June 18, 2013 By Christian Murray
This Friday, there will be plenty of live music on the sidewalks of Sunnyside.
Several musicians will be playing at four outdoor venues throughout the neighborhood. They will be part of the 2013 Make Music New York festival, where there will be over 1,000 free outdoor concerts throughout the 5 boroughs coinciding with the summer solstice.
A wide range of musicians are booked for the following four locations in Sunnyside:
• 40th Street plaza (40th Street and Queens Blvd, under the 7 train)
o 2pm – 4pm: Forbidden Donut (smorgasbord of sounds)
o 7pm – 7:30pm: Roberto Buscarsi (ukulele tunes)
• 46th Street plaza (46th Street and Queens Blvd, under the 7 train)
o 3pm – 4pm: History (gospel, rock & soul)
o 5pm – 6pm: The Occident (acoustic indie rock duo)
o 6:30pm – 7:30pm: Ten and Change (a cappella)
• SSS DVD Video at 47-18 Greenpoint Avenue
o 5pm – 6pm: Mister So and So (eclectic show tunes)
o 6pm – 7pm: Matthew Polashek (funk, jazz)
• Café Marlene at 41-11 49th Street
o 8pm-10pm: “Songs of the Season” various musicians performing individually and collectively in the styles of blues, folk and rock
Bar 43 at 43-06 43rd Street
o Starts outside at 5pm: Music played by John Malone, Bob Sullivan and Taylor Morrison.
At the two plaza locations under the 7 train, Sunnyside Shines will set up tables and chairs to encourage people to sit and listen to music before heading home.
Rachel Thieme, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District said: “This is going to be a really fun day in Sunnyside. We are excited to bring so many different types of musicians to the neighborhood on one day, and are looking forward to activating our underutilized spaces under the 7 train.”
Café Marlene owner Ana Kitich said: “We normally have an open mic night every Sunday, and this will be an even bigger experience.”
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17 Comments
@O’shea If you look at the map, there’s definitely a huge empty hole over Sunnyside, Woodside, and Astoria where it’s densest. I am surprised there’s two in Flushing and one in Jackson Heights, though. Most “NYC” things don’t make it that far east even if they make it into Queens at all.
I’m just jealous. I really miss playing but I don’t have the $ for one of my own.
@43rd
Those street pianos are really fun to play. There are many of them here in queens just not in sunnyside.
Stand outside my window and you may hear mine sometimes 🙂
If Buscarsi has a concert uke or anything larger (compared to the small soprano uke), it shouldn’t be a problem being heard. The 7 isn’t really that loud from the street, and the resonance from the ceiling is fantastic.
Speaking of instruments and public performances — I really wish Sunnyside had gotten one of those street pianos!
I used to hear someone playing a ukulele by me when it was nice enough to have the windows open. I haven’t heard it this spring. I wonder if they moved? It was very enjoyable!
I can’t wait for the homeless guy living under the 40 street stop to clank his bottles in unison
no donut should be forbidden
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this happen!
Sunnyside shines! 😉
So, they’re going to have someone playing ukelele and someone singing acapella right underneath the 7 train? Something tells me this might not work out.
Where is a good place to be at 20 past 4 in the afternoon? Any suggestions?
A HUGE thanks to Sunnyside Shines for organizing spaces in Sunnyside for MMNY! This will be our 2nd MMNY festival and I’m very excited bring my a cappella group (Ten and Change) to the neighborhood!
The weather’s set to be gorgeous, and it should be a great group of artists and groups! See you all there!
Thank you, whomever is responsible for this. What a wonderful idea. I love it under the el when a cool breeze is blowing. The acoustics will be interesting. It should be a challenge for the musicians.
Awesome!!
Confused — the 40th St. stop has nothing between 4 and 7, i.e. when most people will be there?
Maybe the guy who plays the trumpet in the mornings will come back. I like him.
Great idea! Thanks to the folks and members @ Sunnyside Shines!
Wonderful! Artists are the best.
Faites de la musique.
They were doing this in Paris 20 years ago.
FINALLY! Alive after 5!