20+ Artists, Two Hours and One Very Packed Plaza

Hundreds of people packed Gansevoort Plaza Tuesday night for the first-ever public Jamm Jam, presented by Jammcard and Meatpacking District, closing out New York Fashion Week with more than 20 artists and musicians performing over two hours.

Jammcard Founder and CEO Elmo Lovano hosted the night, bringing the collaborative format behind his musician community into the open for its first public edition. Lovano didn’t stay behind the mic either, swapping instruments throughout the night and joining artists mid-set.

Singers gave way to rappers, beatboxers shared the stage with instrumentalists, and musicians backed one another as new combinations took shape in real time. There was no traditional separation between performances, and that was the point.

Blu DeTiger & Friends headlined, with DeTiger on bass alongside a rotating group of musicians. Emily Bear took to the piano, while New York rapper Peter Gunz made a surprise appearance. Drummer Jharis Yokley brought the percussion, internet sensation and pianist Pelin Su Yavuz took to the keys, and World Champion Beatboxer Gene Shinozaki turned his voice into an instrument.

That collaboration is central to Jamm Jam. Typically an invite-only experience for Jammcard’s community of professional musicians, Tuesday marked the first time the format opened to the public, giving the crowd a close-up look at musicians building a show together in real time.

It was also a fitting close to a week that put Meatpacking’s streets to work as runways, stages and gathering spaces throughout NYFW. The fashion crowd made room for bass lines, piano keys, beatboxing and a few surprises on the cobblestones.

The first public Jamm Jam in Meatpacking is officially in the books. Keep an eye out for the next one.