FUV High Line Bash: 2026 Recap

The WFUV High Line Bash doesn't need a staircase of parading celebrities in couture — it's purely a people's party for our all-star FUV listeners, where music always takes the lead and good vibrations count the most. 

Three stellar performances set Thursday night's exuberant May mood at City Winery: a sun-splashed first set by Tyler Ballgame, Emily King's sweet 'n' savvy R&B bliss, and the explosive blues-funk baptism of Robert Randolph and his band.

WFUV celebrated the singular magic of public radio (and continued gratitude to members supporting the station after last year's federal funding cuts) — and also toasted the station's general manager, Chuck Singleton, who retires at the end of June after nearly four decades at the station. Associate general manager Rich McLaughlin's affectionate speech at the midpoint of the Bash — and a heartfelt video highlighting Singleton's dedicated service to FUV over many years and multiple chapters and challenges — gave FUV's longtime listeners, board members, staff, DJs, and music industry representatives a chance to thank Singleton with the standing ovation he deserved. It's not easy running a radio station! 

As for music, the first part of the evening was all about Tyler Ballgame, introduced by Alisa Ali and Corny O'Connell. A strapping singer with a commanding, multi-octave voice, Ballgame has been on everyone's radar since last year, thanks to titanic pop heartbreakers like "I Believe in Love." It was also a swift FUV return for Tyler: the Los Angeles-based crooner delivered a memorable set for his "FUV Live" concert last year.

This past winter, Ballgame — real name Tyler Perry — released his debut album, For the First Time, Again, a brocade of slow-burn vocal pyrotechnics that landed like a lost vinyl gem from the Seventies, discovered in a audiophile's crate alongside Nilsson Schmilsson and Roy Orbison Sings. Joined by his full band — pianist Max Woobs, guitarist and backing vocalist Clay Fuller, guitarist Sam Small, bassist Wayne Whittaker, and drummer Amy Wood — Ballgame's eight-song set showcased the raw majesty of his mutable voice.

The bearded Ballgame, comfortably slouching about the stage in a denim jacket and beige chinos, is an anomaly. That tough-guy facade belies his tender calling: Ballgame is a true-blue, lonely-hearts balladeer. His songs, buoyed by his firework falsetto and operatic range, soothe the romantically crushed, via big crowd-pleasers like  "Matter of Taste" ("don't let me go to waste") and the more fragile undertow of songs like "Sarah," a gentle entreaty for connection. 

Endearingly, he leans into the microphone as if entwined with a partner, embracing the stand as if waltzing with a new love. He also wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to speaking out. "We haven't had a viral moment," said Ballgame shyly to the crowd, explaining his fast rise. "It's all from radio."

WFUV has also lovingly latched onto another emotionally candid singer and songwriter: the sublime Emily King, who played Bash for the first time this year. Hosts Paul Cavalconte and Kara Manning introduced the native New Yorker, a veteran of past "FUV Live" sessions. Most recently she came to Studio A in 2023, performing a trio of songs from her Grammy-nominated album Special Occasion, her most recent release to date. (King is currently recording her next album from her Catskills studio, due out in late 2026 or early 2027 via her Making Music Records.)

For her Bash set, Emily and two of her bandmates, percussionist Tim Smith (keeping time on a crate-style cajón) and Will Bryant on keys, revisited songs from past albums Special Occasion, Scenery and more with sly mashups of King's own songs with covers she loves, notably a beautiful segue from "Can't Hold Me," found on 2019's Scenery, to Des'ree's 1994 anthem "Gotta Be," given a contemporary, resonant depth by King's soaring vocals and soul-baring performance.

King's mother, the singer Kim Kalesti, was in the audience, charmingly cheering on her daughter. King might muse on romantic disillusionment and despair, but she's exuberant and powerful in concert, connecting with the crowd with her enormous heart, handclaps, and humor. "I write songs to build up my confidence," she confessed and in turn, her lyrics on songs like "Medal" or "This Year" do the same for her fans, urging them to cast self-doubt aside.

In retrospect, there was robust resilience and even a spiritual essence to the 2026 Bash, with subtle reminders to keep calm and carry on, no matter what anyone might be facing — whether that's heartbreak, skepticism, or even a health crisis. So it made sense that the man who learned the "Sacred Steel" at the House of God Church in Orange, New Jersey — the great Robert Randolph — closed out the night with a fire-and-brimstone, blues-rock liturgy.

Randolph's brilliance as pedal steel virtuoso won the man a 2026 Grammy for his debut solo album, Preacher Kids, a triumph that followed six studio albums and two live releases with Robert Randolph and the Family Band, as well as a storied reputation as one of the greatest American guitar players. (As Dennis Elsas and Delphine Blue noted in their intro, Randolph is a guitarist's guitarist, asked to play Joe Walsh's wedding, attended by Ringo Starr).

The ferocious "Baptise Me" from Preacher Kids ignited the fire of Randolph's headlining set — the guitarist once said in an interview that every pedal steel player has their own "color and their own flavor" and Randolph's is a cosmos of reverence for his forebears, sheer raucous joy, and genius technique. The caustic grooves of "I Need More Love" from 2003's Unclassified, and the lusty funk stomp of "Big Women," another Preacher Kids track, were juicy highlights, as was the encore's impromptu jam and Randolph's feral cover of "Foxy Lady," rallying the spirit of the Jimi Hendrix Experience — and setting his pedal steel on metaphoric fire, minus the matches.

Backed by four band members, trading vocals, licks, and laughs, Randolph ruled the stage. He's such a charismatic frontman that even seated before the lap steel, he still saunters, sweat dripping from his brow. On the thrilling "7 Generations," also from Preacher Kids, he abruptly pushed the mic away for his solo, snatched a glass of white wine from a passing waiter's tray, and stretched the song into a orgiastic blues-funk homecoming, a praise dance of the sacred steel's holy calling in history. He later strapped on a standup pedal steel, but whether sitting or standing, the man is a 13-string tempest.

FUV's dedicated listeners are also powerhouses — thanks to everyone who attended the 2026 High Line Bash, indulged in the City Winery's spread of good food and drink, and who eagerly brought their love of radio and music into the venue. The rousing applause for the DJ roll call was a sweet surprise: the hosts were brought on stage by director of music programming Russ Borris, including the aforementioned Elsas, Blue, Ali, O'Connell, Cavalconte, and Manning, as well as Janet Bardini, Benham Jones, Emma Philippas, and Sam Sumpter.

Thanks to the entire WFUV staff, especially the tireless development team of Theresa Lynch and Michael L'Abbate, assisted by Zane Padilla, and the whole of City Winery, especially Dan Crowley and Matthew Schwalm. Additional thanks to our sponsor, Connecticut's Surfside Hotel.

You can find videos from the 2026 #FUVBash at our Instagram and photos will be published via FUV's Flickr.