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This weekend’s Central Park homecoming concert – the star-studded finale of the week-long celebration of New York’s ‘reopening’ that was scheduled long before the blunt rise in COVID-19 cases said reopening – came to an abrupt, almost poetic end on Saturday night halfway through Barry Manilow’s set.
Read more: Central Park reunion concert cut short and evacuated due to inclement weather
Tropical Storm Henri brought lightning and historic amounts of rain to the city, preventing the evening’s biggest headliners from performing, including Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello. And while it was great to see Santana and Rob Thomas playing “Smooth” together, I think Frances McDormand speaks for all of us about how deflating and disappointing it all has been.
Mayor Bill de Blasio reflected on the show at his Monday morning press conference, saying he was “deeply sad” to see the concert end like this.
“It was really sad to see such an amazing and incredible moment cut short,” he said. “It was almost literally halfway there when the rain came. That’s the definition of half full glass, half empty glass. It was really sad to see this show having to end, deeply sad, because he was getting stronger and stronger. “
De Blasio then called the first half of the show – which included performances from Earth, Wind & Fire, Andrea Bocelli, LL Cool J, Jon Batiste, Journey, and more – was “one of the best shows I’ve ever had. seen, “and” magic “.
He also addressed criticism of his actions during the evacuation of the Great Lawn, and he took the stage and told people that the show would eventually resume, despite the announcements stating that the show was definitely over. it was a movement of some critics called “an incredibly stupid and incredibly naive performance” by the mayor.
Asked about this moment during Monday’s press conference, de Blasio said: “My thinking was the same as everyone involved in the show, [organizers] Clive Davis and Doug Davis and the artists, everyone wanted the show to continue. The first information we received from our emergency management department and weather analysts was that there was going to be an end to the thunderstorms. A summer thunderstorm is quite common, and often brief. We figured out that they would pass and then we would have a good long period of time where things were clear, and we were hoping we could bring the show back in that case. “
It seems a bit misleading to downplay a dangerous tropical storm as a “summer thunderstorm”, especially since it has caused multiple press conferences, and de Blasio himself has called for a state of emergency. as Henri approaches.
“Sadly we had one of the biggest concerts in New York history, we also had the kind of weather that shut it down,” de Blasio added. “Everyone who was in it will remember it all their lives, it was an amazing and amazing concert, and it really sent the message to the world that NYC is back.”
Incredibly, the city had no sort of back-up plan in place in case the show was interrupted. But there was some positive news: de Blasio said he’s still in talks with Clive and Doug Davis about “options” for a possible follow-up event to end the show, featuring some or all of those heads of the show. ‘attach.
“Everyone who saw it, everyone who was there, feels a great sense of loss because we were watching something magical and an incredible statement about NYC, and there is unfinished business there,” said by Blasio. “We need to look at the options now.”
It sure looks like a lot of artists who couldn’t get on stage would be up for something: Barry Manilow and Patti Smith both called CNN on Saturday night saying they were disappointed they couldn’t perform, and The Killers ended up broadcasting live. a backstage performance of “Mr. Brightside”.
Others stayed for hours just in case the weather turned right: “Bruce came over and was in his dressing room – he was there for a while,” Doug Davis told Variety. “Paul Simon lives across from the park, so he was in his apartment. Jimmy Fallon was in his car. We had so many people there waiting to see if we could make it happen. “
Davis added that there was talk of moving the headliners to the VIP tent later that night, with presumably no live audience, and showing it on CNN: “We lost the main stage because of lightning, but the VIP tent was [safe]. So on the fly, I rearranged the show, chose the songs, got CNN to go through without advertising…. We knew the world was watching. “
But it was not to be. And perhaps it never should have been, as some critics have said the event, announced in July, should not have taken place at all, despite the mandate to vaccinate those present. As The Hollywood Reporter wrote, there was a glaring lack of discussion of the continuing pandemic.
“The lack of any recognition of the number of people who died during the pandemic was quite disconcerting,” they wrote. “The whole business seemed like a way to strengthen collective amnesia over the past 16 months, quickly overcome traumatic events, declare unearned triumph, and sidestep the responsibilities we still have to each other. others.”
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