The Wallflowers to benefit The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation
New York City
October 2003
When The Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation sought to produce two time Grammy Award-winning, headline concert act The Wallflowers (featuring Jakob Dylan, son of legend Bob Dylan) at their sixth annual dinner & auction, their event producer, Candace Sands of CS Events, turned to Empire Entertainment to provide all production and technical support in mounting the show. The event was held in the historic event space, Le Capitale, which is the former East River Savings Bank building located in New York's Chinatown at Bowery and Grand. The marble interiors and soaring ceilings are both magnificent and a major challenge acoustically. Empire solved these challenges by selecting the right audio system and calibrating it carefully to meet the acoustical properties of the room.
There were also other challenges that Empire faced including the need to fit the Wallflowers' large stage plot onto a small stage that needed to fit between existing columns of the building and not block any of the fire exits. Empire was able to solve this issue by working closely with the venue and the Wallflowers' production manager to create a solution that worked for everyone. The Wallflowers performed for over an hour and brought the audience to their feet with a set that included all of their hits as well as closing with a cover of the David Bowie song "Heroes." The event drew nearly 1,000 people and raised over $1.6 million for this worthy cause.
Empire is a leading producer of talent for not-for-profits and fundraising events.