By Robyn Collins
Chris Martin surprised New Yorkers at the Mercury Lounge with a last-minute benefit for Manhattan homeless shelter, The Bowery Mission. James Winans of the Bowery Mission told Radio.com that “Chris literally conceived of that concert at 3 pm while visiting The Bowery Mission that afternoon, and the doors opened six hours later at 9 pm at the Mercury Lounge.”
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Martin delivered a few Coldplay singalong tunes, like “Fix You,” “Yellow,” “A Sky Full Of Stars,” but he also covered Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” and the late Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
It was a solo acoustic show until about halfway through when some of the guys from the mission joined him; Martin’s new “bandmates” had a very direct connection to the cause: James Macklin and Ron Nelson both received critical help from The Bowery Mission as they recovered from homelessness and addiction — Macklin in the 1980s and Nelson in recent years. “Chris Martin proved once again the power of one person to make a difference through The Bowery Mission,” said Macklin, who is now the Mission’s Director of Outreach. “As the temperatures drop and we serve thousands of lonely people during the holidays, Chris has lifted our spirits today.”
Winans reports that about $4,000 was raised for the Bowery Mission. To add to that tally, you can make a donation here.
Check out the special moments fans caught on tape.
