FUV High Line Bash 2025: Recap

Maybe it was the two-tone checkerboard FUV wristbands handed out on arrival — and a lot of black-and-white fancy garb — but the High Line Bash definitely went back to the future with headliners The English Beat on Wednesday night, April 30. The storied ska band, led by founding singer and songwriter Dave Wakeling, delivered a ranking full-stop revival with cheer and charm at City Winery NYC. Preceded by sets from rising British alt-and-country rocker Jade Bird and New York singer-songwriter supergroup Fantastic Cat, these three bands were straight-up purveyors of pure joy — just what the world needs these days — and delivered a non-stop party for FUV listeners, longtime supporters, music industry friends, and the radio station's hosts and staff.

The luxurious view that City Winery offers, a generous sweep of lower Manhattan's stretch of the Hudson River and Little Island, never fails to impress. As bright sunlight settled to a rosy dusk on this cool spring night, the FUV extended family mingled, sipped bubbly and tucked into salmon sushi, sliders, charcuterie, and potstickers. The "Off the Charts Silent Auction," which dominated the side galley, featured hotly contested bids on unique experiences, including a dinner with Suzanne Vega (not at Tom's Diner, we reckon, but who knows?), getaways to Antigua, and a chance to curate a half hour of music with midday and "NY Slice" host — and pun queen — Alisa Ali.

Along with FUV hosts who were able to be there this year — Corny O'Connell, Alisa Ali, Dennis Elsas, Eric Holland, Delphine Blue, Russ Borris, Janet Bardini, Paul Cavalconte, Don McGee, Kara Manning, Sam Sumpter, Emma Philippas, and Benham Jones (who also spun deep funk and soul all night as house DJ) — a few special attendees were also on hand.

John Platt, on hiatus from "Sunday Supper," was likely the most-hugged person in the room. General manager Chuck Singleton introduced Fordham University President Tania Tetlow, who spoke eloquently of the ongoing importance of FUV and public radio as a whole — and fondly recollected her New Orleans-nurtured love of music. Glassnote Entertainment Group founder Daniel Glass was named honorary chair by Rich McLaughlin, FUV's program director. McLaughlin cited not only Glass's leadership in American music and "visionary leadership" of his label, but his big heart and "unwavering support of the community."

As FUV homepage readers might have gleaned from their tongue-in-cheek "Five Essential NYC Night Spots," Fantastic Cat is a quartet of very funny guys. But the band is deadly serious about their music; they are four singers and songwriters —Anthony D'Amato, Brian Dunne, Don DiLego and Mike Montali — who made the wise, fortuitous decision to forge their individual avenues into a superhighway of an indie band, even though they quip that they're the "shitty Eagles." Fantastic Cat, all suited up in summer white, revel in sweet harmonies and songs that morph from witty, raucous love songs ("All My Fault") to searing political commentary ("Armageddon").

D'Amato, Dunne, Montali and DiLego blend their richly reedy tenors seamlessly — and their between-song swap of guitars and drums has its own choreographed charm. (They were joined by touring multi-instrumentalist Michael Hesslein.) Applause for Fantastic Cat's stagecraft too — a "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Eligibility Countdown Clock" ticked away during their set — they have about 8124 days and a lot of hours to go before voting commences, but hope abounds. A battered red suitcase with the band's name sat front stage, waiting for these traveling wannabe-Wilburys to get on the road. Picking a strong set drawn  from their two albums, 2022's The Very Best of Fantastic Cat and 2024's Now That's What I Call Fantastic Cat, the quartet is clearly one of the best Americana and rock bands to tumble out of New York over the last few years — and we're proud to call them friends of FUV.

Another longtime friend of the station is Jade Bird — and she introduced her 2018 hit debut single "Lottery" with an affectionate tribute to FUV's late  program director Rita Houston, as not only an early believer in her music, but the host of Bird's second interview ever. With a third album ahead, called Who Wants to Talk About Love, released July 18, Bird explored some of those new songs in her Bash set, including "Dreams" and "Wish You Well," dealing frankly with familial estrangement.

Bird, playing her trademark white Taylor guitar, is a ferociously confident performer with rowdy rock chops — and as the Pegasus on her pant leg augured — she can throw thunderbolts when she wants. Backed by a terrific band of Grayson Harris on pedal steel, guitarist Ethan Sherman, bassist Hayley Blatt, and drummer Dana LaMarco, Bird played a few lovely ballads. She described the striking "Avalanche," a song about nature (teased on TikTok), as "pretty special," an apt description of this gifted songwriter's sweet-voiced set of tender tough-love gems and boisterous, gritty stomps.

It's not every day that FUV can claim one of the most influential British bands of the last 50 years as a new friend — but The English Beat's Dave Wakeling has become a welcome presence over the last year, visiting Delphine Blue on "The Whole Wide World" in the fall of 2024.

The Beat was founded in Birmingham in 1978, in the throes of the austere, divisive Margaret Thatcher years, as part of the two-tone revolution, along with peers like The Specials, The Selector, and Madness. The first phase of the Beat lasted just five years over three remarkable albums — 1980's I Just Can't Stop It, 1981's Wha'ppen, and 1982's Special Beat Service —and with full velocity, the group rolled out hit after hit.

Just over 40 years later at City Winery, Wakeling and his band, which includes longtime toaster Antonee First Class, showed just how timeless those songs are, including"Save It for Later," "Mirror in the Bathroom," "Ranking Full Stop," and "Doors of Your Heart" in a vivacious set. Another highlight was the swoony "Tenderness," the 1984 smash hit from General Public, the post-Beat band formed by Wakeling and "Ranking" Roger Charlery. There was plenty of pogoing, but poignancy too, as Wakeling paid tribute to his deceased Beat brethren: Charlery, saxophonist Lionel "Saxa" Martin, and drummer Everett Morton. "Just happy to be here," said Wakeling with a grin, his husky, wistful, lovely vocals unaltered by time.

Every year, the FUV Bash flies by in a handful of hours, but it's a party that takes a year's worth of planning by the radio station staff — especially the development team of Lynette Ardis, FUV's executive director of development, and her colleagues, Michael L'Abbate and Theresa Lynch. At a time when NPR radio stations like FUV face a potential federal funding crisis, the High Line Bash, a benefit for the station, is a reminder of how much we depend on our members' support.

Thanks to everyone in your splendid outfits (a shout-out to the woman in a vivid red Ado Annie dress and cowboy boots, enthusiastically bopping to every band). It's a tremendous high to have so many FUV fans in one room. If you attended the 2025 High Line Bash — or would like to go next year — relive the night via scores of photos found on FUV's Flickr stream, with our thanks to Gus Philippas.

More #FUVBash on Facebook and Instagram; the latter has video too.