BEDFORD-STUYVESANT – A "silent" concert is making some noise in Bed-Stuy.
The Bedford Green Project, which hosts pop-up multimedia events in the neighborhood, is planning to present a live show in the venue where attendees rock out while listening to the music on headphones.
The event will feature Bed-Stuy-based band King Holiday and is being planned for Nov. 15.
“People are very excited about it because it’s a new way of experiencing music and film,” said Daniel Morrow, who launched the Bedford Green Project in late August with partner Wayne Yardley.
“It’s really more of an intimate and immersive experience with headphones where audiences can hear a higher-quality result.”
The pair have previously hosted silent outdoor dance parties in an “urban beach” space at Lexington and Bedford avenues.
King Holiday, a 10-piece “astro-soul” band, will kick off the indoor series in a basement below 1198 Bedford Ave.
“One thing that makes this special is that we’re able to curate our own event where we’re able to really showcase all our talents and full expression,” said Leslie DuMouchel, King Holiday’s lead vocalist and songwriter.
The band will play live music, which draws influence from Jimi Hendrix, the Talking Heads and James Brown. During the performance, their multimedia artwork will be displayed via three-way projections on the venue walls.
King Holiday featured their art and music in a Whitney Museum of American Art exhibition in April 2013, where patrons walked through six rooms to experience the travels of an anonymous blues musician. The November event will showcase similar works.
“I think it’s unconventional and I wanted to try something new,” DuMouchel said of performing a ‘silent’ show with the Bedford Green Project. “It’s super exciting to be able to curate something like this and have the creative freedom to do it.
“A lot of times, people who come to concerts get lost in conversation and don’t focus too much on the music. I think this might force people onto more of an extensive experience of listening.”
The unique element of headphones helps keep a spotlight on the musicians, Morrow said.
“A lot of it is about honoring the artists and saying that this is an evening dedicated to King Holiday,” he added. “We want the audience to really appreciate what they’re doing.”
