Track Star’s Jack Coyne leads a musical tour of New York

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I was born and raised in the East Village, not far from the home of Track Star, the online game show I play with people on the street. It stars strangers as well as musicians: I’ve had Lily Allen, Charli XCX and FKA Twigs on. Basically, I play a song and the contestant has to identify the artist who recorded it. The prize money starts at $5 for the first song and doubles with every correct answer until my guest either gets one wrong and loses it all or decides to stop playing. (The cash “prize” is often donated to charity.) Our office is on Great Jones Street, in NoHo, because this area is perfect for casting creative, willing participants who love music trivia.

I try to play songs that are universally known and appreciated. We ask guests to name the artist because I’m interested in different musical signatures. You know a Stevie Wonder song when you hear it – but maybe not the title. I appreciate many musical genres – everything from classical music to indie pop and country. I prepare for my guest interviews by reading biographies that I pick up at the Strand bookstore, and by listening to their music obsessively. Lately I’ve been into rappers including A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Lil Uzi Vert, as well as pop acts such as Olivia Dean, Laufey and Kingfishr. 

New York is the greatest city in the world: it’s culturally diverse, economically diverse and everyone does something different and interesting. Because of that, many artistic styles and musical genres have popped up. Jazz, the greatest American musical art form, really flourished in New York, particularly at clubs such as Birdland, which is still open, as well as the Three Deuces and the Famous Door on “Swing Street” in Midtown. 

At the same time, the city has been the crucible for many other genres going back to Tin Pan Alley – now the NoMad area – which was active from the 1890s through the 1970s. The Brill Building – a former office space for record labels and recording studios – was its epicentre; Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole and Paul Simon all wrote music in those offices. Later, hip hop flourished in the Bronx in the 1970s – a movement that continues today.

I recently went to see the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side, and experiencing that orchestra live – and watching the conductor perform – was magical; the vibrations hit me like a rock concert would. I also love shows at Madison Square Garden – I’ve seen Dead & Company, Eagles, Billy Joel and Drake there. The collective experience of walking into an arena with 22,000 people and everyone cheering for the same team is exhilarating. It’s the same at MetLife Stadium, where I saw Oasis with 80,000 other fans; it exceeded all expectations. 

New York can be expensive and difficult, but it’s the centre of the action

There are so many smaller, more intimate venues too. The Bowery Ballroom and the Music Hall of Williamsburg hold just 1,000 or so people. Nightclub 101 on Avenue A, where they showcase a mix of emerging artists, is even smaller. Brooklyn tends to be where more interesting things happen because it’s more affordable: I like Cafe Erzulie for local jazz and Brooklyn Paramount, where I recently saw the Irish post-punk band Fontaines DC.

Further north, you’ve got the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, a great outdoor music venue – Chappell Roan played four nights there. And The Apollo and the United Palace are both icons; I saw Neil Young at the Palace with my dad in high school and I’ll never forget it. The inside is magnificent and exuberant – it’s a window into another time. 

Of course, bars and restaurants are key to the city, and can be great places for music. Although I like two of my favourite spots – Vic’s for pizza and Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria, which does great cured meats and cheeses – because they don’t play loud music. If you’re looking for more of a “scene”, the restaurant Jean’s is the place for spotting musicians after a show.

You’ll find one of the best pints of Guinness in New York at Swift Hibernian Lounge in downtown Manhattan. I think it has something to do with their supply chain and the way they pour. Sláinte is another favourite, as is Tom & Jerry’s, a small, divey place in NoHo with really loud rock music. 

Downtown is the place for record stores: Ergot in the East Village is a treasure trove of techno, disco and dance music; A-1 has bins of second-hand and reissued dance, funk and hip-hop albums; and Village Revival Records is an incredible spot just for its depth and variety of music. The owner Jamal Alnasr helps customers, including Rosalía and Lana Del Rey, curate their collections and also organises live music that feels very connected to Greenwich Village. 

The city is home to countless studios and historical venues – Prince played at Roseland Ballroom and The Bottom Line over the years, and Jean-Michel Basquiat painted Riddle Me This, Batman at his studio on Great Jones Street, part of which is now called Jean-Michel Basquiat Way.

I grew up listening to rappers such as Jay-Z, Nas and 50 Cent, and bands including The Strokes and Interpol. All of those artists feel so tied to New York. The current equivalent of that is probably a band called Geese, a group of kids from Park Slope, Brooklyn, on the path to making it big. New York can be expensive and difficult, but it’s the centre of the action and creative people want to be here. It’s definitely worth the price of admission.