David Driver Shares Cover of Petula Clark's 'I Know A Place' Feat John Flansburgh

Acclaimed New York performer, singer, and producer David Driver and his band The Riot Squad have shared a cover of Petula Clark’s “I Know A Place” featuring They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh.

It’s the first preview of The Stonewall Jukebox: A Documentary Concert, taking place at City Winery in New York City on June 28, the 55th anniversary of the uprising. Driver’s take on the timeless track captures the essence of the lyrics, evoking images of what Stonewall might’ve felt like for those when the titular jukebox played the tune. The sparkling rendition of the song gives listeners a taste of the magic to come at City Winery later this month.
 
Driver says, “What's crazy about so much of the music that was on that jukebox, and that is in this show, is that a lot of it had this weirdly prescient quality. Like, the lyrics of the songs seem to refer, directly or obliquely, to what was happening culturally, and specifically at The Stonewall Inn, at that time. The place was, for many young queer people in the summer of 1969, THE place to go to see, be seen, get off the streets -- and dance. They knew a place! In much the same way that Petula Clark did as she sang that incredible song.” Flansburgh adds, “Who could resist the opportunity to portray a real live newscaster, especially one reporting on events as important as these? Not me.”

 Tickets include access to the 20th Century Megamix Dance Party immediately following, featuring the best of the best danceable tracks from the 60s and 70s with a special live performance from NYC Pop Recording Artivist & transgender star Mila Jam (RENT, Chaka Khan). Tickets are available to purchase here and benefit The Stonewall Community Foundation.

Part jubilant musical performance, part little-known oral history, the show tells the unexpected and profoundly uplifting story of how The Stonewall Uprising came to be, and how it continues to impact contemporary LGBTQ+ culture. Through musical performances interwoven with contemporaneous texts pulled from magazines, books, interviews, and songs that were played at The Stonewall Inn, the show pays homage to the very real people who lived, fought, and survived The Stonewall Uprising, and sheds a light on the social and political climate that paved the way for one of the most significant turning points in LGBTQ+ history. 

Joining Driver and his band The Riot Squad on stage are guest singers and narrators like the newly announced playwright and singer-songwriter Stew (Passing Strange), who joins Michael Musto, Aisha de Haas (RENT, Caroline, or Change), Everett Bradley (Bon Jovi, Springsteen), Castrata, beloved downtown NYC icon Machine Dazzle (Taylor Mac), queer burlesque legend Tigger! and many more. Led by Music Director Ann Klein (Grease, Almost Famous, Kinky Boots) it’s a cast and crew whose diversity reflects the fierce demographics of The Stonewall Inn circa 1969. 

Scant evidence survives from the venue itself, but one major piece of information remains: the music that was on the venue’s two jukeboxes. Through the work of artists like ​​Sly & the Family Stone, Judy Garland, The Flirtations, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Lesley Gore, and The Beatles that, with hindsight, seem eerily clairvoyant in reflecting the queer experience, The Stonewall Jukebox presents an evocative environment of joy and exuberance that shines a light on how and why this historical moment remains at the forefront of our cultural consciousness. 

About David Driver

David Driver has long been a fixture on the downtown NYC music scene, as both a performer and producer. He’s worked with Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry, Stew and Heidi, Betty, They Might Be Giants, Richard Butler, and Roy Nathanson & The Jazz Passengers, among others. He was in the original Broadway cast of the musical Rent, and originated the role of Xanthus in the Off-Broadway cult rock opera People Are Wrong!. Driver has been a featured vocalist on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and The Late Show with David Letterman, and has been the voice of commercial brands including Dunkin Donuts, Bridgestone Tires, and USA Network. Driver starred in the world premiere of Heidi Rodewald’s and Donna DiNovelli’s The Good Swimmer at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s 2018 Next Wave Festival. Along with his colleague Dana Lyn, he wrote and directed A Room Without A Floor, which recently debuted on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s ‘Live from the Balcony’ online series.

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