Great FREE NYC Concerts This Week (including B.B. King & DJ Kool Herc Tonight)

This is a big week for great free shows in New York (and you may, in fact, have to make some tough choices when shows conflict). Tonight is such an occasion, when the legendary B.B. King plays the first night of the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival at Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza (formerly the plaza at the World Financial Center). The show starts at 6 p.m. with the James Hunter Six.

B.B. King plays free in Lower Manhattan tonight; see other free shows below.

But B.B. King isn't the only legend playing a free show tonight: DJ Kool Herc, considered the "founder of hip-hop culture," is playing a SummerStage concert in Crotona Park in Queens, also at 6 p.m. And there are three great free gigs to choose from Thursday night.

There are also free SummerStage gigs as part of the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference, as well other free shows. Here's what's going on this week; check the links to shows for concert locations and directions:

Wed., July 10th:
* B.B. King and the James Hunter Six, Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival, Brookfield Place, 6 p.m.

* DJ Kool Herc, SummerStage (Crotona Park), 6 p.m.

Thurs., July 11th:
* Waxahatchee, Generationals with Sallie Ford, and the Sound Outside, RiverRocks, Hudson River Park (Pier 84), 6 p.m.

* Lila Downs, Natalia Clavier, Pamela Rodriguez, and Raul Campos, SummerStage (Central Park) in association with the Latin Alternative Music Conference, 6 p.m.

* Los Lonely Boys, Los Lobos, and Alejandro Escovedo, Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival, Brookfield Place, 6 p.m.

Fri., July 12th: 
* Cheap Trick and The Cringe, Seaside Summer Concert Series (Coney Island), 7:30 p.m.

* War and DJ set by DJ Afro, SummerStage (Crotona Park), 7 p.m.

Sat., July 13th: 
* Julieta Venegas, Carla Morrison, and Alex Anwandter, SummerStage (Central Park) in association with the Latin Alternative Music Conference, 3 p.m.

Concert Notes: Cheap Trick in Brooklyn Tonight, Black Eyed Peas Reschedule Central Park Show, & More

Tickets for Wild Flag at Bowery Ballroom on Oct. 18th are on sale now. Above, the band plays "Future Crimes" at South by Southwest 2011.

There's still plenty of punch left in the free summer concert season, and a slate of good shows for September and beyond is already shaping up. Here's what's happening with some selected shows:

* Cheap Trick in Coney Island at the Seaside Summer Concert series, tonight, 7:30 p.m. The Seaside site lists the opening act as Mickey Leigh's New Yorkestra, but I've seen another opening act mentioned elsewhere. West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, next to the Brooklyn Cyclones' baseball stadium.

* The Black Eyed Peas Central Park concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 30th. As you'll remember, their June show was cancelled before it started by heavy rain, high winds, and lightning. As before, the "Concert 4 NYC" will benefit the Robin Hood Fund. The site has info on how to attend if you won or bought tickets for the June show. You can also buy tickets for the Sept. 30th show (expensive, but it benefits the charity). 7 p.m., the Great Lawn, Central Park.

* Wild Flag tickets for Bowery Ballroom on Oct. 18th went on sale yesterday. If you're a fan of female-powered indie rock, you'll want to see the all-woman "supergroup" in October (especially if, like me, you missed their recent show at the Williamsburg Waterfront with Sonic Youth).

Wild Flag is also playing Maxwell's in Hoboken on Oct. 16th; get tickets here.The Oct. 15th show at Bell House is sold out.

The band consists of two-thirds of Sleater-Kinney (Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss), Mary Timony (Helium and her solo work), and Rebecca Cole (The Minders). Tickets will sell fast for Wild Flag, which drops its self-titled debut album Sept. 13th. (Pre-order "Wild Flag"at Amazon.com.)

* The Union County Music Festival in Clark, NJ will be held the weekend of Sept. 16th through 18th. I was impressed with the lineup at this free festival last year, and this year's has a fun roster of artists, too, including Blondie, Neon Trees, Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea, Southside Johnny, Ed Kowalczyk of Live, The Smithereens, Paul Rodgers, and Toad the Wet Sprocket. I'll have more info on this festival in a forthcoming post.

What shows are you looking forward to seeing this weekend? Leave your comments below!

Free Summer 2011 Concerts: Joan Jett Kicks Off Coney Island Series

Joan Jett kicks off Coney Island's Seaside Summer Concert Series this Thursday.

The Seaside Summer Concert Series had to leave its old location, but that's not stopping the music. The popular series near the boardwalk in Coney Island, which had to leave Asser Park because of complaints from the neighbors, is now taking place a few blocks down the road, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be kicking off the series this Thursday, July 14th.

Girl in a Coma, which is on Jett's own Blackheart Records, will open the show. I don't think the neighbors in the old location would have liked the racket these ladies can crank out.

The new location for the Seaside Summer Concert Series, says its website, is at West 21st St. and Surf Avenue, next to the Brooklyn Cyclones' ballpark. Concerts take place on Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. You'll find directions to the Seaside concert location here. By subway, you can take the D, F, N, or Q trains to the last stop, Coney Island/Stillwell Ave. Turn right at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues (where Nathan's is), and walk along Surf Avenue to West 21st St.

Also on the 2011 Seaside schedule:

• July 21 - An Evening with The Monkees and special guest MC Jay Black
  
• July 28 - Mary Wilson (of the Supremes) and The Spinners
  
• Aug. 4 - "Mystery Night" (artist to be announced a week before the show)
  
• Aug. 11 - Annual Latino Music by the Sea concert (artist to be announced; Maria Torres Dancers)
  
• Aug. 18 - Cheap Trick and The Rattlers 

The old location featured a number of row of folding chairs surrounded by a lawn area where people would lay out blankets, etc. I have no idea what the new concert venue is like, but the website says it has folding chair for rent. I'm hoping it's a grassy area like the previous site, as opposed to being basically a large paved area. I'll post any additional information I find out about the location.

What good shows are people seeing this week?

NYC Concerts On Sale This Week: John Mayer, Vampire Weekend, Cheap Trick, Yeasayer, Imogen Heap

Left: John Mayer promotes his new album Battle Studiesat Madison Square Garden on Feb. 20.

There's no off season in the New York concert scene, and there are plenty of good shows coming up later this year and early in 2010. Here are some upcoming in-demand shows that have tickets going on sale this week:

Going on sale Wednesday, November 18th:
* Imogen Heap, Music Hall of Williamsburg - show date Dec. 3

Going on sale Friday, November 20th:
* Vampire Weekend, United Palace (Upper Manhattan) - show dates Jan. 17, 18, 19

* Yeasayer - show dates Feb. 8 (Bowery Ballroom), Feb. 9 (Music Hall of Williamsburg)

* Dropkick Murphys, The Wellmont Theatre - show date Feb. 24

Going on sale Saturday, November 21st:
* John Mayer and Michael Franti & Spearhead, Madison Square Garden - show date Feb. 20
* Cheap Trick, The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza - show date Jan. 25

And if you're looking for a show to attend sooner rather than later, additional tickets have been released for Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, November 24.