New York’s inaugural High Line Festival got off to an auspicious start last night with Arcade Fire launching the David Bowie-curated benefit at Radio City Music Hall.
Running 10 days through May 19, and sponsored by clothing giant H&M, proceeds go toward the continued development of the High Line, an elevated 1930s rail structure that’s soon to open to the public as a 19-block long green park snaking from Manhattan’s Meatpacking District to Hell’s Kitchen
Other music cherry-picked by the Thin White Duke includes Air (tonight), Polyphonic Spree (May 11), Deerhoof(17th), Laurie Anderson (17th and 18th), Meow Meow (18th) and Secret Machines (19th).
There’s also art and film on the bill. “Word jazz” artist Ken Nordine performs May 16 and 17. Bowie will screen his top 10 favorite Spanish-language films of the past century at Clearview Chelsea Cinemas. And there’s an exhibit of vintage gender-bending photography by French artist Claude Cahun (a.k.a. Lucy Schwob) in the gardens of the General Theological Seminary.
Festival co-producer David Binder says, "if you were hanging out with David for 10 days in New York, these are the things he would take you to see."
