Paul Simon To Play Intimate Queens Venue

QUEENS — Twelve-time Grammy winner and one of world's most influential songwriters, Paul Simon, will be playing an intimate concert at the Materials for the Arts venue on 33-00 Northern Blvd., Long Island City, on April 5.

Simon, a Kew Gardens native, decided to play the venue after a visit, during which he saw Skip LaPlante's collection of 130 makeshift wind chimes constructed from waste collected all over the city, such as lobster pots, bicycle pedals, license plates and cosmetic items. Simon was blown away by the 35,000-square-foot warehouse and its countless aisles filled with materials donated by businesses and individuals.

Material for the Arts, founded in 1987, is supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Aiming to protect the environment, the program collects used materials and gives them to organizations with arts programs and public schools. The process decreases landfill by 1 million pounds each year. The program also provides a variety of activities from field trips to workshops and classes. The warehouse will be turned into a venue for the upcoming concert.

Before leaving, Simon said he wished more people knew about the MFTA and the effort they spend to reduce waste citywide. He then offered to play a concert at the warehouse in the hopes of attracting his New York fans who had never heard about the MFTA.

“We are thrilled that Paul Simon, the legendary, Grammy Award winning Queens native (Kew Gardens raised, Forest Hills High School schooled) is honoring us with an intimate concert on April 5th at the Materials for the Arts warehouse," said MFTA Executive Director Harriet Taub. "Paul’s generosity in supporting the work of Materials for the Arts will be felt by all the thousands of arts groups and public schools we serve.”

The concert, "An Evening With Paul Simon," is scheduled for April 5 between 7 and 9 p.m. Simon will be accompanied by singer Mike Stewart and composer Skip LaPlante, who will be playing his wind chimes.

General admission costs $500 and front-row seats are $750. The proceeds from the concert will go to the non-profit, Friends of Materials for the Arts, for use in art education programs.

You can find the tickets for the concert here.

Photo courtesy of MFTA