Emerging Music Festival Day Two

Nina Keith and Rachika Nayar were drawn to one another like mirror images or two sisters reuniting after a lifetime of separation. Four years ago, the artists met in Brooklyn's two-block–by–two-block Maria Hernandez Park after fan-girling each other’s music online. Dishing about messy post-lockdown long-distance lesbianism, heartfelt investments in Buddhist and Hindu philosophies, and a shared high-school love of the Eternal Sunshine OST, the two found their surface similarities gesturing toward a deeper shared existential worldview.

Their kinship—which Rachika describes originating from some “inner-child sisterhood place”—is the heart of their collaborative project Disiniblud and their fairytale-like self-titled LP via Smugglers Way. The two’s self-described “wordless conversation,” the album orbits such themes as mortality, reinvention through destruction, and sublimating fractured histories into music—all resulting in a work that suggests sweeping transformation can come from embracing old wounds with childlike wonder.

The two LA-based artists meet on complementary but seemingly disparate musical grounds. On her 2022 breakout LP Heaven Come Crashing, Nayar departed from her usual ambient guitar in favor of maximalist synths, sub-bass, and flickers of Amen breaks. Her distinct fusion of post-rock and electronica earned her accolades as Pitchfork's Best New Music, on several best of the year lists (The New York Times, Stereogum, Fader, GQ, Bandcamp, etc), and as the opening act on tour with M83. Keith, meanwhile, is best known for her self-trained approach to composition, as evident on her 2019 debut MARANASATI 19111 and its delicate medley of cello, piano, clarinet, and flute, used to explore a personal history marked by community tragedy and paranormal incidents. She expands into new territories on her forthcoming releases, like the single “Come Back Different” featuring Julie Byrne, by incorporating modular synths and intricate vocal arrangements with the help of various collaborators. Their combined artistic strengths exalt together on Disiniblud.

"The imagery [of the album] for me is like standing together in the abyss of our memory and reckoning with both the ineffable wonders and atrocities of our life experience," says Nina, "like we’re holding and protecting each other through that process and finding a way to take both the light and dark.”

“It’s not about healing and moving past the darkness,” clarifies Rachika.

Nina adds, “It’s taking both with you in the satchel and carrying it with you everywhere you go… that’s the only way you can really metabolize it.”

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone". 

Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.

Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.

Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more!

Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. 

Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.

Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.