[Updated] Questions arise after packed hardcore matinee Saturday in Tompkins Square Park

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Tompkins Square Park played host to a hardcore matinee on Saturday afternoon, and now the Parks Department is reportedly investigating the permit application.

The all-ages show featured five bands: the Capturers, Wisdom in Chains, Bloodclot, Murphy's Law and Madball. Organizer Black N' Blue Productions collected donations to cover expenses, with a portion designated for the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation. 

The combination of the bands' large followings, ideal spring weather, and lack of live shows over the past year helped draw a large crowd on a day where a lot of people were already in the Park for the usual Saturday festivities on the lawn as well as an organized youth event on the basketball courts. 

While there isn't an official attendance tally, some estimates put the crowd size for the concert at more than 2,000 at its peak late in the afternoon. According to New York State, the maximum number of people attending outdoor events is currently capped at 500.

Photos from the show circulating on social media have drawn the ire of people who pointed out the limited mask-wearing and social distancing (particularly difficult in a moshpit). 

Some residents passing through also expressed concern about the size of the show and the lack of masks. In a tweet, local Assemblymember Harvey Epstein questioned why permits were issued while the city remains in recovery mode from COVID-19...

To ⁦@NYCMayor⁩ and ⁦@NYCMayorsOffice⁩ ⁦@NYCParks⁩ . Why would you issue a permit to have hundreds of maskless people listen to music in tompkins square park? We are trying to recover from #covid not have a super spreader event! pic.twitter.com/Yxi3vr8GpO

— Harvey Epstein 哈維 D. 艾普斯汀(男) (@HarveyforNY) April 24, 2021

Not all local elected officials immediately questioned the decision. City Councilmember Keith Powers was in attendance... tweeting out a mask-wearing selfie...

I’m in Tompkins Square Park seeing a live concert for the first time in a year. New York City, forever. 🎶 pic.twitter.com/Um1XCCkLVm

— Keith Powers (@KeithPowersNYC) April 24, 2021

"We're all excited about supporting our music scene, but we still need to remember that we're in a pandemic," Powers told Gothamist yesterday. 

And:

Asked about the safety of the event, he went on to reference a Gorilla Biscuits song: "I have reached out to organizers to remind them to 'start today' with better social distancing protocols."

However, it may be potentially too late. A Parks Department spokesperson told Gothamist: "This matter is actively being investigated as the permit application filed and agreement appear to have been violated — future permits are in jeopardy."

PIX 11 followed up, reporting that the event was "misrepresented" on the application.

The Parks Department was led to believe the event was a political rally with about 100 people expected to attend — not the estimated 2,000-person crowd that showed up for a hardcore concert, according to the spokesperson.

A copy of the permit obtained by PIX11 shows the name of the event was listed as "September 11 Memorial" and the description was a "political rally with music and speakers."

According to PIX 11, the Parks Department "moved to revoke all permits by the organizers," including the A7 "Back To The NYHC Roots" New York Hardcore Compilation Record Release show scheduled for May 8.

[Updated 5 p.m. Parks Department spokesperson Crystal Howard told Gothamist today, "We are moving to revoke all permits for this organizer and related future events." That equals seven total events.]

Chris Flash, the publisher of The Shadow, who has organized concerts in Tompkins Square Park since 2006, disputes PIX 11's coverage. He told EVG contributor Stacie Joy that he applied for the permit for a "rally/concert" for April 24. 

"Nowhere did it say anything about September 11. We did apply for a September 11 memorial event, but it was for September," Flash said. "Why would we apply for a September 11 memorial in April?"

Stacie viewed the permit, which was submitted to the city on Nov. 2, 2020. It does not mention a 9/11 memorial. The event name is titled "rally/concert." 

"We were given a 3-page list of things the Parks Department wanted us to comply with — we complied with all of the stipulations," Flash said. "We were required to provide gloves, masks, sanitizer and a clipboard if someone wanted to voluntarily provide contact tracing. We provided two tables with all the necessary supplies. We cannot enforce rules, we can't — we're not the police. Even the police said they can't enforce."

According to Flash, the application asked how many people were estimated to attend. 

"We put down 100-plus. The application is put in 6 to 12 months ahead of time," he said. "At the time we filed, we didn't know who was going to play.

"We have the total and utmost reverence for our beloved Tompkins Square Park," Flash said. "It is the last bastion against creeping gentrification. We fought for it: in the media, in the streets and in the courts. We will never trash the park, and we will do everything right and everything in compliance. We have a track record going back to 2006 — every show is without incident."

Meanwhile, Stacie was there Saturday and shared these photos...