Jump to content

The Concert for New York City

From Alfawiki
The Concert for New York City
Company typeCharity event
IndustryMusic, Entertainment
Founded2001
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
ProductsLive concert, album, DVD

The Concert for New York City was a charity event staged at Madison Square Garden as a response to the September 11 attacks. It paid tribute to first responders from the New York City Fire Department and New York City Police Department, their families, the victims, and rescue personnel.

The concert was coordinated by Paul McCartney and showcased British icons including The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, Eric Clapton, alongside Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Among the American performers were Bon Jovi, Jay-Z, Destiny's Child, the Backstreet Boys, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Melissa Etheridge, Five for Fighting, Goo Goo Dolls, John Mellencamp with Kid Rock, and comedian Adam Sandler performing as "Operaman". Musical direction was overseen by Paul Shaffer. Between performances, appearances were made by celebrities and political figures such as Howard Stern and then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Sports figures, including Yankees manager Joe Torre, also took part. The program included brief films created by prominent New York directors like Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Kevin Smith.

Backstage, more than 60 stars autographed memorabilia that was later auctioned to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation. Auctioned items comprised concert posters, personalized drumheads, a drum kit, and a guitar.

Audience reaction

The audience was visibly moved, with relatives of victims holding photographs of their lost loved ones. Three speakers—actress Susan Sarandon (supporting mayoral hopeful Mark Green), actor Richard Gere (promoting non-violence), and politician Hillary Clinton (criticized for alleged anti-police sentiments)—faced boos from the crowd. Gere acknowledged the audience’s reaction to his message of pacifism.

Adam Sandler's "Operaman" segment provided comic relief, featuring a witty song about New York City, outgoing Mayor Giuliani, the Yankees' playoff success, preceding performers, and mocking Osama bin Laden’s cowardice.

Musically, the strongest audience response was reserved for The Who. They opened with "Who Are You", stirred enthusiasm during "Baba O'Riley", and culminated with "Won't Get Fooled Again". The stage backdrop displayed American and British flags symbolizing unity. Lead singer Roger Daltrey honored first responders: "We could never follow what you did." Forbes described this set as a "catharsis" for law enforcement personnel. This concert marked bassist John Entwistle's final U.S. appearance before his death eight months later. Keyboardist Jon Carin substituted for longtime member John "Rabbit" Bundrick.

Additional standout moments included David Bowie's performance of Paul Simon's "America" followed by his own "Heroes", dedicated to his local fire company; New Yorker Billy Joel's "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)", reflecting on its unsettling significance; and Elton John's poignant rendition of "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters".

Following The Who's performance, FDNY firefighter Mike Moran spoke about his brother’s loss on 9/11. He affirmed that those who perished would always be remembered, closing with defiant remarks directed at Osama bin Laden that elicited enthusiastic applause.

In 2008, during the Kennedy Center Honors bestowed on Townshend and Daltrey, Rob Thomas delivered "Baba O'Riley" accompanied by an FDNY choir—a tribute to The Who’s powerful 2001 concert appearance.

Lineup and Performances

Presented in sequence:

Short films

During the concert, several short films were presented, organized by their respective directors:[1]

Sounds from a Town I Love

Sounds from a Town I Love is a comedic short film lasting approximately three minutes, written and directed by Woody Allen in 2001. It made its debut during The Concert for New York City. The film presents brief excerpts of cell phone conversations involving twenty-three individuals randomly encountered throughout New York City. These dialogues feature a variety of characters, including complainers and anxious individuals, discussing odd or humorous topics. The vignettes are independent of each other and conclude with Woody Allen’s statement: "I love this town."

The film was introduced by John Cusack, who relayed a message from Allen expressing regret over the film’s short length but stressing the significance of the event’s purpose. The cast includes longtime collaborators of Allen such as Marshall Brickman and Tony Roberts, along with appearances by Austin Pendleton, Griffin Dunne, Michael Emerson, Bebe Neuwirth, and Celia Weston.

Critical reaction

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine recognized this concert, together with the earlier telethon America: A Tribute to Heroes, as one of the 50 defining moments that transformed rock and roll. It was also honored as the fourth greatest event in the history of Madison Square Garden. On December 7, 2008, members of The Who, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, were recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, concluding with an unexpected performance featuring New York City police officers and rescue workers inspired by their music.

Broadcast

The event was transmitted live on VH1, generating over $35 million in donations, supplemented by $275,000 raised through an associated auction. The five-hour program was executive produced by Greg Sills and Fred Graver, with production led by Paul Flattery and direction by Louis J. Horvitz. The script was co-written by Stephen Pouliot and Paul Flattery. Audio recording was handled by David Hewitt and Mark Repp utilizing Remote Recording's Silver Truck. The concert received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Variety Special and Outstanding Art Direction.

On January 1, 2008, the entire 5½-hour concert was rebroadcast on VH1 Classic. A condensed one-hour version aired on CBS the following month. Both an album and a DVD were released in January 2002.

To commemorate significant anniversaries, the full concert was shown without commercial interruptions or edits on September 11, 2011, marking the tenth anniversary, and again on October 20, 2021, broadcast on both MTV Classic and MTV Live to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.

CD release

On November 27, 2001, Sony issued a double CD featuring 32 tracks from the concert. As of 2024, this compilation has not been made available through streaming services or digital download platforms.

Disc one

  1. "America" – performed by David Bowie
  2. "Heroes" – David Bowie
  3. "Livin' on a Prayer" – Bon Jovi
  4. "Wanted Dead Or Alive" – Bon Jovi
  5. "It's My Life" – Bon Jovi
  6. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" – Jay-Z
  7. "American Girl" – Goo Goo Dolls
  8. "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)" – Billy Joel
  9. "New York State of Mind" – Billy Joel
  10. "Emotion" – Destiny's Child
  11. "Gospel Medley" – Destiny's Child
  12. "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" – Eric Clapton & Buddy Guy
  13. "Operaman" – Adam Sandler
  14. "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" – Backstreet Boys
  15. "Miss You" – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
  16. "Salt of the Earth" – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Disc two

  1. "FDNY" – Mike Moran
  2. "Who Are You" – The Who
  3. "Baba O'Riley" – The Who
  4. "Won't Get Fooled Again" – The Who
  5. "Come To My Window" – Melissa Etheridge
  6. "Born To Run" – Melissa Etheridge
  7. "Fire and Rain" – James Taylor
  8. "Up on the Roof" – James Taylor
  9. "Peaceful World" – John Mellencamp
  10. "Pink Houses" – John Mellencamp and Kid Rock
  11. "Superman (It's Not Easy)" – Five For Fighting
  12. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" – Elton John
  13. "I'm Down" – Paul McCartney
  14. "Yesterday" – Paul McCartney
  15. "Let It Be" – Paul McCartney
  16. "Freedom (reprise)" – Paul McCartney

Home video release

Sony distributed the concert on both DVD and VHS formats starting January 29, 2002, limited to NTSC for the United States and Canada. The VHS edition spans two tapes with a total duration of 296 minutes, whereas the double DVD set runs for 245 minutes.

Weekly charts

Template:Album chart
Chart (2001) Highest
position

Year-end charts

Chart (2002) Rank
US Billboard 200 181

See also

References

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AMG
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=The_Concert_for_New_York_City&oldid=18035"