The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will host the Mary McBride Band on Thursday, March 24 at 8pm in The East Plaza. The concert is free and open to all and will take audiences on a journey across America’s most loved musical genres.
The Mary McBride Band’s members hail from New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. As the first band to perform at The Arts Center in February 2015, their long-awaited return to the UAE is with the support of the U.S. Mission to the UAE, in conjunction with a performance at the USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Audiences can expect a fiery inspirational rollercoaster ride from country and gospel to blues and old school rock ‘n’ roll. The concert features an opening set by NYUAD student Mary Collins.
Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center at NYUAD Bill Bragin said: “Mary McBride’s performance at The Arts Center kicked off our spring 2015 pilot season, which was a pivotal moment for us. It set the stage for so much of what we do around community outreach and engagement, partnering within the university and across the UAE, and understanding the role that The Arts Center could play in creating a ‘commons’ both for NYUAD and for the UAE as a whole. It’s really meaningful to work with the U.S. Mission to the UAE to bring Mary McBride back to our campus, helping us to reopen outdoor shows, following her performance at the USA Pavilion at Expo.”
McBride added: “The Arts Center at NYUAD has a strong track record bringing people together through innovative and eclectic art programs. Since our first concert here in 2015, we have admired the extraordinary breadth of the Arts Center’s programming. We are proud to be a part of its artistic community and are thrilled to be back playing in the open air on the East Plaza.”
Robin Solomon, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, said: “The United States Mission to the UAE is proud to partner with NYUAD Arts Center and the Mary McBride Band to organize an exceptional musical event in Abu Dhabi. Cultural exchanges such as Mary McBride Band’s performance at NYUAD deepen ties between the U.S. and the UAE by bringing people together in celebration of art and culture. We are committed to bringing American performers and expert speakers to UAE audiences, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with NYUAD.”
McBride received significant acclaim for her performance of No One’s Gonna Love You like Me onscreen and on the soundtrack of the Academy-award winning film Brokeback Mountain. She and her band have collaborated, performed or toured with the likes of Blondie, Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Cocker, John Prine, LL Cool J, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, Natalie Merchant, Patti Smith, Mavis Staples, and Ziggy Marley. They also performed with Elton John for the 35th Anniversary Concert of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. As a Cultural Envoy for the U.S. Department of State, McBride has performed in more than 30 countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia, where she toured with the first all-women touring band from the United States.
McBride is also the founder of The Home Tour, which uses live music to inspire and connect people, and engage the global community. Between 2012 and 2016, McBride oversaw a music and leadership program to support young people recovering from trauma and mental illness. Most recently, she founded Lead Out Louisiana, a songwriting and documentary series produced in coordination with the Department of Corrections in Louisiana.
McBride is a sought-after speaker on cultural diplomacy and international exchange. She was a featured speaker on a panel at NYU Abu Dhabi on a panel on Arts and Diplomacy, and also represented the United States on the plenary panel at the International Women’s Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Event: Mary McBride Band
Date: March 24, 8pm
Venue: The East Plaza, NYUAD campus
Admission: Free
Reservation details: Visit here for details
More information about the Mary McBride Band can be found here.
