I would LOVE to see this performed at Penn Station - the LIRR line.....
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This is great ad for NYC tourism!
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a brand new clean training R160? should've made them sit on an R32s from the '60s and danced in penn station, then they could've seen the real NYC transit experience...
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I hope everyone has seen "The Fisher King" with Robin Williams, in which there's a sudden synchronized waltz that fills the floor with dancers:
https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/f/Fisher-King.php
Time ago I needed to know how much revenue New York Telephone Co., Inc., made from their public street telephones and how much did the City of New York get. Public coin-operated telephones paid a commission on revenue to the proprietor, and the proprietor was the City of New York (the telephones were on the City's streets). Likewise the amount of money Consol. Edison charged N.Y.C. to provide electricity to illuminate street lights was at first declared "a secret" or proprietary. Not so.
It still amazes me over the years how public officials and servants hide behind the word "proprietary" and do not understand that the amount of money paid for such use and occupancy is not a secret and has to be reported as income by the agency.
Now let's submit a F.O.I.L. (Freedom of Information Law) request for the salary of Meredith Conti.
It is best to try to listen to the lyrics without watching the video. Like the half time show with Shakira and JLo. I am just not sure that there is anything there and that huge productions are the point not the music.
(This is the opposite of watching Trump where it is best to turn off the sound and read the closed captioning while watching him.)
Huge production are impressive. And they certainly would serve to support the importance of what is happening. But I am not convinced that it is in service to anything of important except our ability to be distracted by loud noises.
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@HT To your first point, I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with a good production. One of the major hallmarks of k-pop is the heavy emphasis on dance and performance. In a lot of ways it's theater.
Secondly, I highly recommend looking into their lyrics. BTS is famous for their literary allusions and personal storytelling. (Yes, they write or are heavily involved in writing all their own music. And they do play instruments, but their live performances center around them as vocalists and dancers.) They explore a large range of musicals styles and they've been able to reach such a large audience across a substantial language barrer because so many people genuinely love their music and get a lot out of their messages.
Their music may not be to your taste but it has had an impact for good on the world and they work hard to create real art. (Might I suggest their art film of Black Swan as a great example.) That they do so while also creating wonderful, enjoyable pop and being able to laugh at themselves is one of the tensions that makes them so fascinating. Their (enormous, diverse) fan base is so dedicated for a reason.
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It’s highly unlikely that NYCT has a train just laying around, much less one of the newer models. And if it was non operational, how was it running? Also, the train operators would be stationed at both ends of the train, not both sides.
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@Charles Seaton Non-operational means not in regular use. Most transit systems have these for film shots and private bookings.
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@Scott D At NYCT, non operational means a train not capable of making service. Having worked there for 25 years, I know a little about how things work.
The MTA should let the public know how much BTS, or Paul McCartney, pay for private use of space that belongs to the public. (btw, wasn't the "secret video" actually "secretly" filmed? It's not so secret anymore.)
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@Avenue Be Not that hard to find out really. Call the NY film office. Do you want to know how much brides are charged too?
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Isn't this one of those manufactured groups put together by an entertainment conglomerate? Not that that makes it a bad group, just a cynical one. These boys will grow up and move on, but not before taking millions from the tweens that love them. To my granddaughters, BTS is like the Beatles were to my generation, so I try to sympathize.
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@Ms. Pea Except the Beatles player instruments as being part of a band not just a group.
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@kris
Um...the Beatles also wrote all of their own music (and lyrics...after a few initial early 60's covers)...and were at the thin edge of the wedge in terms of inventing how working in the studio can be used to "make" music, beyond traditional instrumentals and voice. But they did not dance.
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@Ms. Pea while subjectively true, BTS was formed under a very small company and debuted in 2013. They were organized around RM, the original member, who was a rising artist in the underground rap scene in South Korea before he caught the attention of producer Bang Si-hyuk. Even in their debut they received a lot of pushback until making a name for themselves. They are heavily, if not wholly, involved with the writing and creative process in their music--writing about anxiety and depression, as well as their growth as people and their values in hard work and friendship with each other. You don't have to like their music or how it's done, but I encourage you to listen to some of their interviews, specifically the Grammy Museum interview from 2018, and you won't be able to deny their authenticity and humility. I'm 31, an Asian-American, and became a fan just this past year. It's incredible to me that a group of mostly Korean speaking Asian men have made this kind of impact in the world. I wish I had something like this to look up to as an adolescent in a mostly white community. As a matter of representation, I am very proud to see their success. :)
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I've lived in NYC for 32 years and never knew the Terminal closes at 2 am.
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@brien
I guess it's been quite a few years since I've been running around on the subway after the clubs close.
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That's pretty cool! A win-win for all involved.
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Thank you to BTS, Fallon, and the MTA for a delightful and invigorating performance. It was delightful to see my favorite band in the most gorgeous train station in my town! What a mashup!
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I loved it! All of it. Thanks for writing the behind the scenes story on it.
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Now if only they could make the trains run on time. ;-)
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Why aren't the amount of the fees paid to the MTA made public?
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