The Apollo Theater is a legendary music venue and on June 8th they held their 10th annual Spring Gala event featuring “performances by Nile Rodgers and CHIC, Ne-Yo, Rosanne Cash, Luke James, The Soil, and Kimberly Nichole as well as presentations of awards for civic leadership to The Madison Square Garden Company and The Ford Foundation and a post-event party.” I photographed the main event (not the red carpet or after-party) for The Village Voice. It was the first time I photographed any of the aforementioned artists in performance, but capturing Rodgers was the real treat for me.
As Lindsey Rhoades put it in the review, “Truly, though, the Apollo Gala belonged to Chic. Rodgers lovingly described his initiation into the Apollo family at the tender age of nineteen, when Screamin’ Jay Hawkins popped out of a coffin onstage to prank the unsuspecting guitarist. Delighted to finally play his own tunes on stage, Chic began with a rousing version of “Everybody Dance,” the first song he ever recorded.”
Check out some of unused performance photos after the jump.
J Dolan’s band
Ne-Yo:
Nile Rodgers and CHIC:
