How It’s New York: Other Voices NYC blends music and literature, and takes place in one of New York’s hip village spots, Le Poisson Rouge. And it’s sold out, which is so New York. And some of the artists are New York based: Colum McCann will read, and Glen Hansard lives in Brooklyn…
How It’s Irish: Just look at the bill: great rock music from Thomas Bartlett, Bell XI, great trad from Martin Hayes, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh. For starters!
These shows are already sold out, but you’re a New Yorker. Go early! Scalp some tickets! It’s raining, surely some people won’t show up. Go to stubhub or Craig’s List, because you want to get in if you can get in. Tonight and tomorrow at Le Poisson Rouge, Philip King’s acclaimed Other Voices series will play NYC for the first time. And also, new to Other Voices, there will be not only trad and rock music, but also words. The event benefits Fighting Words Creative Writing Centre in Dublin.
Exclusive comments from Philip and Caomhín below, and some video!
Other Voices began 9 years ago, in a 200 year old church in Dingle, the Church of St. James, which holds only about 90 people. It was a television show, broadcast every year. Philip King began it with Glen Hansard in 2003. Why? Because he loves the music and wanted to hear it himself! “It’s grown into a safe haven for great music and people from all over the world have been,” Philip explains. People from New York have come over. And the Imagine Ireland initiative made it possible for them to bring it this year. “When I look out my window at home and imagine the nearest parish to the parish that I live in, it’s probably New York,” Philip says. “That connection is there between Ireland and the U.S.” He made a program over 20 years ago called Bringing it All Back Home which explored how Irish music changed and evolved through being in America, and this is a step in the process.
For Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, when Philip King told him to save the dates he did– no questions asked. “When Philip asks me to do something, I say yes. Oftentimes the details come later. And it usually turns out to be fantastic. Other Voices Itiss a very special celebration of live music,” he says. “People do it for the love of it; it’s not just another job.”
In addition to the music, there will be words: Gabriel Byrne, Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann, Paul Muldoon, Joseph O’Connor are on hand, to name a few.
Keep me posted please. Love ya Kim