There will be special appearances by alums Jimmy Vivino and Scott Sharrard, as well as by Brandon "Taz” Niederauer.
New York City, NY (November 13, 2019) -- Since 2012 Guitar Mash has presented Urban Campfires, live, participatory music events that allow audiences to perform along with renowned guitarists and singer-songwriters as they share the stories and songs that shaped them. Each Urban Campfire is a unique and immersive event that does away with lines between artist and audience, engendering a true collaborative community.
After seven years at NYC’s City Winery, Guitar Mash is excited to announce its move to New York's (le) Poisson Rouge for the eighth edition of this special concert experience. Confirmed for Sunday afternoon November 17th, 2019, the NYC Urban Campfire will feature audience members singing and playing along with legends such as Dion and The Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian, and leading voices of today Amythyst Kiah, Tash Neal and Sammy Brue. There will be special appearances by Guitar Mash alums Jimmy Vivino and Scott Sharrard, as well as by Brandon "Taz” Niederauer joining the Guitar Mash teens. Guitars and musical training are not requirements – anyone and everyone are encouraged to join in the communal experience.
The Urban Campfire is the brainchild of founder and Executive Producer Rebecca Weller and Artistic Director Mark Stewart, who also serves as Paul Simon's long-time music director and is a founding member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Weller is a veteran producer and social entrepreneur who founded ground breaking participatory programs including Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing and Harmony in the Kitchen.
"Music making is a fundamental human ability as well as a source of joy and community and a requirement for life," says Stewart. "To be human is to be a musician, a word too often used to discourage people from participating in their birthright."
"Each Urban Campfire is something unique, shaped by the artists, the songs, the stories, and the audience in the house," says Weller. "Mark Stewart likes to call our audience "the big band,” and every show is a running conversation and hang involving everyone in the room. Our times call for collective action — gathering people around our "campfire" is community building at its most joyous."
Guitar Mash has enjoyed steady growth since the original New York City Urban Campfire in 2012, establishing an annual Nashville version in 2018 and spearheading the "My NYC Song Contest" for teens that same year. More unique participatory events in and outside of New York are being developed for the future, including a Queens Urban Campfire in 2020 with support from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.
Tickets may be purchased at bit.ly/UrbanCampfireNYC2019
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