MCA Day Is Your ‘Sure Shot’ To Celebrate The Life And Music Of The Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch
Fans of The Beastie Boys suffered a massive blow on May 4, 2012. On that day, Adam “MCA” Yauch succumbed to cancer of the salivary gland which he had been diagnosed with in 2009.
Yauch, along with band members Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, broke rap and hip hop rules with genre-bending and experimentation which lasted over 30 years.
In effect, his death signaled the end of a collaboration by some of the most influential music pioneers of the 20th and 21st centuries.
On Saturday, August 20, fans, artists, and musicians will celebrate the memory of Yauch during the fourth annual MCA Day which will take place at Littlefield Performance + Art Space in Gowanus.
“I remember hearing ‘(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)’ when I was riding around in a big wheel,” event organizer Mike Kearney told the Park Slope Stoop. Kearny lives in Boston and works as a counselor with at-risk youth.
“(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” by The Beastie Boys
The first MCA Day took place weeks after Yauch’s death. On May 19, 2012, Kearney started out by setting up a boombox and table in Union Square. The organizer had no idea Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz would show up for the gathering.
“Ad-Rock hung out with the fans. He hugged them and talked to them,” said Kearney. “He brought the spirit that day. It was amazing.”
Kearney knew he was on to something special, however he had no idea at the time he would be forging a tradition.
“I started to get bombarded by people so bummed to miss the event,” he said. “They were contacting me from all over the world. They wanted to be in New York. A bond formed that day, and I knew there was a pressing need to keep it going.”
The three MCA Days from 2013-2015 were also held at Littlefield. Kearney is excited to bring it back there in just a few days.
“The core concept of the day is about art and live music. We’ll be showing pieces of artwork from all over the world,” he says. There will be both DJs and live music. “We always try and do something fresh. We try to cover every single genre The Beastie Boys every touched.”
As for who will be playing, well, that’s being kept under wraps. “We keep everything a secret, and we like to leave room for last minute surprises,” says Kearny.
Past MCA Day surprises have been huge.
Last year, Run-D.M.C.’s Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels performed. (In 2002, the third member, Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell, was shot and killed outside of their Hollis, Queens studio). “And Mixmaster Mike showed up. It’s hard to describe what that felt like to all of us,” says Kearney. The turntablist recorded and performed with The Beastie Boys.
For Kearney, the event is as much about community as it is about art and music. “We’ve become nothing short of a family,” he says. “And the family grows each year.”
“Sabotage” by The Beastie Boys
We asked the organizer what attracts so many people to the band. “The Beastie Boys weren’t afraid to grow up with us. They even admitted their mistakes. Look, everyone starts out wild and crazy,” he says. “MCA put so much love into the city. He put so much love into his fellow man.”
The Event Rundown: MCA Day 2016: Celebrating the Life of Adam Yauch
When: Saturday, August 20, 12pm-6pm
Where: Littlefield, 622 Degraw Street (between 3rd and 4th Avenues)
Tickets: Free, but please RSVP.