The Great Manhattan Piano Race (It's All Business)

On the way to work, I heard an NPR segment about artist Luke Jerram placing 60 pianos around New York City for a summer-long art project that begins today. Called "Play Me, I'm Yours," it's designed to encourage people to play music in public, and Baltimore's J. Roddy Walston and his band The Business are taking Jerram up on that proposition in a big way. Drummer Steve Colmus's mother, Ann, sent me an email this morning saying the group would be playing all 29 pianos—actually Walston would be playing the pianos, with his bandmates accompanying him—scattered around Manhattan. That's quite a tour. I caught up with Steve late this afternoon, and the band had already performed at 22 of the 29 piano stations. "It's freaking great," he said. "It's been a helluva day.  We started at 8 a.m. this morning in Battery Park, and we've been working our way north." Colmus said they've been spending six to ten minutes at each spot, playing two songs off their upcoming CD (which drops July 27 on Vagrant Records). Highlights have included the station at the Madison Square Park playground (see photo), two in Central Park, and one at Chelsea Market. "It's a rad and awesome way to see the city," added Colmus, before hurrying to the next stop on his whirlwind tour. [photo courtesy of jrwtb roadie]