#PickoftheWeek | No need for an air guitar! The crowd rocks with superstars at Urban Campfire in Queens
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Are you ready to rock and roll in the aisles?
Flushing Town Hall hosts Urban Campfire on Friday, Feb. 7, at 7 pm. (Well, the tune up starts then. The concert is set for 8 pm.)
Organized by Guitar Mash and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Urban Campfire tears down the wall between stage and audience, as attendees join the action. They bring stringed instruments, while some loaner guitars are available courtesy of Recording King. “Chord coaches” help them get seated and tune up. Then it’s time to rock with Guitar Mash projecting lyrics.
Don’t play? Sing along or hang out.
On Friday, Guitar Mash Artistic Director Mark Stewart, who has been Paul Simon’s musical director since 1998, and Carlos Alomar, who worked with David Bowie, will lead the run of show.
The eclectic set-list will include the following:
- “I Wanna Be Sedated,” The Ramones;
- “Imagine,” John Lennon;
- “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” Paul Simon;
- “Rebel Rebel,” David Bowie;
- “Cheap Thrills,” Sia;
- “Zombie,” The Cranberries;
- “Gracias a la Vida” and “Volver a los 17,” Violeta Parra;
- “Uptown Funk,” Bruno Mars;
- “Cheated Hearts,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs;
- “I’ll Stand By You,” The Pretenders; and
- “Sal a Caminar,” Roy Brown.
Tickets are $10, but students pay $8, and teenagers can attend for free as part of an ongoing promotion.
Here’s a list of the performers who are scheduled to join Steward and Alomar on the stage:
- Fernandito Ferrer: For the last two decades, Fernandito has been a pioneer among the new crop of singer-songwriters to emerge from Puerto Rico. He tours the Caribbean, United States, and Latin America with notable appearances at the Festival de la Canción Bolivariana, La Casita at Lincoln Center, Trovafest, and Summer Stage, where he opened for Silvio Rodriguez.
- Renee Goust: This Mexican-American singer-songwriter and queer feminist mixes everything from canción neo-ranchera to folk-pop to feminist cumbias norteñas, but she’s most famous for “La cumbia feminazi.” She has appeared at such venues as Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, Brooklyn Museum, and Foro del Tejedor.
- Haleh Liza: Born in NYC, but of Iranian descent, this vocalist and composer sings in English, Persian, and Spanish. She has performed at such venues as Lincoln Center, the UN, Carnegie Hall, and the Bonnaroo Festival. She’s also a translator and poet whose poems have been published by Columbia University Press and Rattapallax Press.
- Sofia Rei: This Grammy-nominated vocalist, songwriter, and producer has brought diverse Latin American traditions from her native Buenos Aires to NYC. She fuses these sounds with jazz, classical, pop, and electronic music.
“This will be an extraordinary, interactive event,” said Flushing Town Hall Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “I encourage everyone – from novices to professionals, and even those who just want to be surrounded by great music – to bring their guitars or other string instruments or just enjoy this communal experience.”
Flushing Town Hall is located at 137-35 Northern Blvd.
Image: Urban Campfire/Guitar Mash