner with (RED) to help fight AIDS in Africa." "It's an honor to be a part of this (RED)NIGHT because I know the money generated will go directly to people who need it," added Friday.

Lydia Lunch also performs one day earlier with her band Teenage Jesus and the Jerks at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Rufus and Martha Wainwright are appearing with their father Loudon at Highline Ballroom in NYC TONIGHT (9/15).

The Carnegie Hall event poster with more information below...

Continue reading "a new Hal Willner / Gavin Friday show @ Carnegie w/ Antony, Bono, The Edge, Scarlett Johansson, Courtney Love, Rufus Wainwright & MANY OTHERS!"

I just noticed that Celebrate Brooklyn updated the August 9th free Prospect Park show lineup...

Visionary music producer HAL WILLNER returns to the Bandshell with a multi-artist celebration of acoustic R&B pioneer BILL WITHERS, whose Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone, Lovely Day, and Lean On Me only hint at a body of work that ranks him among our greatest songwriters. ANGELIQUE KIDJO, NONA HENDRYX, THE SWELL SEASON, COREY GLOVER, JAMES "BLOOD" ULMER, SANDRA ST. VICTOR, TEDDY THOMPSON, ERIC MINGUS and many more! plus an all-star band featuring Lenny Pickett, Steven Bernstein, and Cornell Dupree will be among the ensemble castâ€"check our website for the latest updates but expect surprises and late additions. "No one puts on a better tribute concert than Hal Willner ... a sympathetic and generous listener with an almost preternatural ability to match performer to song, and a Rolodex to back it up." (Variety)