Workers NYC: A Unique Food Cart
New York City is home to over four thousand food trucks and vendors. You see these carts on every single block ranging from spicy and hot halal food to the stereotypical New York Hot Dogs. Nestled between Union Square Park and an NYU dorm, one food cart Workers NYC defies those common food genres. Lea Veloso met up with the owner on how it all came about.
THE SPIKE OF BENEFIT CONCERTS IN THE TRUMP ERA
Jack Antonoff (of Bleachers) and Lana del Rey performing at The Ally Coalition’s 5th Annual Talent Show
Published for class: Journalistic Inquiry
17 December 2018
Screams filled the Union Temple on a misty Saturday night in Brooklyn. Ian Williams of the rock group Battles had asked the audience sitting in the concert hall to let out a 20 second scream, mimicking the performance art piece tweeted by Yoko Ono after Donald Trump was elected in 2016. Williams was one of the first acts for the Love Speech benefit concert put on by Elia Einhorn and Stacey Anderson of Pitchfork to raise funds for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a charity that monitors hate groups and the synagogue. The concert was planned after swastikas were found the morning before Ilana Glazer and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! were supposed to have a public talk there. With over 15 performers including up-and-coming, the concert also featured a raffle that included a guitar signed by all the artists who participated in the concert and a Sub-Pop merch bag. The event had been publicized by other public figures who weren’t involved but supported the cause such as Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner and film actor Danny Trejo. In total, the concert had raised over $7,000 for the cause.
Love Speech and the Southern Poverty Law Center devoted a whole segment of the show into why they should fight apathy in the era of Trump by showing a short clip about the rise of racial violence and hate speech. “When people say these things have happened in the past, no they’re happening right now and we have to do something about it,” said outreach director Lecia Thomas.
“While for maximization [benefit concerts] need to be deployed in conjunction with ad campaigns / other ways of getting the charity/cause in front of people, we can raise awareness of and excitement for the cause via concerts.” says Einhorn. “The artists socialing the cause continues to get it further out into the world.”
Benefit concerts have prevailed in the modern music scene ever since George Harrison conceptualized the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in 1971. They have been a popular method for charity involvement and funding billions of dollars in donations. Recent benefit concerts that have powered through the mainstream include the Global Citizens Festival in Central Park. But in recent months, benefit concerts are increasingly being used to gather donations and awareness for a plethora of causes in the uneasy era of Donald Trump, whose election has caused liberal causes to skyrocket. According to the NAACP, hate crimes have risen over 12% since Trump’s election. In this case of dire attention, benefit concerts simultaneously show the positivity of banding together while trying to fight these hate crimes.
A similar setup of concert had happened almost five days after the Love Speech concert at the Town Hall in Midtown. The Ally Coalition, a charity founded by Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, held their 5th Annual Talent Show at the historic venue to raise money for New Alternatives of New York City, which helps LGBTQ homeless youth who make up almost half of the homeless youth in New York City. The event raised over $300,000 through ticket sales, raffle tickets, and corporate donations. The charity also utilized the platform Propeller, where people can earn points by donating money and those points can enter them for a chance for them to win a front row seat and a meet and greet with Jack Antonoff.
“A lot of nonprofits do galas or dinners so we decided to do something that’s informal.” says Ally Coalition Director of Communications and organizer Cambrey Nicole Thomas. “We have the Talent Show where people can dress up casual and listen to great music and have the proceeds to benefit LGBTQ who are experiencing homelessness and teaching people to support the organizations who do the heavy lifting with actually helping with the youth.”
Though the events were supposed to be a fun environment of acceptance and love, the context was unapologetically political. Designer and host Rachel Antonoff introduced the Talent Show by thanking the audience for supporting the cause in ‘the era of Trump.’ The statement received a thunderous applause in the audiences and rather set the tone for the night.
The show featured more prolific indie pop artists such as Mitski, Rostam, Lana Del Rey, Bleachers, Hayley Kiyoko (who brought out surprise guest Taylor Swift) and comedians Jacqueline Novak and Sasheer Zamata, most of whom were the sole reason why fans attended the concert. “We’re using music to help connect people to these causes. I think it’s an innovative and fun way to get attention. Like ‘You listen to this music? I listen to this music. If you listen to this music, you should definitely support this cause,” says Thomas. “I think music is a great tool for social justice, and conveying messages for social advocacy.”
The music and advocacy didn’t stop at the Town Hall. The weekend after the 5th Annual Talent Show, NYU Tisch’s New Studio Class of 2021 held Ripples for Change, an intimate benefit concert at Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the East Village raising funds for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). Each student performed a specific cover that was assigned to them and raised money by making the event donation only and making use of different online platforms such as GoFundMe and Venmo.
“In just a few days, we raised nearly $3,000 for our charity [through GoFundMe alone].” says Tisch Sophomore and performer Owen O’Leary. “Most people who donated to our event likely didn’t know what RAINN was, but because they supported young artists and music they were willing to give.”
These concerts are also encouraging people to directly take action with these specific charities. Before the Talent Show, the Ally Coalition urged people to text a number to help end conversion therapy and to donate the socks found under their seats to a homeless shelter in a city across the nation. The New Studio students asked audience members to volunteer some of their time with RAINN. But nevertheless, the fight for these causes is never over.
“Without volunteers, we wouldn’t have the power to do this.” says Thomas. “It’s really great to connect with the people with care about the cause who are also into the music and genuinely passionate to show up and connect with the people and the musicians.”
Frankie Cosmos performing at Love Speech in Brooklyn.