We have some photos to share today from the Bowery Mission of last week’s intimate benefit concert by Chris Martin at Mercury Lounge.
James Winans, the mission’s chief development officer, tells us that Martin’s Wednesday visit was supposed to be low-key. He stopped by the Bowery Mission’s headquarters, played a jam session with some of the formerly homeless men at the shelter and then decided to put together a benefit concert to take place that same day. He came up with the idea at 3 p.m. Six hours later, the sold our concert got underway.
The band, recruited from the Bowery Mission, played Coldplay standards as well as covers of Prince, David Bowie and Drake. They also performed Christmas favorites and “Amazing Grace.” At Martin’s side, were James Macklin and Ron Nelson. Macklin is now the mission’s director of outreach and was a resident of the shelter in the late 1980s, when he was struggling to recover from homelessness and cocaine addiction. Nelson received help from the mission more recently.
The benefit raised about $4,000. If you would like to help the Bowery Mission during this holiday season, visit the organization’s website.
Here are some photos taken inside the Bowery Mission:
And here are more photos from Mercury Lounge:
