Wainwright at the House of Campari.
Singer Martha Wainwright performed for a loud crowd last night at a party hosted by Campari in a pop-up art gallery on Broome Street. But the noise wasn't for her—it came from the guests drinking and talking in other parts of the space, which has been remade as the "House of Campari" for an art exhibit and series of parties running from September 21 until October 7.
Throughout her set, the singer looked frustrated and made some references to the people not paying attention, but she went on, graciously and professionally, singing over the din in front of 40 or 50 people. Although the paper invitation we received billed the night as "An Evening With Martha Wainwright," most guests milled around the bar and the exhibit, which also stopped in Los Angeles in June. (The Italian brand staged a similar concept on West Broadway last year.)
Then, before playing her final song, Wainwright said, smiling, "This is for all of you on the other side of the room," and sang "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole," a song from her album. Point made.
All of this prompts a few questions: If you're organizing an event that incorporates a performance and a crowd with cocktails—and purports to support artists—what respect do you owe the performer? How do you keep the crowd happy? And can you balance the needs of both?Brody Brown of the Rose Group, who produced the event for Campari, said that during the soundcheck, he explained to Wainwright that there would be noise. "We took steps to make sure the performance would be audible throughout the space," he said, and the lights were dimmed to try to bring attention to the performance. "We're not in the business of shushing our guests," he said, adding, "We got really positive feedback from everybody."
As for Wainwright, "The great thing about Martha is that she's a real professional," Brown said. "She didn't take it personally."
Indeed, Wainwright appeared unfazed as she left, presumably satisfied with her paycheck and some free booze. And at least she can swap corporate-crowd stories with her brother, Rufus—when he sang at a party at ABC Carpet & Home in April, Sundance Channel C.E.O. Larry Aidem told a loud group to "Shut the fuck up."
Throughout her set, the singer looked frustrated and made some references to the people not paying attention, but she went on, graciously and professionally, singing over the din in front of 40 or 50 people. Although the paper invitation we received billed the night as "An Evening With Martha Wainwright," most guests milled around the bar and the exhibit, which also stopped in Los Angeles in June. (The Italian brand staged a similar concept on West Broadway last year.)
Then, before playing her final song, Wainwright said, smiling, "This is for all of you on the other side of the room," and sang "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole," a song from her album. Point made.
All of this prompts a few questions: If you're organizing an event that incorporates a performance and a crowd with cocktails—and purports to support artists—what respect do you owe the performer? How do you keep the crowd happy? And can you balance the needs of both?Brody Brown of the Rose Group, who produced the event for Campari, said that during the soundcheck, he explained to Wainwright that there would be noise. "We took steps to make sure the performance would be audible throughout the space," he said, and the lights were dimmed to try to bring attention to the performance. "We're not in the business of shushing our guests," he said, adding, "We got really positive feedback from everybody."
As for Wainwright, "The great thing about Martha is that she's a real professional," Brown said. "She didn't take it personally."
Indeed, Wainwright appeared unfazed as she left, presumably satisfied with her paycheck and some free booze. And at least she can swap corporate-crowd stories with her brother, Rufus—when he sang at a party at ABC Carpet & Home in April, Sundance Channel C.E.O. Larry Aidem told a loud group to "Shut the fuck up."
