Boston, Mass.—On Friday, May 1, 2009, American artists Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed make a rare appearance together at a benefit concert in support of The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. The evening kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with an exclusive dinner in the ICA Founder’s Gallery overlooking Boston’s spectacular waterfront. Anderson and Reed perform at 8:30 p.m. in the Barbara Lee Family Foundation Theater followed by an exclusive after-party with dessert and dancing. Tickets can be purchased by calling 617-478-3184. Proceeds from the Benefit Concert support the ICA’s art exhibitions, performance series, and educational programs for young people. Cocktail fun attire. Tickets are $750 (includes concert and after-party) and $2,500 (includes pre-party dinner, concert and after-party) each.
Note: Members of the media are welcome to attend the after-party that follows the concert at 10:00 pm.
Co-chairs of this year’s gala are Tristan and Martin Mannion and Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky. Lead concert sponsors are Tristan and Martin Mannion, Kim and Jim Pallotta, Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky, and John Hancock Financial Services. Additional early corporate support was received from Bank of America and Citi Private Bank.
Reed and Anderson rarely perform together, and this concert, “The Yellow Pony and Other Songs and Stories,” will be their first East Coast appearance as a duo. They will share classic and recent works in this intimate evening of music, stories, songs, and poems. The evening will draw from a wide range of their work: beat-driven improvised instrumentals, spoken pieces from their theater works, and songs and duets about love and its many cousins.
Laurie Anderson is one of America’s most renowned and daring creative pioneers, best known for her multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As a writer, director, visual artist and vocalist, she has created groundbreaking works that span the worlds of art, theater, and experimental music.
Lou Reed is an American Master, a playwright, poet, and photographer. A founding member
of the legendary Velvet Underground, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
About the ICA
An influential forum for multi-disciplinary arts, the Institute of Contemporary Art has been at the leading edge of art in Boston for seventy years. Like its iconic building on Boston’s waterfront, the ICA offers new ways of engaging with the world around us. Its exhibitions and programs provide access to contemporary art, artists, and the creative process, inviting audiences of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the excitement of new art and ideas. The Institute of Contemporary Art, located at 100 Northern Avenue, is open Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 am – 5 pm; Thursday and Friday, 10 am – 9 pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is $12 adults, $10 seniors and students, and free for members and children 17 and under. Free admission on Target Free Thursday Nights, 5-9 pm. For more information, call 617-478-3100 or visit our Web site at www.icaboston.org.
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