While the Robot Heart art car has been pumping out beats at Burning Man since 2008, the bus has never played music to audiences outside of the desert event.
That changes later in april, when Robot Heart — a 1972 Bristol Bus outfitted with a world class sound system — will be the nexus of three-day festival Fare Forward. Taking place at Central Park’s Wollman Rink in New York City on April 29-May 1, the event will feature music from Robot Heart regulars including Francesca Lombardo, Swamy & Dill, Behrouz, Guy Laliberté, Acid Pauli, along with The Illustrious Blacks, British legends Cymande, Canadian folk band The Weather Station and more.
Fare Forward will also include live art and food from a variety of globally known chefs. The weekend will mark the first time in 42 years that Wollman Rink — the Park’s ice skating rink in the fall and winter — will host live music. Artists who’ve previously played the space include Carly Simon, The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, The Doors, The Eagles, Bob Marley, Aerosmith and many more.
The weekend will also mark the May 1 birthday of Burning Man’s late founder George Mueller, who died suddenly last year at age 50. Organizers intend for Fare Forward to take place in others cities around the U.S. and beyond, with Robot Heart also of course planning to be back at Burning Man 2022, which happens in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert Aug. 28-Sept. 5.
