The event took place at 11:30 p.m. as part of the Times Square Alliance's Midnight Moment series, which features billboards transformed into digital art pieces. For Laurie's event, the screens featured a three-minute clip of her Oscar shortlisted documentary, Heart of a Dog, a film that reflects on life and death, particularly through the loss of her dog, Lolabelle, and the passage through bardo, the Tibetan concept of transitioning into the afterlife.
Performing for dogs has long been a dream for Laurie. She tells the story of being backstage with cellist Yo-Yo Ma eight years ago. Laurie turned to him and said, "I have this fantasy where I look out, and the whole audience is dogs." He replied, "Are you kidding? I have the same fantasy." And it certainly took a unique person to make that vision a reality. Yoko Ono said that a silent concert for dogs is something "only Laurie can get away with."
But the late night performance wasn't Laurie's first canine gig. In 2010, she held a concert for hundreds of pups outside the Sydney Opera House, with music also emitted at a low frequency. Laurie describes seeing the dogs' reactions, barking along, as one of the happiest moments of her life.
