On Sunday evening May 12, critically acclaimed television and music series, Artists Den, held a secret concert with James Bay at the newly decked out, iconic venue of Webster Hall.
Artists Den is well known for their tapings of intimate concerts in iconic settings by talented artists. This secret concert, entitled “James Bay: Live from the Artists Den,” will be their first installment of the upcoming 2019 Spring Series and will air during Season 13 of Live from the Artist Den on American Public Television.
This taping came in perfect conjunction with the release of his new EP Oh My Messy Mind, which released on Friday, May 10, which includes “Peer Pressure” with Julia Michaels and “Bad,” a breakup ballad about loving and longing. Multi-platinum-selling singer, songwriter, James Bay, is a decorated veteran of the music industry with a GRAMMY Award nomination and BRIT Award already under his belt since his first album, “Chaos And The Calm,” was released in 2014.
The night started with an open bar in the main room of Webster Hall. The event was sponsored by the watch company Vacheron Constantin, so while the audience was enjoying the free drinks, they could peruse the luxury timepieces. Prior to his performance, Bay sat down for an intimate interview with Billboard’s Editorial Director Hanna Karp. His passion for music and art was made clear when he went into his early days as a musician, playing in pubs and the story of how he was discovered. Bay also discussed he favorite musician, Aretha Franklin, and what inspires him in his music and how his first two albums, although stylistically different, were both rooted in his love for classic rock and blues music.
The singer-songwriter took a brief break after the interview to prepare while the VIP guests headed back to the bar area to converse about the interview and General Admission audience members where let in for the concert. Bay took to the stage playing his crowd-pleasing tracks “Let It Go,” “Hold Back The River,” “Craving,” and one of his new singles “Bad.” There was not a dry eye in the house Bay belted out his soulful lyrics and playing creatively spontaneous guitar riffs and solos. After his set, Bay was called back to the stage for an encore performance where he performed a couple of songs from his new EP.
A wonderful night to celebrate the renovation of the legendary Webster Hall. The concert taping is to air at a later date during Season 13 of Live from the Artists Den on American Public Television.