Details on Autumn Rocks in Tompkins Square Park

Autumn Rocks in Tompkins Square Park takes place this afternoon, which brings together several events. There's the second annual Tompkins Square Book and Arts Fair, which starts at noon, and a lineup of bands from 2-6 p.m.

Here's a list of the bands, per the Shows in Tompkins Square Park page on Facebook: 

• Midnight Jerks 

• No Police State Girl 

• Dub Corps 

• Simon + JJ 

• The Uplifters 

• Faith 

• Bachslider 

And at 1 p.m., there will be a memorial for Jerry Foust, a familiar figure in Tompkins Square Park in recent years. He died on Sept. 13. We'll have more on his passing in an upcoming post.

About Tompkinstock today in Tompkins Square Park

Today, the Meetles, the local classic-rock tribute band, are paying homage to Woodstock (52nd anniversary) with this Tompkinstock lineup ... 

• 1 p.m. The Meetles 

• 2:15 p.m. Michael G Potter (singer/songwriter)

• 3 p.m. The Beatles @ Shea Stadium '65 revisited by The Meetles 

• 4 p.m. RAGA ensemble with Morgan Horowitz/Andru Cann/Jansen Bennet 

• 4:45 p.m. The Meetles & friends/52nd Anniversary of Woodstock

At the Tompkins Square Park Riot Reunion shows

The concerts commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Tompkins Square Police Riot of Aug. 6, 1988, took place this past weekend.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these photos over the course of the two days that featured more than a dozen bands and speakers (not to mention the heavy presence of the NYPD and Parks Enforcement Patrol) ...

The 33rd annual Tompkins Square Riot reunion shows are happening this weekend

The free concerts commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Tompkins Square Police Riot of Aug. 6, 1988 are happening this weekend.

Here are the lineups for the afternoon shows (set to start at 2 and end at 6):

Saturday:

• Johnny KT

• Val Kinzler

• Les Bicyclettes Blanches

• Skitzopolis

• Jezo Black + The Element

• Sea Monster

• SEWAGE

Sunday:

• Dutch Gutz

• Ruckus Interruptus

• The Idolizers

• The NIHILISTICS

• Hot Knives

• Drogato

There will also be a number of guest speakers on both days.

The organizers – The Shadow — had their previously approved permits revoked by the Parks Department after the April 24 show. A lawyer for the organizers had been negotiating the return of the permits. 

Updated 8/9:

Find some pics from the shows here.

Where to find some free live music today

Make Music NYC, the free, outdoor music festival that takes place annually on June 21, returns today with shows at sites around the city. 

From 2-6, several bands will be performing during the Girls Rock & Girls Rule show in Tompkins Square Park. This link has more details. 

Elsewhere, you can find a handful of local bands, including Beechwood and the Trash Bags, playing outside The Cast, the rock-n-roll boutique at 72 Orchard St. between Broome and Grand...

The music starts at 3:30.

H/T Steven

[Updated] Today's show in Tompkins Square Park was canceled

This afternoon's free concert in Tompkins Square Park, featuring headliners the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, has been canceled. 

The organizers – The Shadow — had their previously approved permit revoked by the Parks Department after the April 24 show. A lawyer for the organizers had been negotiating the return of the permits. 

And the NYPD and the Parks Enforcement Patrol were there to make sure the show didn't go on.

Stay tuned for an alternate date and further details. 

The screening of Rachel Amodeo's 1993 film "What About Me" was expected to still happen at sundown.

--- 

Updated 4 p.m. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was in the Park and photographed a few of the bands set to play. Today was to be the debut of Girl Dick...

Hello Mary was set to open the show...

Both bands are now on a bill in Greenpoint at 113 Franklin St. starting at 8 p.m. ($5 cover!). 

--- 

As a PS... There was a musician playing with a small amp in the center of the Park just after noon. He was not part of the scheduled show... and the Parks Enforcement Patrol on duty allowed him to play...

Photo by Steven

More fallout from Saturday's hardcore show in Tompkins Square Park, and an exclusive look at the event application

Reporting by Stacie Joy

The fallout from Saturday's hardcore matinee in Tompkins Square Park continues. 

Gothamist reported yesterday that the Parks Department has revoked permits for seven upcoming events that were organized by East Village resident Chris Flash, who had applied for the permit for the Saturday show. (Two of the events had already received city approval.) 

According to PIX11 and Gothamist, reps from the Parks Department said that Saturday's free all-ages show was billed as a "September 11 Memorial" on the permit application, a point that made headlines at both outlets and drew outrage from readers for its brazenness. Each outlet said that the Parks Department had provided them with a copy of the permit.

In an interview with EVG's Stacie Joy on Monday, Flash, who has organized concerts in Tompkins Square Park since 2006, said that the permit he filed for on April 24 did not mention 9/11.

"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?" 

As proof, he shared a copy of the approved permit (submitted last Nov. 2 and OK'd on March 23 — we blocked out his address and contact information) that the Parks Department had previously shared with him for the date.

The permit shows the event name titled "rally/concert." (click on the image for more details) ...

It's not immediately clear why the approved permit Flash received from the city differs from the ones the Parks Department is sharing with media outlets.

"I think the spokesperson entered my name and all the permits came up — there are eight of them, seven left — and she gave them one random application," Flash told Stacie last night. "I wanted May Day — it has social and political implications. They refused to give us May Day. They offered us April 24, which I accepted."

He also has concerns about the Parks Department "violating his confidentiality" by releasing the permits to reporters.

"And in addition to violating my confidentiality, [the Parks Department] gave out the wrong information," Flash said. 

Elsewhere on the permit, there's a mention of "amplified sound from 2-6 p.m. with proper sound device permit from NYPD." 

The attendance is listed on the permit as 100, and estimates put Saturday's crowd size at 2,000 during the late-afternoon sets by bands with large followings — Bloodclot, Murphy's Law and Madball. 

At the time of this filing this past November, Flash said they didn't know who was going to play on that date. The show, which also served as a fundraiser for the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation, was first announced by Black N' Blue Productions on April 8. 

According to Gothamist, "the alleged misrepresentations" on the permit along with the crowd size (outdoor events in New York are capped at 500) and the lack of masks and social distancing prompted the Parks Department to revoke the permits for Flash for the remainder of the year. (Flash previously said that they followed the city's three pages of COVID-related requirements.)

The large number of maskless attendees during a pandemic drew the ire of people on social media as well as some residents who were in the park on Saturday afternoon. Local Assemblymember Harvey Epstein referred to the show as a "super spreader event" in a tweet.

In a message with Stacie yesterday, he wrote: "I was in the park on Saturday and saw the overwhelming crowd. They violated their permit, and [the Parks Department] withdrew all future permits. I agree with that decision. It was not safe."

Meanwhile, Flash said that he has not heard from anyone at the Parks Department. 

"All I know so far is that the Parks Department said they are going to review everything. I applied for eight shows, so seven are coming up," he said. "It remains to be seen what their next move is. They have no legitimate grounds to refuse us permits for any future events. I do not know the requirements for a rescinded permit, but I have not been contacted."

And...

"Regardless of what happens, I will be discussing this with my lawyer. I have a 15-year clean track record of being conscientious and following all the rules and regulations. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to issue a warning?"

Flash described this all as "a momentary media frenzy." 

"They will move on and find something new to have a frenzy over," he said. "In short, I am not worried in the least. I welcome a good fight."

Updated 2 p.m.

Flash confirmed the following: "The Parks Department emailed us a two-page letter informing us of their intention to revoke all subsequent permits in TSP." No word on the next steps.

[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...

Saturday's opening shot

A crew was out early (7 a.m.) to put up the stage for today's HC show in Tompkins Square Park.

The bill features Madball, Murphy's Law, Bloodclot, Wisdom in Chains and the Capturers (plus DJ Franky 2Far). There's a noon start time, per the flyers, though a worker said the show starts at 2.

At the first Pinc Louds show of 2021 in Tompkins Square Park

Saturday saw the return of Pinc Louds to Tompkins Square Park.

The band's eclectic, freewheeling live shows in the Park were a bright spot during the pandemic summer of 2020. 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared these shots from the crowd...

Also on the bill Saturday: Local talent Dirty Circuit and Ayla.