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The Apple’s Back! Live Nation’s Geoff Gordon On Saturday’s ‘We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert’

Geoff Gordon, Regional President at Live Nation,
Gilbert Carrasquillo / Getty Images
– Geoff Gordon, Regional President at Live Nation,
is pictured in 2017. He’s part of the team putting together “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert.”
New York City was devastatingly hit hard by COVID-19 as the epicenter of the crisis in the United States in the beginning of the pandemic – but now with the city reopening and high vaccination rates, NYC has lots to celebrate. 
To mark New York’s comeback and revel in the joy of once again gathering together to enjoy all the city has to offer, the Big Apple is hosting NYC Homecoming Week Aug. 14-22 with more than 100 cultural, entertainment and community events across its five boroughs. 
The celebration includes the Aug. 21 star-studded “We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” on The Great Lawn at Central Park, along with free outdoor film screenings, special offers at the city’s incredible museums, the return of NYC Restaurant Week and the free concert series “It’s Time For Hip Hop In NYC.” 
The Aug. 16-17 and Aug. 19-20 hip-hop series boasts performances by George Clinton + The P-Funk All Stars, Remy Ma, Raekwon and Ghost Face Killah of Wu-Tang Clan, and Too Short with concerts taking place at outdoor venues in the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens.
“We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert” features artists from across the musical spectrum including Jon Batiste, Andrea Bocelli, Kane Brown, LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Lucky Daye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, Wyclef Jean, Journey, The Killers, Maluma, Barry Manilow, The New York Philharmonic, Polo G, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen and Rob Thomas. “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon will also appear at the event, as well as journalists Gayle King and Don Lemon.  
The concert, which begins at 4 p.m. EDT, will air live worldwide exclusively on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, and unauthenticated on CNNGo.
“This is going to be an historic, monumental moment for all New Yorkers and all Americans. … This is a celebration of our city, of every working family who faced incredible challenges last year and overcame. This is a celebration for you,” Mayor Bill De Blasio said in a statement.
Celebrating resilience & the magic of music:
– Celebrating resilience & the magic of music
New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer, who is the Board Chairman of the NYCEDC and CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, originally envisioned NYC Homecoming Week as an event to signal that New York City is back and the ultimate destination. His idea inspired the concept of a historic concert at Central Park and NYC Mayor de Blasio called upon esteemed music exec Clive Davis to produce with Live Nation the “The Homecoming Concert.”   

“There is nothing like the live experience and that unique moment when a fan gets to see and hear their favorite artists in person,” Geoff Gordon, Regional President of Live Nation told Pollstar. “In conjunction with New York City and Clive Davis, we are producing an event intended to celebrate responsibly, sing and dance and come together as a sign of unity and resilience.”  

He added, “Danny Meyer envisioned the Homecoming Week idea of wanting an event in every borough. Live Nation and Clive Davis are collaborating on the Great Lawn event, drawing from each party’s strengths and relationships to curate once-in-a-lifetime moments into a festival-style event.” 
Eighty percent of the tickets available for the concert are free and released, along with VIP tickets for purchase, in batches beginning Aug. 2. The concert’s initial policy would have partitioned the audience into vaccinated and non-vaccination sections. As coronavirus cases rose across the country, organizers announced July 27 that the event would only allow vaccinated New Yorkers. Nearly 70% of NYC adult residents are fully vaccinated according to official city data.
For organizers, this concert means much more than making money. Asked if there is a profit to be made, Gordon says, “We all see this as an opportunity to bring New York City and the entertainment world back together in a big way.” 
The team putting on the event includes Live Nation Executive Vice President Jason Miller, producer/entertainment lawyer Doug Davis and television, production and event staging company Done & Dusted. Diversified Production Services, led by Dave Meyers and Chris Covin, is handling the onsite logistics of the event. Gordon notes “in addition, Dan Gross from City Hall and Anthony Sama from Parks have been instrumental.”
As far as what Gordon is most looking forward to, “For our team, this entire experience has been extraordinary. It’s an honor to work on an event of this magnitude with a legend like Clive Davis, incredibly talented artists, and entertainers, and reconnect fans with their favorite artists. We look forward to seeing the crowd’s reaction to what will be many magical moments on Saturday.”
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