A Community Affair: The Ally Coalition’s 11th Annual Talent Show
The lobby of NYU’s Skirball Center buzzed with anticipation: arriving audience members clung to their coats, perusing raffle tables with drumheads and vinyl records signed by artists from Djo to Lizzy McAlpine. All proceeds from raffle tickets, and tickets to the show, go directly towards The Ally Coalition’s cause: helping disadvantaged LGBTQ+ youth across the country. Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Jack Antonoff founded the charity in 2013 alongside his sister, fashion designer Rachel Antonoff; they have produced The TAC Talent Show for eleven years. The Antonoff name is undoubtedly venerated enough to draw demand for a ticket, but the benefit show has an additional incentive: the lineup is entirely a surprise. Past years have featured Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Matty Healy, and Lorde (to name just a few notable guest stars). Given Antonoff’s influence in the industry, the show promises and delivers on superstar power—an effort for social justice at the center of it all.
The Skirball stage was decked out in holiday lights and lined with Christmas trees at the center of the auditorium. As the final stragglers decked in reds and greens and holiday glitter took their seats, lights dimmed, signaling Jack Antonoff and the rest of his band, Bleachers, to take the stage, opening the evening of entertainment with their 2017 track, “Foreign Girls.” Rachel Antonoff, who usually emcees the event, was absent due to illness and asked musician Claud to host in her place. Performances from cellist Kelsey Lu and musician Andrew Dost kicked off the surprise lineup for the evening. A quartet of Claud, Annie DiRusso, Samia, and Hank Heaven followed, singing an original comedic Christmas song. Between acts, videos providing information on recent legislation affecting LGBTQ+ rights were shown, showcasing the urgency and necessity of TAC’s mission. Comedians Chris Laker, Chris Fleming, and Mike Birbiglia each did stand-up sets in succession, lifting the mood and providing an intermission of sorts between musical acts.
Finally, Shira Antonoff, the proud matriarch of the Antonoff family, came out to formally introduce Bleachers. The band took their places once again while a family dog ran onstage, earning laughter from the audience, as well as from the onlookers watching lovingly from the wings. The Bleachers set was electric. Antonoff led, calling out instructions to his bandmates off-mic, seemingly changing the setlist as they went, which included “Modern Girls” and “Don’t Go Dark.” The band, a seven-men ensemble, picked up on his cues without missing a beat and with smiles on their faces. Antonoff thanked the audience for coming, and joked he had promised a friend backstage to not only play his greatest hits; he then gleefully launched into a stripped-down version of one of Bleachers’ greatest hits, “I Wanna Get Better,” earning laughter from his devoted audience. After the band played a few hits, Antonoff introduced Rainey Qualley—the sister of his wife, actress Margaret Qualley—to the stage for a rendition of the classic, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”
Anticipation buzzed through the auditorium between each song, the audience eager to discover which celebrity guests would join the mix as promised. Rachel Zegler took the stage to perform Joni Mitchell’s “River,” accompanied by Antonoff, whom she previously worked with on Sam Gold’s Romeo + Juliet on Broadway. The star power continued as Trey Anastasio of Phish joined the production, complementing Bleachers with his famed electric guitar additions on “Goodmorning.” Antonoff commanded the stage and brought a sense of ease to his musical guests, as if inviting them into his living room for an intimate family holiday party (never mind the audience of nearly 800 attendees watching). As more musicians joined the fray, Antonoff glided over, helping them find the correct key to play in or nodding to his band members to count them in as they worked together to play each other’s music, joining together to create art and make an impact..
The structure and feel of the Talent Show evokes the organization’s mission: a true celebration of community through music, and a reflection of the beauty that can arise from celebrating difference. Between acts, videos played to highlight TAC’s activism, celebrating their annual Day of Service which provided resources to hundreds of youth, including clothing, coats, food, and health resources.
The community on the TAC stage continued to grow as Antonoff surprised the audience with Paramore’s yellow-haired Haley Williams, who sang two hits—“Good Ol’ Days” and “Love Me Different”—from her 2025 solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party. Florence Welch (Florence and the Machine) subsequently joined Antonoff and Williams onstage, and was met with screams of excitement from the audience. The trio performed an acoustic rendition of Judee Sill’s “Lopin’ Around Thru the Cosmos.” Williams left the stage to let Welch belt “Free,” accompanied by Bleachers. Welch invited Williams and the entire previous Talent Show ensemble back to the stage to join her for “Dog Days Are Over,” perhaps her biggest hit. By this point, the stage was crowded with performers. Welch encouraged the audience to stand and join the ensemble in dancing and celebrating the moment: the room erupted into a captivated joy, both enthralled by Welch’s commanding vocals and thrilled by the sincere warmth of the occasion.
The ensemble filed out, leaving Bleachers alone onstage for the finale: an electrifying production of “Merry Christmas, Please Don’t Call.” After curtains closed, the auditorium emptied out in flurries of animated chatter. In the aftermath, it is clear just how The Talent Show epitomizes The Ally Coalition’s mission: to bring people together towards activism through the community that live music creates. The Talent Show, despite its big names, was unpretentious, feeling like a family holiday party rather than a curated festival, highlighting Antonoff’s genuine passion for their cause and for their art.
The organization’s official website states, “from Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Burning” to Green Day’s “American Idiot,” music has always shed light on injustice and invigorated social movements. TAC aims to mobilize music fans to fight against the discrimination LGBTQ+ Youth face.” The Talent Show is proof of the unmatched power live music can have as an agent for social justice by invoking compassion and community. It makes people feel, and it makes people listen. Antonoff thanked the audience before departing, insisting that this was his “favorite night of the year.” Given the enduring smiles on each person exiting The Skirball Center that evening, his passion was undeniably shared.
To support The Ally Coalition: Donate directly, or find your state among their list of local organizations for volunteer opportunities. Thank you to the team at TAC!