The Legal Aid Society is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing legal representation to low-income New Yorkers. With offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn and specializing in Civil, Criminal, and Juvenile Rights Practices, they bear out through works their belief, that no New Yorker should be denied access to justice because of poverty.
Their works, however, come at a cost. Whereas Criminal and Juvenile Rights Practices are constitutionally mandated and subsidized by the government, the Civil Practice relies heavily on private contributions. Hence, The Second Annual Winter Benefit, this year held at Stage 48 on the west side of Manhattan.
In order to encourage a turnout larger than just the philanthropically minded, The Winter Benefit included a silent auction of sports memorabilia, open bar, and an impressive array of hors d’oeuvres. Three musical acts were also scheduled to perform: Butch Parnell, The Broken Crowns, and Threefifty.
After briefly introducing the organization and thanking everyone in attendance, the host Susanna Maffeo announced the first performer, Butch Parnell. He stepped up to the mic with his semi-hollow body guitar. Bearded and sharply dressed in a tailored vest, with buttoned down shirt and tie underneath, he played a style of country that is becoming increasingly popular in areas not known for their appreciation of the genre. It remained distinctly country in its delivery and sentiment, while downplaying the elements that often turn it into a caricature of itself to many city folk. His vocals were clean and he had a sense of humor as he poked fun at himself by saying, “If anybody’s keeping count, I’ve only played one chord.” To his credit, he played that chord very well.
Intermittently waiters came around with the hors d‘oeuvres. The well dressed, but informal crowd, took full advantage of the open bar. The scene looked like happy hour at a local bar. And for some, this may have been the case. Many of the Legal Aid Society employees, from lawyers to grant writers to coordinators, are scattered throughout the city. While communicating with each other for work related matters through telephone, fax, and email is a constant, it is unlikely that everyone involved on a project gets to see each other often socially.
I sat on a chair to the far right next to an aisle, steps from where the waiters exited the kitchen, waiting for the next band to go on. Stage 48 is usually a nightclub. That explained the lack of a stage. The immediate area in front of the mic was filled with rows of chairs. Beyond these were long leather couches that stretched from one end of the room to the other. I must have leaned too far out into the aisle while trying to get a full sweep of the room, when I heard, “Hey, watch your elbow.” I turned back to respond unkindly, but the portly guy in a fedora beat me to it, “I’m carrying a lot of real estate here,” as he gestured to his stomach. I wasn’t expecting to hear the punchy, “hey, buddy” Newyorkese accent at this event. I also wasn’t expecting that this guy would be the singer of the next band.
The Broken Crowns are a three piece – two guys on guitars (one acoustic) and a female keyboardist. Their style was more straightforward singer/songwriter folk compared to the opening act. They made excellent use of the male and female vocal dynamic to harmonize in songs that were catchy and sweet. The songs were sentimental without being saccharine, for example a duet by the acoustic guitar player and the keyboardist touched on the topic of their divorce. The keyboard added a nice dimension to their songs, as she interlaced her melodies with the simple but solid open chord rhythm of the guitars.
Prior to Threefifty taking the stage, another member of the Legal Aid Society took the microphone to reiterate the singular role that the Legal Aid Society plays in the lives of disenfranchised New Yorkers, and how their work is only possible thanks to the hard work of their staff and donations from socially conscious citizens. To illustrate how their work crosses paths with everyday New Yorkers, she related the history behind the Legal Aid Society and Threefifty’s collaboration, which is now in its second year. The keyboardist’s father was being evicted from his assisted living facility, along with 129 others. The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice, despite limited resources, brought a suit against Prospect Park Residence and The Department of Health for wrongful closure. As a show of gratitude Threefifty perform at their benefits.
Threefifty are an 8-piece instrumental band: electric guitar, mandolin, violin, bass, keyboard, drummer, electric-acoustic guitar, and singer. Their songs were complex yet subtle. No one instrument was permitted to grandstand without a purpose or without other instruments adding layers of rhythm and melodies that complimented each other as they took turns developing the theme. The violin added a mournful expansiveness. The mandolin easily rose above the other strings to add clarity and an urgency that the finger-picking on the guitar hinted toward. The songs started gently and then swelled to a crescendo and other times remained passively exploring musical scales for just the right combination of notes. Threefifty succeeds in creating tension with their music. It sounds like the score of a movie during a pivotal moment, the kind that puts a lump in your throat because what has just happened to the character you’ve invested so much of yourself into is decisive.
Text by Mario Norena
Pictures by Sharon Alagna
