Nicole Atkins Kicks Off Free Madison Square Music Concerts Tonight

Jersey Shore native Nicole Atkins plays the first show of Madison Square Music's annual series of free oval lawn shows tonight at 7 p.m. in Madison Square Park. She's coming off this year's great new album, "Slow Phaser," which was funded partly through Pledge Music crowdfunding and features the infectious tune (and video), "Girl You Look Amazing" (below).

Her vocals can be smoky and sultry, with rock and pop songs that can show blues, country, and torch-song influences, among others. Atkins first made a mark with her song "Neptune City," written about her shore neighborhood, and has since been praised critics ranging from Paste, Rolling, Stone, and American Songwriter. This should be a great show. Oh, and there's a Shake Shack in the park, too, so you can cool off with one of their zillion-calorie milkshakes.



See the rest of Madison Square Park's 2014 oval lawn shows here.

We've written about some of the summer's other free concert series, including SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn, in a previous post, so check that out for more free music.

Your Guide to the Best Free Summer Concerts in New York City

Learn about some of the best free summer concert series in NYC (including Hudson Square, above).

Who says going out in New New York City has to cost a lot? There are countless free concerts in the summer, and here's a guide to some of the best series going. We'll add additional events here or in future posts.

And see the Oh My Rockness guide to free summer shows for even more no-cost gigs, including McCarren Park shows and the House of Vans concerts. And if you're an early riser, there are the free concerts put on by the "Today" show and "Good Morning America."

SummerStage - The grandaddy of NYC free summer concerts includes free performances in parks in all five boroughs, with spoken word, dance, and film as well as music. Most shows are free, but several paid, ticketed concerts help pay for the free ones. Highlights include Sisqó, John Butler Trio, Bonobo and Cibo Matta, and Dr. John.

Celebrate Brooklyn! - This long-running Prospect Park attraction has become more and more popular (and has snagged increasingly well-known entertainment). Like SummerStage, most shows are free, but a number of big-name benefit concerts help subsidize the freebees. Among this summer's lineup: Janelle Monae, St. Vincent, Dum Dum Girls, and Flea, Laurie Anderson, David Murray, and Patti Smith (that last one is one show, folks!)

Madison Square Music - Skip the big crowds and long lines with this low-key series. Simply walk into the park & sit yourself down on the lawn. Madison Square Music remains one of the undiscovered free-music gems of summer in the City, offering quality acts in a no-frills atmosphere. (Note: you will probably find a long line at the Shake Shack in the park.) Acts this summer include Nicole Atkins and Forro in the Dark and Debo Band. 

Hudson Square Music Festival - Here's a great idea: a series of right-after-work shows that gives you plenty of time for dinner or another concert later on. These downtown gigs start early (around 5:30pm), so you can see some live music and have plenty of time for other plans (or getting home). The venue is a parking lot outside of City Winery (the series' sponsor). Shows include Commander Cody, former X member John Doe, and Drivin' n' Cryin'.

It's free concerts galore in New York in the summer. Get out there and enjoy!

Free Shows in NYC Tonight: the Bottom Line's New York, Tift Merritt, Ozomatli

Willie Nile is one of the many NYC artists playing the "New York on My Mind" show at Rockefeller Park tonight.

In one of those abundance-of-riches situations you often see in the summer in NYC, there are three great free concerts in the City Wednesday night. The one I'll be at is the The Bottom Line Presents: New York on My Mind at Rockefeller Park [UPDATE: the World Financial Center's Winter Garden] in Lower Manhattan. This show features many of the local New York artists (often in the singer-songwriter vein) who often played at The Bottom Line, the much-loved Greenwich Village club that gave many acts their start or a welcome place to come back to (and that closed down several years ago).

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had a multi-night stand their early in their career, and the artists I've seen there range from The Waitresses (in the early '80s) to Suzanne Vega and Patty Griffin and former Cream bassist Jack Bruce.

Appearing at Wednesday's "New York on My Mind" show are Rosanne Cash, Marshall Crenshaw, Garland Jeffreys, Willie Nile, Martin Rivas, Suzzy and Lucy Wainwright Roche, Catherine Russell, longtime NYC DJ Vin Scelsa, Loudon Wainwright III, Dar Williams, and more guests. Producer and guitarist John Leventhal (who is also Cash's husband) serves as music director for the show, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Rockefeller Park, north end of Battery Park City, at the corner of River Terrace and Warren Street.


Tift Merritt performs "Broken" at SXSW in 2008.

Over at at Madison Square Park, Americana singer-songwriter-guitarist Tift Merritt and band will play the 2011 Mad. Sq. Music series. Merritt's albums and performances have attracted praise from many quarters, and she'll no doubt be playing a number of tunes from her latest album, "See You On the Moon." (See an NPR story on Tift Merritt here.) The show is scheduled to run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. 23rd Street & 5th Avenue.

Out in Brooklyn, the Los Angeles-based Latino band Ozomatli, which mixes salsa, funk, hip-hop, and more, will play Red Hook Park as part of Summerstage. The band's diversity of influences and styles was no doubt part of the reason Ozomatli was chosen to serve as official U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Ozomatli is known for its energetic shows, and they'll be performing at 7 p.m. Red Hook Park, Otsego, Bay, Hicks, Lorraine, Court, Halleck Streets. (See Google Maps directions here.)

NOTE: Rain is predicted for Wednesday afternoon and evening, which may affect these shows. The Twitter accounts for each series should be a good source of up-to-date information: @R2RFestival, @MadSqParkNYC, and @Summerstage. [The River to River show has been moved indoors; the Madison Square and Summerstage shows are rain or shine.]

Concerts in NYC Wed., June 23rd: FREE Shows by Brand Nubian, Solas, & the McCoy Tyner Quartet; Sarah Harmer at City Winery

If you're looking to hear some music on Wednesday night in New York, you're in luck: there are some very talented veteran artists in town, representing totally different genres. And three of the shows are free.

Hip-hop pioneers Brand Nubians bring their socially and politically conscious music to a free SummerStage concert in Crotona Park in the Bronx at 7 p.m. More information: info@SummerStage.org or (212) 360-2777. (Directions to Crotona Park)

Over at the SummerStage home base in Central Park, there's a concert that's long on jazz talent, as reflected in the show's name: "George Wein's CareFusion Jazz Festival with The McCoy Tyner Quartet featuring Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding and Francisco Mela and The Stanley Clarke Band featuring Hiromi." It's a mouthful, but that's a lot of jazz chops assembled in one show. For more info on the McCoy Tyner Quartet free show (which also starts at 7 p.m.), see the SummerStage info above.

Solas, a group that has long been influential in Celtic music, plays this week's free Madison Square Music series concert at Madison Square Park. Their Celtic roots sometimes branch out to incorporate blues, folk, country, and even jazz. Showtime is 7 p.m.

As much as I'd like to see the free Solas show, I'll be elsewhere Wednesday night. One of my favorite singer-songwriters, Canadian Sarah Harmer, came out with a new album, "Oh Little Fire," today, and will be introducing it to NYC with a record release party at the City Winery. While this isn't a free show, tickets are as little as $20 and are still available.

Free Summer 2009 Concerts in New York City

With the economic meltdown in full effect, New York's wide range of free summer concerts couldn't have come at a better time. The grandaddy of the free shows is Central Park Summerstage, but there are also good series elsewhere, including Celebrate Brooklyn and the Madison Square Music series. See the links below for dates and performers.

Central Park Summerstage - mid-Park at around 72nd St.
Performers include Josh Ritter and The New York Pops, Juana Molina, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, the Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital, Bettye Lavette, M. Ward, and Ginuwine, as well as spoken word and comedy

Celebrate Brooklyn - Prospect Park bandshell
Performers including David Byrne, Femi Kuti and Positive Force, Dr. Dog, Robert Cray, and Los Amigos Invisibles

Madison Square Music - Madison Square Park, between 23rd and 26th Streets and between Fifth and Madison Avenues
Performers include Loudon Wainwright III, The Duhks, Jonatha Brooke, Don Byron, and The John Scofield Trio

Hudson River Park's Riverrocks series - Pier 54, Hudson River and 14th St. Only three free concerts in the Riverrocks series this summer, but they're good ones: Matt & Kim on July 9th; Ted Leo & the Pharmacists on July 23rd; and Yeasayer on August 13th.

Hudson River Park also offers free jazz and classical music concerts, and free movie nights (for adults and for kids); see the link for event dates and times.

The Brooklyn Summer Seaside Concerts in historic Coney Island feature a number of big-name acts in Asser Levy park. Coming up in August: Blondie, Pat Benatar, and The Donnas on August 13th, "Salsa by the Sea" on August 20th, and Donna Summer on August 27th.

The City Parks Foundation presents other concerts in all five boroughs throughout the summer, see the schedule at this link. There are also dance performances, theater, familiy events, and more; check the Web site of the City Parks Foundation for details and listings.

(Another source of information for free concerts: the NYC Free Concerts Web site.)