Not Even an American Idol Can Perform in a NYC Park without a Permit

American Idol contestant Philip Murphy's performance at Washington Square Park today came to a sudden end, courtesy of the NYC Parks Department

Chris Flash, the publisher of an underground anarchist newspaper called The Shadow, announced for the past week that he would host a free-admission event in Tompkins Square Park today featuring political speakers, tabling, and full concert performances by the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, Wer, Spike Polite & Sewage NYC, Sea Monster, Girl Dick, and Hello Mary. Flash faced a major obstacle, however. Flash's permit for today's event was revoked by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation after his April 24 event in the park drew an estimated 2,000 people, far more than state-mandated COVID-era regulations allowed. Parks management was not going to look in the opposite direction today.

Yesterday afternoon, Flash told The Manhattan Beat that his attorneys were pushing for a last-minute court order that would force the Parks Department to reinstate his permit. He said the courts worked around the clock so he was hopeful that, with the court order in hand, his event could be staged. He had a back-up plan, to stage the event one block away at a community garden, La Plaza Cultural on East Ninth Street and Avenue C.

At 10 a.m. today, four Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officers were already stationed by the old bandshell area of Tompkins Square Park, ready to prevent Flash from staging his event. They told The Manhattan Beat, "no permit, no music." By 11:30 a.m., the PEP force had doubled.

La Plaza Cultural proved to be an untenable plan. GreenThumb, which falls under the Parks Department and oversees more than 550 community gardens on public and private property in New York City, did not respond to a request to move Flash's event there. Bill De Paola, the garden’s events coordinator, told The Village Sun this afternoon that “We tried to contact GreenThumb and, I guess because it was the weekend, they never got back to us, so we were unable to accommodate Chris, sadly.”

An amplified busker performed in Tompkins Square Park today with Parks Department officers nearby (photograph by Steven Sonnenbrink) 

Nevertheless, although the PEP officers were prepared to turn away Flash and his crew, they permitted a lone busker to perform with amplification at the same area of the Tompkins Square Park where Flash would have staged his event. Yesterday, InCircles, Hennessey, Monte and other bands also performed with amplification in the same spot, perhaps with a permit.

InCircles headlined a multi-act concert in Tompkins Square Park on June 12

Hennessey at Tompkins Square Park on June 12; Leah Hennessey's stepfather, singer David Johansen, watched from the sidelines with her mother, artist Mara Hennessey

Across town this afternoon, PEP officers at Washington Square Park were shutting down musicians who used amplification without a permit. Philip Murphy, who was a contestant on television's American Idol this year, was among the performers who had to stop performing today. Murphy and his accompanying vocalist, Bel Holiday, used two microphones and two small amplifiers. They had gathered a small crowd that was becoming increasingly enthusiastic about his performance when the PEP officer interrupted him as he began a song.

"I really wanted to play today," Murphy told The Manhattan Beat.

The NYC Parks Department shut down Philip Murphy at Washington Square Park today for performing with amplification without a permit

Pinc Louds performed for three hours at La Plaza Cultural on June 10, then at sundown premiered the video for the song "Aire Acondicionado"

Many local musicians have told The Manhattan Beat over the past few weeks that PEP officers and precinct police have been stopping them from playing and threatening them with fines for repeat offenses. Pinc Louds has been stopped so many times in so many public areas that the band seems to have found a new home at La Plaza Cultural, performing there for the second time this past Thursday. Robert Leslie, who had been a regular at Washington Square Park, recently relocated his busking to Tompkins Square Park, but he too has had to cut short his performances. EveryTing, turned away at Tompkins Square Park recently, moved across the street and performed in front of the closed Doc Holliday bar. Somewhat daunted, many solo musicians and bands continue trying to make park concerts a reality.

Robert Leslie at Tompkins Square Park on June 1

Jake Plays Tunes in Tompkins Square Park on June 2

In recent weeks, paper signs have appeared at entrances to Tompkins Square Park, Union Square Park and Washington Square Park announcing earlier curfews. The city advanced the midnight curfew to 10 p.m. on weekends in all three parks, citing unlawful activities, public safety concerns, and neighbor complaints. The curfews have been enforced randomly, however. The sporadic police enforcement of the earlier curfew at Washington Square Park has led to occasional violence, injuries and arrests.

Andrew Kalleen performs in Washington Square Park without amplification so the parks officers do not ask him to stop playing

The Renaissance Street Singers performed in Washington Square Park without amplification on May 16

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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music developments as they happen. All photographs are by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise. For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music." For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's June 2021 calendar.