The Blurb

A bedazzled creature builds a community by singing 24 concerts of the last 24 decades of popular music. Ultimately all 24 decades will be stitched together culminating in a 24-hour long extravaganza (in 2014), which will feature Taylor Mac, a 24-piece orchestra, dancing beauties, special guests, and you.  Bring bedding and toiletries.

The 24-Hour Durational Concert 

In late 2014 or early 2015 Taylor will perform the entire 24-hour concert straight through in New York City.  Below are some details.

Musicians:  At the start of the concert, 24 musicians  are on stage and every hour a musician will leave until the final hour Taylor Mac is alone, having stayed up, singing almost non-stop for 24-hours.

The Guest Artists:  Each decade will have a special guest performance who will sing a duet with Taylor and do a solo performance.

The Dance:  Each decade also has a different dance number, which the audience may join in on or sit and watch.

The Costumes:  Each decade has a different costume designed by Machine Dazzle, Taylor’s longtime collaborator.

The Environment:  The space is large and many tents, hammocks, cots are set up as well as chairs, mats, and pillows.  There is a medical tent.  Food is at the venue.  Audience members are encouraged to bring bedding and toiletries.  Perhaps there is a makeshift shower section where audience members can shower together.

Participation:  The audience participates in this event.  They are never forced but often invited.  They sing, play parts, dance, eat, meditate, exercise, sleep, flirt, spend an hour completely blind, another at war, another immigrating to a Jewish Tenement, and on and on, all while listening to how mythology meets melody.

Re-entry:  Nobody is forced to stay but if you leave, you do have to repurchase your tickets for re-entry.  This is a durational performance and the audience’s commitment is part of it, so is encouraged.

Touring

There are many, less intimidating ways this concert can be performed.  Here’s some of the ways Taylor’s already done it or is about to do it.

The Decade Concert:  You can book just one decade.  Choose one that fits the theme of  your event/festival/season.  It will be roughly 90-minutes to two hours, the band size can be determined based on your budget, and the decade concert can be adjusted to work with your location (new songs can be added that speak to the local area, local guest performers can be invited, and banter/dialogue can be changed, etc.). 

The Thematic Concert:  If you would like to explore a particular theme then choose the theme and Taylor can create a concert pulled from a spattering of decades.  For example Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival asked Taylor to make an hour show of political music from the last 24 decades.  It was a great success.

The 24-Song Concert:  a concert that consists of one song of popular music from the last 24 decades.

The Century Concert:  It’s possible to do a century of music as well.  Taylor will be doing just that in 2014.  He’ll perform a different decade of the 20th century every night for ten days straight and the eleventh day do a 24-Song Concert (see above).  You could shrink this into a week of performances, a few days, or even one ten hour period.

The 24-Day Concert:  Taylor can do all 24 decades over the course of 24 days or a month (as he will do at Dixon Place in 2013 in order to get ready for the 24-hour event). 

A 20th Century History of Popular Music Abridged:  Taylor performed this at the Under the Radar Festival in 2013 at the Public Theater.  It consists of one song from each decade of the 20th Century (plus two encores) and is a performance ritual to help the audience let go of the 20th century and move into the 21st.

A 19th Century History of Popular Music Abridged:  Taylor has yet to premiere this concert but, like the 20th Century one, would consists of one song from each decade of music and have it’s own theme.

The Decades

A description of each decade and their own individual page is coming here soon.