Performed atop the highest point in Brooklyn, N.Y. overlooking the site of the World Trade Center, “Memory Ground” is “a study in melancholy and a series of reflections on time and structure and memory, not just in relation to the 9/11 attacks but also in an abstract expression of loss and remembrance,”  said McDaniel, 27.“

Judith Lichtendorf, 78,  a lifelong Manhattan resident, said she was “shocked” by the music and the setting.

“I didn’t expect it to be this moving, it’s so beautifully written…It was really affecting and really beautiful, and the setting is crazy looking at all of the tombstones and all of the high rises, it’s a very magical, spooky place to be,” said Lichtendorf.

Patricia Flint, 57 a Brooklyn resident,  said the first work in the series was her ,“So love was crowned, but music won the cause,” was her favorite for its uplifting tone and energy despite the sadness and solemnity of the day. 

“[It] was such a beautiful commemoration of the day, something positive for today,” said Flint.

Ilene Richman, 57, of Brooklyn, said the music and setting were “very apropos.”

“This was a perfect place to come to today,” said Richman. “I don’t know much about classical music, but I enjoyed it. It’s just a really great place to be on a day like today.”

The musical event coupled with its location atop Battle Hill made finding peace and comfort more manageable than at other events like the National September 11 Memorial, said Lichtendorf.

“Every once in a while, I’ll go down to the site. It’s not a great place to be. It’s crowded, and there’s a big carnival feeling about it,” said Lichtendorf. “[Green-Wood Cemetery] just seemed like it was going to be an incredible place.”

For some New Yorkers, the weight of the 20th anniversary coupled with the end of the war in Afghanistan added additional pressure to an already heavy day.

Flint described the end of the war in Afghanistan, like the 9/11 attacks, as “so much loss of life and so much injury, devastating injuries, that all feels for nothing.”

Richman said not only are big anniversaries like the 10th or 20th “more difficult” for her than other years because the tragedy of the day is “totally unavoidable, it’s everywhere all week…it’s more resident and sadder than some of the in-between years,” but also “because of the disastrous end of the war in Afghanistan, it’s just feeling very futile and mired in death.”

“It’s just a waste of life on such a grand scale.”

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When the pandemic hit and the city was taken by an uneasy silence, street musicians were the ones who kept the show going on what has always been their most eloquent and biggest stage: the city itself – and that means both above and below the ground. 

For many of them it was a matter of survival: without their gigs due to closure of the usual venues, they turned to streets and subway stations to keep playing their instruments and showing their art.  

That was a big turning point: many of them not only started making more money busking than playing in bars, theaters and festivals but also attracted new fans among the spontaneous crowd that now gathers around them. 

And, most of all, like that band that kept playing on while the Titanic was sinking, they filled the city with zest and hope amidst one of the darkest times of its history. 

Andrew Kalleen has been carrying his piano all over the city. Here he is on Washington Square Park, New York City. February 5, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Joe Mayer plays the fiddle in The Brooklyn Bards, a band that plays a mix of Irish musich and classic rock every week in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Wayne Walcott playing jazz in the Broadway-Lafayette subway station, New York City. January 27, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Flutist playing in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Percussionist performing in the 14th subway station, New York City. February 19, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Haitian musican Alegba Jahyile and his band, Alegba and Friends, plays Latin music in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York City. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Robert Leslie is a British-born guitarist and songwriter who plays his own songs in many subway stations across the city. Here he is in Metropolitan Avenue station, Brooklyn, New York City. February 19, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Drummer Rob Montemarano, member of The Brooklyn Bards, a band that plays a mix of Irish music and classic rock every week in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York. April 23, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Trumpetist Fernando Ferrarone and bassist Bob Bruya playing jazz in the guitarist Marco Grispo’s band in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, New York City. April 1st, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Saxophonist performing in Washington Square Park, New York City. February 5, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

Street musician playing the cajón and singing in Andrew Kalleen’s band in Washington Square Park, New York City. February 5, 2021. Photo by Xavier Bartaburu

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The Juilliard trained percussionist has been giving private lessons since 1996. With stay-at-home orders in place,  she has taught in recital halls, studios, hallways, garages and elevators, but never in her backyard.

Starting the first week of March, she began holding lessons through video conferencing tools like FaceTime and Zoom, before she got the idea to hold her lessons in her backyard. As long as the Seattle weather permits she plans to continue this way, leaving a hand sanitizer pump at the student’s piano and wiping down instruments after each lesson. While the shift has been difficult, she said that “musicians are resilient and resourceful,” and years of marching in drum corps have made  Putnam “used to playing outside.”

A socially distanced piano lesson in Amy Putnam’s backyard. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

Since the onset of the pandemic, many musicians have lost freelance work opportunities, with performances being cancelled. Putnam, who plays in the Tacoma Symphony, has had to cancel three of her last planned concerts. 

She suspects her colleagues are also finding new ways to stay afloat and keep working in the field that they love. While she has lost income, Putnam said she is able to continue earning a living through giving lessons, now taking every student that calls. She “doesn’t need to depend on the government for money.”

Her students range from five to 65 years old. Many are children who live in her neighborhood, taking a short bike ride to her house. She finds that students enjoy the opportunity to get out of the house, and like to play their instruments outside. While she has noticed a difference in student’s attentiveness, she noted that “they’ve adapted well.” She plans to host a series of mini backyard garden recitals where groups of students can play together, with up to three families bringing their own lawn chairs to attend, sitting at least 6 feet apart.

An umbrella shades students during their lesson. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

While the acoustic environment is “not ideal,” she finds that the joy of making music together despite the circumstance is worth it.  Putnam said that her neighbors don’t mind the lessons, and that she periodically checks in with them to be sure that they aren’t bothered by the sounds of students practicing. She joked that the cookies she occasionally brings to her neighbors probably don’t hurt either.

Sonja Gunderson practices a new piece. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

A music book clipped securely from the wind. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

Hand sanitizer for each student to use before they begin playing is one of Amy Putnam’s rules. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

A piano student pages through her lesson book. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

Keeping at least six feet apart, Amy Putnam plays a duet with her student. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

A student works on her scales. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

Flowers bloom amid the practice space. Photo by Madeline Gunderson

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by Stacey Kilpatrick

Through a mop of blonde curly hair, silhouetted by blue, yellow, and purple lights, front woman Taylor Momsen and band mates of The Pretty Reckless kicked off the night’s iHeartRadio Live concert in New York City on Monday evening.

Thrashing, hair flipping and dancing began with the show’s opener, “Follow Me Down,” the band’s first track off their sophomore album Going to Hell. It was a good choice, with Momsen, guitarist Ben Phillips, drummer Jamie Perkins and bassist Mark Damon walking on stage into darkness. The song slowly grew heavier with a rush of drums, guitar and bass, leading into Momsen’s vocals as the lights shined. And this girl has pipes – loud, gritty, throaty ones.

After a hundred or so fans rocked out in the intimate space, iHeartRadio’s host, Jonathan Clarke, introduced the band and asked a few questions before “Sweet Things,” which Momsen and Phillips said was influenced by David Bowie and Little Red Riding Hood.

“I think rock needs a revival and I hope that we can be a part of that,” Momsen answered when asked whether she thought the band was influential, especially to young girls. “And, you know, by meeting fans and things I definitely see a lot of people coming up and saying … ‘I heard your song and now I’m playing guitar’ or ‘now I’ve started a band’ or whatever, so that’s great if we can inspire anything inside of anyone, that’s a goal.”

Clarke also asked if the Reckless plan on releasing an acoustic version of Going to Hell, to which Momsen said yes, and that it’s currently in the process.

“We are doing an acoustic Going to Hell, which kind of gives the listener an inside look as to how the songs were originally written,” Momsen said to high applause and cheers. “So it’s kind of like the songwriter demo version of all the songs before we brought the band in. Because we write everything on acoustic when it starts and then we bring these guys in and it develops into what you’re hearing now.”

““There’s not much production,” Momsen added about Going to Hell. “It’s just guitar, bass, drums and vocals.”

“Well speaking of hearing things,” Clarke said, “How about we hear ‘Heaven Knows’?

The first single off Going to Hell, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs in March, a feat extra special since it was just the second No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Songs in the last 24 years to feature a female lead. Opening with quiet guitar riffs by Phillips, a light drumbeat, and a soft crowd-clap, Momsen sang the opening verse before leading into a ramped-up vocal of the entire song. “Go!” she yelled throughout, pointing the microphone at the crowd, playing on stage and interacting with the fans.

“Dear Sister” followed, the band’s slower, soft-sung 56-second tune, streaming seamlessly into its followed-up “Absolution.” Momsen throated through energized lyrics and held long notes while playing off of Phillips, showcasing her true vocal strength.

The band’s first single we ever heard from them, as Momsen said, was next. “Make Me Wanna Die” was a crowd favorite that led into title track “Going To Hell” and the closer, “F*cked Up World.”

“I’m gonna need you guys to get real loud on this next one, ‘cause New York City, you’re at iHeartRadio, but you’re still going to hell,” Momsen said. Feeding off the audience, she held her mic out and asked the crowd to scream.

“Not loud enough,” she belted. “I see you in the back.”

They tried again.

“You can do better than that. Scream it!”

Scream they did.

Ending on a high note, the Reckless performed “F*cked Up World,” the group’s second No. 1 song, which peaked in September on Mainstream Rock Songs, making it the band’s second straight No. 1 and making the group just the second band to reach the top of the charts with a female vocalist since 1990.

About halfway through, Momsen, Phillips and Damon ran off stage, leaving Perkins to drum solo with mixed trippy techno beats blaring from speakers for almost six straight minutes. The mates came back for the remainder of the song – Momsen with a tambourine, dancing in circles – as they hung on every note and riff until continued applause, which really never stopped during the hour-long set.

“New York City thank you so much,” Momsen said, shaking her tambourine to all sides of the room in appreciation. “Thank you iHeartRadio, we’re The Pretty Reckless, we love you, thank you, we will see you next time, have a great f*cking night.”

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Vinyl records are making a comeback.

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Nigerian-born singer and artist Laulo Senbanjo plays his guitar.

Laulo Senbanjo is a Nigerian-born singer and artist. He focuses his artwork on political and social justice issues. His music combines his love for American R&B and hip-hop and traditional African rhythms.

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