Blind Tom Concert

Event Information

Venue(s):
Irving Hall

Price: $.50; $1 reserved

Event Type:
Chamber (includes Solo)

Performance Forces:
Instrumental

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
20 June 2016

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

23 Apr 1866, Evening
24 Apr 1866, Evening
25 Apr 1866, Evening
25 Apr 1866, 3:00 PM
26 Apr 1866, Evening
27 Apr 1866, Evening
28 Apr 1866, Evening
28 Apr 1866, 3:00 PM

Performers and/or Works Performed

Citations

1)
Advertisement: New-York Times, 23 April 1866, 7.
2)
Announcement: New-York Daily Tribune, 23 April 1866, 8.

     “Blind Tom will continue his concerts at Irving Hall every evening this week. His success is now very gratifying. Night after night the hall is filled, and on several occasions it has been crowded to overflowing. The desire to see and hear him is still on the increase, and Blind Tom will count this engagement in New-York as the most brilliant and successful he has ever given.”

3)
Review: New-Yorker Musik-Zeitung, 25 April 1866, 213.

     The Negro boy cringes if someone plays something for him. When he plays, the audience cringes.

4)
Review: New York Clipper, 28 April 1866, 22.

     “Talking about Niggers reminds us that ‘Blind Tom’—a thick-lipped son of Afric’s [sic] golden lands—is still struggling in his colored career, at Irving Hall, [illeg.] even the fact of his being black does not bring him anything but slim audiences. We have had too much nigger; we have to take their sass at breakfast, at dinner, ad [sic] supper, when they are supposed to wait upon us; if we have nigger servants, it is [illeg.] so in name; for their employers must cringe to them to get anything done. We have given the niggers their freedom, but not the freedom to insult their superiors, as white people must ever be. And now, we have thrust upon us niggers to [illeg.] at night—monstrosities who have and make hideous noises for our delectation. We are glad to see that this sort of thing does not go down in New York. We are white, in this direction, and prefer to have white people cater for our amusement. Blind Thomas can go his ways, we’ll none of him.”

5)
Announcement: New York Clipper, 05 May 1866, 30.

     “Blind Tom, not being able to see the point of playing to unremunerative audiences, closed his blind career at Irving Hall on April 28th. It is not likely that he will favor us with his company again, for which let us all be deeply grateful.”