When trying to come up with a venue for
the city’s biggest concerts, it’s doubtful that anyone would
consider either Brooklyn’s or Staten Island’s minor league stadiums
as the most suitable of backdrops.
And certainly no one would have ever thought that the two boroughs
would hold them simultaneously! But then again, "Across
the Narrows" isn’t your typical concert event.
On Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, Beck and the Pixies will inaugurate the
two-day modern rock affair at Coney Island’s Keyspan Park, home
of the Brooklyn Cyclones, while on Staten Island, The Killers
and Oasis do the honors at the home of the Staten Island Yankees,
the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.
What better way to get set for the fall season than with one
of the coolest concerts of the year? The concert, sponsored by
Sony Playstation, boasts a big bill of critically acclaimed staples
in the world of alternative and indie rock. On Saturday in Brooklyn,
Gang of Four, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley, Death from Above 1979,
Mando Diao, and Nine Black Alps are scheduled to appear with
the Pixies. An equally stacked lineup can be expected to precede
Beck on Sunday in Keyspan Park: Belle & Sebastian, The Polyphonic
Spree, The Ravenoettes, Gang Gang Dance, Whirlwind Heat and a
to-be-announced special guest.
Separated by the Narrows section of the New York Bay, each concert
will kick off at noon on both days, simultaneously in both ballparks
for a total of four concerts. (For the lowdown on the Staten
Island ballpark lineup, visit www.acrossthenarrows.com.)
Asked why the shows were being staged simultaneously, Jim Glancy,
president of Ron Delsener Presents, the event’s promoter, said
simply, "We thought it was a cool thing to do."
"How do we make it different and interesting and get people
talking?" said Glancy. "This is the one city in the
country that can do it, and we’re gonna do it."
In the last several years, Coney Island has begun to attract
both indie and mainstay acts, from the Village Voice’s yearly
indie extravaganza, the Siren Festival, to sold-out appearances
by Phish, Bjork and an upcoming performances by the White Stripes
on Sept. 24 and 25.
Glancy called Brooklyn a suitable place to watch music for the
"urban" and "adventurous" listener. He said
that music fans needn’t look very far for new and exciting acts,
and there will be several up-and-coming bands at the two-day
"Across the Narrows" extravaganza.
"We’ve tried to mix in bands that we’ve worked with in the
past. In addition to that, some bands that people aren’t as familiar
with who I’m sure in the next two or three years may well be
headlining their own shows," said Glancy.
In between acts, if concert-goers are experiencing an overload
of rock, they can look no further than the Playstation booths
that will be available all day and night with Playstation 2’s
and the recently unveiled PSP systems.
But don’t expect to find fried food and tattoo stands like at
most big-budget indie rock fests.
"We’re kind of deconstructing the festival," explained
Glancy. "This is focused on music. There aren’t multiple
stages, there aren’t falafel stands."
Just drums across the Narrows.
Playstation presents the "Across
the Narrows" concerts at Keyspan Park (Surf Avenue at West
17th Street in Coney Island) and Richmond County Bank Ballpark
(75 Richmond Terrace on Bay Street in Staten Island) on Oct.
1 and Oct. 2 at noon. $55 tickets are on sale now. A limited
number of discounted passes, good for any two shows, are available
at $100. VIP tickets are $250 and include a ticket to one show,
seating in a VIP viewing area and admission to an onsite VIP
lounge and to the VIP after-party at Irving Plaza in Manhattan
and an "Across the Narrows" event gift. For more information
and to purchase tickets, visit wwwrondelsenerpresents.com, www.acrossthenarrows.com
or call (800) 431-3462.
