Jun 26 2009
Tonight @ City Winery: The Michael Jackson Tribute Wine Pairing
Pay homage to the King of Pop with others tonight at City Winery (155 Varick; 7-9pm; $25) with a wine and music pairing memorial. 25 of Michael’s classic songs spanning over 5 eras will be paired with specially selected wines. Starting with a toast to the King of Pop, to a young period with the Jackson 5, smooth textures, developing into deep and complex personalities, and funky tastes. Michael Jackson’s flavors will be lingering in our minds and age for long after he is gone.
Deciding to host a Michael Jackson Tribute immediately after his death was complicated and emotionally charged. Our feelings were mixed: 80% of us thinking it’s the right thing to do, joining the Apollo & other venues around the globe in the celebration; 20% of us thinking perhaps it’s just too early, too exploitive.
Michael Jackson’s genius is rooted in his paradoxical personality. Like other great artists, his damaged psyche was part of the complex package that came along with his talented songwriting, showmanship, and celebrity. In listening to Michael’s songs over the last 24 hours, played out loud through our concert sound system, we’ve been reminded of the brilliant range of his lengthy career. Those early Jackson 5 songs are indelibly connected to all our childhoods, and proved Michael’s prodigious abilities as a young child. His middle work with Quincy Jones reached more people, black and white, than anyone else in our lifetimes.
I want to keep listening to his music at work today, all day. But I know that passion will begin to diminish over the next few days and weeks, and eventually, his work will get buried once again amidst my collection. So it seems right to honor his music tonight, not next week, despite the emotional challenges.
We recognize that by charging money for our Tribute, we’ve put a commercial slant on the event, so we’re conflicted. For any who are offended, we are sorry. (That being said, we can’t give wine away for free — we’ve got our rent to consider.) What makes City Winery special is that we can pair wine & food with themes — in this case, incredible music. We hope to elevate the experience tonight by focusing our attention on 5 critical periods in Michael’s musical history.
- Michael Dorf, City Winery
P.S. — Just to clarify, in response to people’s accusations:
- We will NOT be serving “Jesus Juice”;
- We will NOT be discussing the “skin” of the grapes;
- We will NOT be focusing on the “nose” or aromas of the wines.