How Lady Gaga’s bandleader boosted Biden’s 2020 Nevada campaign
Musicians play fundraisers so frequently Las Vegas that Brian Newman’s appearance at a campaign event in May 2019 went largely unnoticed.
But today, Newman’s performance at a Joe Biden fundraising party at then-NoMad Restaurant at Park MGM is viewed as the launching point for Biden’s Nevada campaign. Along with his backing band, Lady Gaga’s longtime bandleader was the headliner at that event, which helped Biden narrowly win the state in 2020.
“I normally try to keep politics out of my show, but everybody knows what side of the aisle I’m on,” Newman said in a phone chat from Coney Island, N.Y., where he was spending the day with his family. “I was honored to have been involved so early in the president’s campaign.”
Newman, who lives in Brooklyn, had declined to talk of that event until after Biden was inaugurated in January 2021. But after Biden’s swearing-in, the trumpet maestro posted that he’d watched the ceremony through tears.
His message: “I am so proud and inspired to hear all the eloquent messages of equality, love, truth, empathy, optimism and compassion for ALL Americans no matter our race, religion, politics or sexuality. It’s a long road, but it is time for the healing and rebuilding of our Great Nation. Congratulations and thank you to the President of the United States @Biden & Vice President @kamalaharris !! That was truly beautiful.”
The fundraiser was Newman’s first performance in the room later renamed NoMad Library. He went on to set up his “After Dark” headlining series in the room. Newman hosts the late-night show with his burlesque-star wife, Angie Pontani. “After Dark” is on pause as Gaga’s “Jazz + Piano” run closed this month.
The venue was renamed NoMad Library after Gaga joked that it felt like a library because 25,000 books from David Rockefeller’s’s personal collection are stacked on the shelves. The space is now in the history books.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
