The lack of shade due to limited, or rather, no trees around the ‘new’ Garibaldi Plaza stage area (compounded by the fact that the previously nearby Linden tree is now gone) makes performing in the summer heat more difficult. Yet it is always best, more special, when the Washington Square Music Festival performs in its namesake park vs. an indoor space. It did rain briefly late afternoon on Tuesday although it did not end up raining in the evening (the forecast might have threatened to do so). But the call had already been made to move the show to nearby St. Joseph’s Church. (And the indoor space must have seemed appealing in the heat!)
There is one more concert left in this season, the festival’s 55th! It will take place next Tuesday, July 30th, 8 p.m., and I hope it takes place in the park. So far, two concerts have been moved indoors and one has proceeded at the park (there are four total this year).
Next up Tuesday, July 30th, 8 p.m. Washington Sq Park Garibaldi Plaza (in event of rain, concert moves to St. Joseph’s Church, 371 Sixth Avenue @ Washington Place):
Music of East Africa featuring Nepo Soteri, guitarist, singer and composer who survived the Rwandan civil war. His music is directly influenced by the raw rhythms and stylized sounds unique to such African countries as Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, from which spring the roots of American jazz. Preceding the concert in the afternoon, will be a children’s interactive rhythm workshop with African musicians.
I was planning to go to the concert last night at St. Joseph’s but the plans changed. Nonetheless, I picked up a program and noted the Washington Square Park Conservancy listed amidst the supporters providing “generous donations” to the Festival which I found a bit… curious? Or no? Washington Square Music Festival has a lot of supporters and supposedly the Washington Sq Park Conservancy has a very limited budget and no idea what it is to boot. Hmm. This, like almost everything else this private organization has done thus far, feels very politically motivated.
_____________________________________________________________________
Previously at WSP Blog: Washington Square Music Festival Starts Up Again This Year Tuesday, July 9th for 55th Season — Every Tuesday in July at the Park June 25, 2013