GERARD GERARD
BIOGRAPHY
Gerard McNamee was born in the Bronx to Irish immigrant parents and resides in Chelsea, NYC. He graduated from Fordam University, Rose Hill with a BS in Business Administration. Gerard is a expeditor, curator and strategic lead. His personnel and production skills are vast and specific.
He has forged a relevant reputation and relationships with NYPD Legal, VICE & INTEL and Special Operations divisions, FDNY, NY State Liquor Authority, Department of Health, Department of Buildings and local community boards and councils. He has insight into countless cultures and climates and can mediate and mitigate any circumstance. He is a skilled operator, orator, organizer, motivator, mentor, monitor and diplomat exemplifying a morale driven leader.
Gerard executes efficiently in facility management, crowd control and client relations management. His network extends from entertainment & nightlife professionals to artists and talent from multiple genres and mediums. He has surrounded himself with a cabinet of like-minded and skilled industry players both creative and business oriented known for their ability to deliver immediate and profitable results.
Gerard is an expert in all aspects of venue operations, security & safety execution, community outreach and damage control. Gerard is a solution-oriented strategist.
by Michael C. Morello
For Immediate Release:
Gerard McNamee was born in the Bronx to Irish immigrant parents, his father, a NYC Transit cop and his mother, the assistant to the Monsignor at the local parish. Gerard, Fordham University educated is an actor, entrepreneur, creator and visionary with over two decades of experience at the forefront of NYC culture, music and fashion. Gerard holds court as ambassador to New York’s dynamic East Village and its legendary venue of public assembly, Webster Hall. He is the owner and designer of the bar/restaurant East Village Social aka EVS on St. Mark’s Place.
Gerard is represented by Prestige Management Group, NYC. Gerard is featured in co-starring roles on Netflix Original Series, "The Get Down" as a record company executive, as inmate Faris Jezewski on FOX Network "The Following" Season 3, Episode 10, opposite Kevin Bacon and as a security technology CEO in Season 6, Episode 3 of USA Network "White Collar".
His experience ranges from film actor to art curator to nightlife mastermind. His singing engagements in “Joe Hurley’s Irish Rock Review” at Joe’s Pub and in the “Our Land” project at Lincoln Center are influenced by Shane MacGowan, Joe Strummer, Hurley himself, and if you asked Gerard he would say “and of course, Keith Richards.” If you have the luck of the Irish on your side you may find him singing an Irish tune a cappella late at night in the dark and vacant Grand Ballroom of the world famous Webster Hall. Often found cruising the streets of Manhattan on his Harley, her name, “Yaya,” or his little red VW convertible, he is the ultimate “impresario” and the epitome of a NYC badass.
Projects include:
Co-star Roles:
- Netflix Original Series 'The Get Down'
- FOX 's 'The Following' opposite Kevin Bacon
- USA Network's 'White Collar'
- Principal subject in "Live from Webster Hall," a behind the scenes follow documentary highlighting the Webster Hall staff along with the vast history of musicians and the energy they radiate.
- Lead role in the indie art house short, inspired by and written specifically for him. It is called “Hip Priest." The short is based on an old photo taken by Paul McDonagh who is currently a professor at PRATT Institute. "Hip Priest" was written and directed by Gregg de Domenico. It was shot with the ARRI ALEXA and a RED EPIC. It won two awards in the first festival it was accepted to. “The Independent Film Quarterly Film & New Media Festival” awarded "Hip Priest" for "Best Short Film" and for "Best Directorial Debut of a Short Film.” Hip Priest was accepted to the NY Shorts Fest, Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, Black Maria Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival and the Hoboken Int'l Film Festival. It has screened to sell out audiences at Webster Hall and the Tribeca Grand Hotel “After-Set” film series. It has been reviewed by FilmThreat.com, Ghostwood Country Club and written about in Blackbook. “Gatecrasher” - New York Daily News - “It’s a mystery why Jon Hamm’s onscreen charisma took so long to be recognized, and you could say the same for Gerard McNamee. The street-chiseled 6-foot-4 actor makes his film debut in “Hip Priest.” Gregg de Domenico told us he wrote the starring role for the New Yorker when they met at Webster Hall…“He has a James Dean, old world movie-star presence,” said de Domenico.
- Co-writer and co-star of the short film titled “The Sins of the Father” about a young preacher’s kid from upstate New York who leaves home for NYC where he is void from religion searching in darkness for his own way. He plays a supporting role in the indie thriller “A Killing Day." Gerard studied acting at HB Studios with Trudy Steibl, “How to Find Your Own Truth” with Sharon Angela and most recently in a Miesner based scene study class with Karen Chamberlain at the Geraldine Page residence on 22nd Street in Chelsea. He is currently studying one on one with acting coach John Mato.
- Director of Operations and Curator at the legendary and world famous Webster Hall, which recently celebrated its 125th anniversary as "a place of public assembly". “Mere words will never do this job justice. It is sheer insanity, every moment,” as Gerard so affectionately exclaims.
- Owner of bar/restaurant by the name East Village Social aka EVS plays rock n’ roll music and serves salads and burgers, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, fresh juices and virgin cocktails. The address is 126 ST MARKS PLACE, between 1st Ave and Ave A. The Yelp reviews are excellent. EVS is the backdrop to a human-interest story gone viral. Titled in the press as "Brother Orange," the piece is about a bromance that grew out of two men united by a lost Iphone on opposite ends of the globe. The story has graced networks such as Buzzfeed, NRP, Channel 7 News and Yahoo News.
- Curator and Executive Producer of “The QAS @ Webster Hall,” a launch pad for artists of promise that features and introduces up and coming artists from all mediums. It is a gigantic collective and collaborative effort over four floors, 8 stages and 40,000 sq ft. "The Quarterly Art Soirée @ Webster Hall” takes place once each season. Past attendees have included Jonathan Demme, Adrian Brody, Tony Kaye, Bob Balaban, Sharon Angela, Robert Knepper, Anatol Yusef, Cindy Hsu and Peter Yarrow. In addition to the quarterly events, “Creative Salons” are held each Monday night.
Gerard McNamee, Jr. Prestige Management Group
www.GerardGerard.com Nicole Astell - Talent Manager
bcbgerard@gmail.com 646.396.5106
Twitter: @gerardnyc
By: Matthew Evertsen
Entrepreneur, creator and visionary, with over two decades of experience at the forefront of NYC culture, music and fashion, Gerard holds court as ambassador to New York City's dynamic East Village.
The Bronx-born, New York City native is Curator and Director of Operations at the legendary Webster Hall and proprietor of East Village Social, an intimate rock n’ roll bar that caters to a modern crowd in a vintage aesthetic located on the world famous St. Mark's Place. His earliest venture of ownership was SixMileCross, bar and restaurant with locations in City Island, Montauk and Hunter Mountain. The name comes from the birthplace of his father, in the North of Ireland.
Gerard is a card carrying SAG AFTRA member who has recently been featured in co-starring roles in several network television programs. His debut 'Lead Actor' performance came in the 2011 critically acclaimed narrative short 'Hip Priest', a role specifically written for him, originally inspired from a early 1970's photograph by Paul McDonough.
“Hip Priest” has been described as "a visceral and emotional exploration of the duality of man and the place for God in a sometimes dismal world." The film’s director Gregg de Domenico describes Gerard to have “a James Dean, old world movie-star presence.”
Gerard has appeared in the indie-thriller “A Killing Day” and has co-written and appeared in the short film “The Sins of the Father”. Gerard is featured in co-starring roles on Netflix Original Series, "The Get Down" as a record company executive, as inmate Faris Jezewski on FOX Network "The Following" Season 3, Episode 10, opposite Kevin Bacon and as a security technology CEO in Season 6, Episode 3 of USA Network "White Collar". He is a principal subject in the upcoming documentary “Tonight from Webster Hall” that highlights the revolutionary venue’s vast history, charismatic staff and continued cultural relevance.
As founder and curator of The Quarterly Art Soiree, Gerard prides himself on the ability to share his experience and opportunity with those around him. The QAS is a celebration of the arts, intended to exhibit, expose and promote talent in painting, music, film, fashion, theatre, graphic design and performance, installation, and video art while celebrating the rich cultural history of the world-renowned venue, Webster Hall and the East Village. The QAS curates weekly singer/song writer showcase events at Gerard’s spot EVS, The Black Rose on Avenue A and The Late Late on East Houston St.
A man of many talents, this Fordham University graduate is a tastemaker, an influencer. Gerard is a leader amongst his peers, a 21st century urban-cowboy, he is a man of integrity, kindness and inspiration.
By: Rich Pawelczyk
"Impresario" - from Italian: impresa, meaning "an enterprise or undertaking" - is defined as a person who organizes concerts, plays, operas, and cultural events. Gerard McNamee Jr. is an impresario for New York City, for the 21st Century and for every facet of art and culture. He is the lead actor in the short film “Hip Priest.” Gerard’s reputation for his “James Dean, old world movie-star presence” has received critical acclaim leaving his audience eager for his return to the big screen.
McNamee was born in the Bronx to Irish immigrant parents. His exposure to New York's diversity of cultures, languages and customs helped shape his ability to bring people together. He juggled his time as a soccer star at Fordham University with his role as concert committee chairman, hosting some of the biggest buzz bands in rock.
Gerard went on to own and operate nightclubs from Montauk to the mountains (namely, Hunter Mountain). Since 1994, he has been at the head of the Webster Hall family of entertainment businesses, running their biggest club and concert operations. At the legendary Webster Hall NYC, Gerard has staffed, hosted, and piloted thousands of events, across 4 floors, in 40,000 square feet, from MTV specials to film shoots to corporate events to Green Day to Paul Simon to Nine Inch Nails to Jack White to Patti Smith to Madonna to President Clinton at the largest and longest running nightclub in New York City.
And now, with an eye toward providing the same fulfilling experience to a smaller crowd, Gerard has opened East Village Social on famed St Mark’s Place in NYC’s East Village. A tavern, eatery and gathering place for artists in the heart of Bohemian NYC, their food has already received kudos from the likes of Time Out NY. The casual atmosphere and innovative wine creations have locals and legends alike stopping by to soak up the scene. As, "We sell whiskey for cash. It's St. Mark's, act like it," as their motto, you can always expect to see and hear something interesting...
He is the founder of The Quarterly Arts Soiree. The QAS brings “artists of promise” in the visual arts, music, theater and film into the confines of Webster Hall's landmarked 125-year-old stages and spaces. The building is transformed into a living, breathing installation for all 5 senses.
As one won't be surprised to learn, the natural ease with which Gerard works a room has translated to professional acting engagements. Gerard is featured in co-starring roles on Netflix Original Series, "The Get Down" as a record company executive, as inmate Faris Jezewski on FOX Network "The Following" Season 3, Episode 10, opposite Kevin Bacon and as a security technology CEO in Season 6, Episode 3 of USA Network "White Collar". He is represented by Prestige Management Group, NYC aka PMG.
Gerard is so adept at cultivating a welcoming vibe that rumor has it his first gathering from decades ago is STILL going strong. After all, that is what an impresario does - he makes people want to gather - and makes them want to stay…