Free NYC Shows Honor Pete Seeger

A variety of performers will celebrate the long life and career of folk-music legend Pete Seeger in a pair of free upcoming NYC shows. These events are part of the five-day "Seeger Fest," which has so far featured performances in the Bronx and in the neighborhood of the Seegers' Beacon, New York home.

Free Pete Seeger Memorial Concert at Lincoln Center Today

This afternoon, Lincoln Center Out of Doors presents a memorial concert for Seeger and his wife Toshi at 4 p.m. that will include a bevvy of musical heavy hitters. Judy Collins, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary), Holly Near, Tom Chapin and the Chapin Sisters, Dar Williams, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, and many more will be performing at the Damrosch Bandshell concert. Speakers will include Harry Belafonte, Fred Hellerman of The Weavers, and George Wein, founder of the Newport Folk Festival.

Can't make it to Lincoln Center? The event will be streamed live at watch.LincolnCenter.org.

Monday: "New Songs of Justice: An Evening Honoring Pete Seeger"

On Monday SummerStage hosts its own celebration of Pete Seeger, but with a much more diverse cast of performers. Reflecting Seeger's impact on a variety of musical genres, and on the world of activism, "New Songs of Justice: An Evening Honoring Pete Seeger" features acoustic performances by Amanda Palmer (solo) and Anti-Flag, as well as Steve Earle, Elizabeth Mitchell, Aurora Barnes, and some of the artists who appeared at Lincoln Center, including Guthrie and Irion and the Chapin Sisters. And there will be DJ sets by hip-hop pioneer Kool Herc.

"New Songs of Justice" is free and takes place Monday night at 7 p.m. at the main SummerStage location in Central Park.

The weather should be great both days, so if you're interested in folk history get out there for these two unique, multigenerational celebrations of this legend in music and activism.

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!

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 Catch-Up: 4 Knots, Canada Day Concert, Ian Hunter at Maxwell's

Having fallen off the blog-posting wagon, we herewith present a round-up post of some recent concerts we've been to (two of them free, no less).

4 Knots Music Festival, South St. Seaport

Parquet Courts at the 4 Knots Festival.

The third edition of the successor to the Coney Island Siren Festival once again featured two stages with bands of varying styles. Most of the ones we saw at Saturday's festival were firmly in the indie pop/rock vein: The Men, Parquet Courts, The Babies, and White Lung (the latter having a punk feel to them). And then there was Marnie Stern, a New York singer/guitarist whose chops on the axe are impressive, but whose singing style resembles screaming too often for our tastes.

Sadly, we missed the two top-billed acts at 4 Knots, Reigning Sound and Kurt Vile and the Violators, because we had to head uptown for the next show..

Canada Day Concert, Central Park SummerStage

The Joel Plaskett Emergency at SummerStage.

The variety of styles at the three-act Canada Day concert was even more evident. The concert started with a performance by a First Nations group (native Canadians) group, followed by the roots-Celtic band Spirit of the West, pop-rockers The Joel Plaskett Emergency, and electronic pop star Lights.

Plaskett really got the crowd going with tunes such as "True Patriot Love" and "Nowhere with You," and then the teen girls moved to the front of the stage for the very popular Lights. Although she started out writing and performing her songs by herself on electronic keyboards, for her current live shows she performs with a full band, including a drummer and two additional keyboard/laptop artists (who also play guitar and bass).

It was a good night of music, and even the non-Canadians in the house had to be touched when all the show's musicians came out on stage to sing the national anthem, "O Canada," along with show host George Stromboulopolous.

Ian Hunter and the Rant Band, Maxwell's

Ian Hunter on stage at Maxwell's Tuesday night.

The final month of shows at Maxwell's is upon us, and the much-loved club is going out with a band with a schedule packed full of great gigs. Ian Hunter, who last year played the much-larger Highline Ballroom to launch his latest album, brought his six-piece band to the small stage in Hoboken for a sold-out out.

Hunter played songs old and new, from Mott the Hoople to his earlier solo works to a couple of tunes from last year's album "When I'm President." As with the Highline show, Hunter showed he can still rock, and his Rant Band is full of skilled veteran players (including former Hobokenite and Bongos member James Mastro).

The show was opened by the duo of Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric, two performers who have played Maxwell's many times over the years, together and individually. It felt nostalgic to see them on the stage for the last time, one of many such moments to come over the next few weeks.

One big moment (or rather, set of them) will be when The Feelies play their final year of 4th of July weekend shows at Maxwell's. The Haledon, NJ band formed just a couple of years before Maxwell's open, and it has played the club many times (as have its various spin-off groups).

2013 SummerStage Highlights & Schedule (The Zombies Play Tonight)

The Zombies headline a free show at Central Park SummerStage tonight (above, playing a show in Essex County, NJ several years back).

Apologies for the short notice here, but legendary British invasion band The Zombies is playing SummerStage in Central Park tonight. The bill also features Django Django along with Adam Green and Binki Shapiro, and includes DJ sets by Modest P. The show starts at 6 p.m., and even if you're seeing this late on Saturday we hope you'll be able to get over there to see the headliners.

We caught The Zombies a few years back at a free festival show in North Jersey and they sounded just fine. You'll no doubt hear their classic hits such as "Tell Her No" and "She's Not There," as well as some deeper tracks from their canon.

See the SummerStage calendar for a full listing of events for this summer in parks throughout the five boroughs. Select "Music" on the left-hand side to see those events. you and also search by borough or by specific park.

June 15th - The Zombies, Django Django, Adam Green and Binki Shapiro, with DJ sets by Modest P. Central Park, 6 p.m.

June 18th - The Airborne Toxic Event featuring the Calder Quartet with Ensemble LPR. Central Park, 7 p.m.

June 29th - Canada Day celebration with Lights, Joel Plaskett, and Spirit of the West. Central Park, 6 p.m.

June 30th - Big Star's "Third": An Orchestrated Live Performance of the Legendary Album (with performers including Sharon Van Etten, Kurt Vile, Pete Yorn, Marshall Crenshaw, and more). Central Park, 7 p.m.

July 11th- Lila Downs, Natalis Clavier, Pamela Rodriguez, & Raul Campos- Central Park, 6 p.m.

July 12th - War; DJ set by DJ Afro. Crotona Park, 7 p.m.

July 13th - Julieta Venegas, Carla Morrison, and Alexander Anwandter. In association with the Latin Alternative Music Conference. Central Park, 7 p.m.

July 22nd - Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue, and Soulive. With Anders Osborne. Central Park, 6 p.m.

July 27th - Lianne La Havas, LP, and Quadron; DJ sets by DJ Center. Central Park, 7 p.m.

July 30th - Motown Revue and Felix Hernandez's Rhythm Revue. Tappen Park, 7 p.m.

August 11th - Shuggie Otis, José James, and Hiatus Kaiyote; DJ sets by OP! (I Love Vinyl).

Free Concert Notes: Titus Andronicus, Tokyo Police Club, Lyle Lovett, The Jacksons, & More

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played a great show in Coney Island last night (more on that later), but there are still some high-profile free shows coming up in the next week (including several big ones tomorrow alone). Wherever you are in the NYC area, there's a show near you: in Central Park, Prospect Park, Coney Island, Lincoln Center (the last hurrah of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival), and Hoboken's Pier A, which hosted 15,000 for Mumford and Sons on Aug. 1st.

Titus Andronicus is part of a free concert at Van's in Brooklyn.

Below is a list of what's coming up in the next week; see the websites for more details on performers, set times, directions, etc. (Note: there are other events for Lincoln Center Out of Doors than the ones I've listed. The website has the complete schedule.)

Sat., Aug. 11th: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Abigail Washburn, Central Park SummerStage, 3 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 11th: Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group and Aoife O'Donovan, Celebrate Brooklyn (Prospect Park), 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 11th: The Jacksons: Unity Tour 2012 at the Seaside Concerts in Coney Island (West 21st Street and Surf Avenue), 7:30 p.m.

Sat., Aug. 11th: 29th Annual Roots of American Music Festival at Lincoln Center Out of Doors:

• Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls All-Star Band: Sister Songwriters, 5 p.m.
• The Triple Goddess Twilight Revue: Celebrating the Music of Laura Nyro, 6 p.m.
• Soulful Songwriters Circle: William Bell, Teenie Hodges, and Dan Penn, 7:30 p.m.
• Otis Clay and the Platinum Band, 8:45 p.m.

Sun, Aug. 12th: 29th Annual Roots of American Music Festival at Lincoln Center Out of Doors:

• Tom Paxton, 2 p.m.
• Swamp Dogg, 6 p.m.
• Aloe Blacc, 7 p.m.
• Pardon Our Analysis: An All-Star Gathering for Gil Scott-Heron, 8 p.m.

Thurs., Aug. 16th: Van's House Party with Cursive, Titus Andronicus, Love as Laughter, and Joyce Manor at House of Van's, 25 Franklin St., Brooklyn, 7 p.m. (RSVP here)

Sat., Aug. 18th: Australia Day concert with Husky, Sheppard, High Highs, George Byrne, Maya Jupiter, DJ Ashley Feraude, and Kid Zoom, Central Park, 3 p.m.

Thurs., Aug. 16th:  Gladys Knight and The Commodores at the Seaside Concerts in Coney Island (West 21st Street and Surf Avenue), 7:30 p.m.

Sat, Aug. 18th: Lackawanna Music Festival: Tokyo Police Club, Vacationer, Shinobi Ninja, Body Language, Lights Resolve, We Barbarians, and The Nightmare River Band, Pier A Park in Hoboken, 12 Noon (RSVP here) [UPDATE: There isn't much info at the official site about set times, etc., but this web page lists them. I can't vouch for them, but they sound about right.]

Speaking of free concerts, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts put on a great show last night in extremely muggy conditions in Coney Island (at least it didn't rain). She played a solid assortment of her classic crowd-pleasers, plus a few new songs (so a new album may be in the works). She opened the show with "Bad Reputation" (as usual) and the setlist included "Cherry Bomb," "Victim of Circumstance," "The French Song," "Love is Pain," and "Crimson and Clover." The new songs were called "TMI," "Hard to Grow Up," and "Reality Mentality."

The summer is winding up with a bang; go get out there and see some live music.

Saturday: Two Great Free CBGB Fest Shows (and Maybe Record Temps)

The two free CBGB Festival concerts on Saturday should be great, presuming you can tolerate what might be record-high temperatures in NYC. The thermometer is expected to hit between 99 and 102 degrees, depending on which forecast you read, and the SummerStage venue in Central Park has no shade whatsoever. I'd guess there won't be much shade at the other free show, in Times Square, but there are supposed to be vendors there, which might provide a bit of relief from the sun.

Below are details on the two shows, taken from the CBGB Festival website (which often had limited info on events, such as mentioning the Times Square show without providing a link to any information on it.)

The set times for the Central Park show match what SummerStage sent out via Twitter Friday night, give or take five minutes. SummerStage says that doors for the show will open at 2 p.m., and the line to get in will form before then. It's hard to say how early you should get there to be guaranteed getting in, but I'd recommend checking SummerStage's Twitter feed on Saturday, which during regular SummerStage shows posts updates on how long the lines are to get in. (You can check the CBGB Twitter feed, but it doesn't seem to be updated as often.)

It's even harder to predict how things will play out at the Times Square concert, since it's not a regular venue but a large, blocked-off area of the streets. I can't remember any concert event of this size being held in Times Square.

Free CBGB Festival concert in Times Square, Noon to 6 p.m.
(Stages on Broadway at 46th St. & 51st St.)

• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
• The Hold Steady
• Duff McKagan's Loaded
• Superchunk
• Glint
• Upper West
• Zulu Wave

Free CBGB Festival concert in Central Park, 3 to 8 (?) p.m.
(Rumsey Playfield, center of park near 72nd St.)

• Guided By Voices - 6 p.m.
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - 4:45 p.m.
• The War on Drugs - 3:45 p.m.
• Cloud Nothings - 3 p.m.

Needless to say, the heat and humidity will keep some folks away, and cause others to stay a shorter time than they had planned. If you go, make sure to use plenty of sunscreen, keep hydrated (with water, not beer or other alcohol!), and stay safe.

If you're not up for being outdoors in the steambath, there are plenty of CBGB Festival events in the great indoors. (See schedule for times, links to tickets, etc.) Music events include:

• Soft White Sixties, The Young Things, Raccoon Fighters, and The Head at the Studio at Webster Hall
• D Generation, Romans, Brass Knuckle Evangelists, and The Bamboo Kids at the Bowery Electric (SOLD OUT to general public; first come, first served for pass holders)
• Mongrel Bitch, The Whores, A Devil's Broadcast, Brunch of the Living Dead, Drugstore, Bannor at Hank's Saloon

Movies on Saturday include a showing of the 1980 cult classic "Times Square" at 2 p.m. and Sid and Nancy at 7 p.m.,  among many others.

Free Concerts this Weekend: Punk Island, Alabama Shakes, Real Estate, & More

Now that the crazy midsummer heat and humidity (and the thunderstorms) have cleared out, it's time to see some great concerts—and there are plenty to free ones to choose from. Sunday alone has a veritable embarrassment of riches, in terms of free music.

(Of course there are also any number of paid concerts going on, one the most tempting being the Metallica-curated Orion Music & More Festival in Atlantic City. And tickets still seem to be available, according to the website. (If you can't make it to AC, watch the Orion Festival webcast, which will be streaming certain sets. See the link for details.)

And whoops, I forgot: this is also the weekend for the Governor's Ball on Randall's Island, featuring Fiona Apple, Beck, Passion Pit, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Explosions in the Sky, and Santigold, among others.

After the video below, a look at some of the top free shows this weekend.


Ridgewood, NJ's Real Estate plays a free show in its hometown Sunday night.

* The Wood Brothers and Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis play the "Summer On the Oval" series at the Stuyvesant Town Oval (252 1st Avenue) at 3 p.m. Saturday. This is a high-powered lineup of roots music, with brothers Chris and Oliver Wood (the former is a founding member of Medeski Martin & Wood) and the husband-and-wife country duo of Robison and Willis. The series is open to residents of Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town and their guests, though I'm guessing you can hear the music from adjacent streets? (If anybody knows for sure, please leave a comment below.)

* Governor's Island once again becomes a self-contained world of all things punk rock with the return of Punk Island. More than 60 bands will perform starting at 12 Noon and running till midnight. It's all outdoors, all ages, and all free. Here's a partial list of the confirmed acts (see stage schedule here):

Sworn Enemy * Two-Man Advantage * Wombat in Combat * Panzie * Bucket Flush * The Scutches * InCircles * Hostile Times * Fried Chicken & Gasoline * The Nihilistics * Barons of Tang * World War IX * Cultivator * The Will * (A) Truth * Skum City * All New Episode * Praxis

* Alabama Shakes, Diamond Rugs, and Robert Ellis play SummerStage in Central Park at 3 p.m. Alabama Shakes has gained a lot of new fans through its sizzling live performances, and earlier this year finally came out with an album. This show is sure to attract a big crowd, so get to the Park early. And follow SummerStage on Twitter the day of the show to get updates on how the line's moving, etc.

* Real Estate, Toasted Plastic, and Spook Houses play an outdoor show in Real Estate's hometown of Ridgewood, NJ on Sunday night at 7 p.m. The concert takes place at the Kasschau Memorial Shell in Graydon Park (see map), which is near the intersection of North Maple Ave. and Linwood Ave. W. There are NJ Transit buses to Ridgewood from NYC, and Graydon Park isn't too far from the Ridgewood train station (you can get a cab there if you don't feel like walking.) Thanks to MySociaList.com for the heads-up on this gig.

Concert Notes: Schedules for SummerStage, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Other Free Concerts Are Out

Summer means lots of great free concerts in NYC, and several outdoor music festivals announced their line-ups for the season. These range from the sprawling SummerStage festival, the Lincoln Center Out of Doors series, and the intimate, low-key Hudson Square shows sponsored by (and held in back of) City Winery.

SummerStage once again stretches its wings far beyond Central Park with music, dance, poetry, and film in city parks in all five boroughs, from June through September. Among some of the highlights in Central Park on the first month (see the schedule here):

• rock and soul legend Bobby Womack in Central Park on June 7th; 
• the New York Pops with Ozomatli (also Central Park) on June 12th;  
• Dawes with Kurt Vile and the Violators (Central Park) on June 16th; 
• Alabama Shakes, Diamond Rugs, and Robert Ellis in Central Park on June 24th

 The outer boroughs feature some good shows, too, including Deer Tick with Jonny Corndog in Red Hook Park on June 21st.

Lincoln Center Out of Doors runs from July 25th to August 12th. The artists include: Nile Rodgers & The CHIC Organization on July 25th; a full day (and night) of Irish music and dancing on July 29th; events showcasing music around the world, from Central American to Finland.

There's also the popular Roots of American Music festival on August 11th and 12th, this year including:

• a revue "Celebrating The Music of Laura Nyro" featuring Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, Desmond Child & Rouge, and other guests
• Otis Clay & The Platinum Band
• singer-songwriters Tom Paxton and Erin McKeown
• an "An All-Star Gathering for Gil Scott-Heron" performed by Black Rock Coalition Orchestra & Guests
• the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls All-Stars Band

City Winery's Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival heads into its fourth year with early (5:30) Tuesday night performances that leave you plenty of time to go out afterwards. Some of the artists on this year's slate:

• Portland Cello Project on June 26th
• Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave) on July 17th
• Ollabelle on Juy 31st
• Marshall Crenshaw on August 14th
• Poundcake (featuring Teddy Thompson, Jeff Hill, and Ethan Eubanks) on August 28th

There are other free outdoors concerts in New York (such as those in Madison Square Park, the Lower Hudson Blues Festival, and others), and I'll give information on these in forthcoming posts. For now, look through these listings and start marking your calendars!

Free at Summerstage Tonight: "Shelebration!" - Shel Silverstein Celebrated in Words & Music

"Shelebration!" at SummerStage will celebrate the many books, songs, and poems by the late Shel Silverstein.

The late Shel Silverstein had such a diverse creative output—children's books, pop songs, plays, and much more—that it's taking a whole cavalcade of artists to celebrate his legacy tonight in a free SummerStage show in Central Park.

"Shelebration! A Tribute to the Works of Shel Silverstein" is a tribute to the author's work by an amazingly varied list of performers, from Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson to Suzanne Vega, Melvin Van Peebles, Martha Wainwright, and more. There are actors such as Annabella Sciorra and Chloe Webb; comedians including Richard Belzer and Darrell Hammond (formerly of "Saturday Night Live"); and rock singers such as Sally Timms (of The Mekons) and Emily Haines (of Metric). (See the SummerStage website for the full "Shelebration!" lineup.)

And the SummerStage description says the show will feature "the debut of works from Silverstein’s forthcoming poetry collection, 'Every Thing On It.'"

Shel Silverstein wrote "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" and other hits.

Although Silverstein (who died in 1999) is best known to many millions as the author of the children's books "The Giving Tree" and "A Light in the Attic," he also wrote plays, poetry, and songs, as well as being an illustrator and recording artist.

It wasn't until many years after the fact that I realized Silverstein was the writer of some of the most well-known, chart-topping hit songs of their day, including “The Unicorn” (the Irish Rovers), “A Boy Named Sue” (Johnny Cash), and two hit singles for Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show: "The Cover of the Rolling Stone" and "Sylvia's Mother."

If you're a fan of any form of Shel Silverstein's work, or just want to see some very talented individuals from different fields celebrating his work, you might want to head over to the SummerStage Mainstage in Central Park tonight. (For updates on gate opening time and possible weather-related changes, follow the SummerStage Twitter account.)

"Shelebration! A Tribute to the Works of Shel Silverstein" 
Saturday, Aug. 6th, 7 p.m.
SummerStage Mainstage, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (map and directions)
Info: www.summerstage.org or (212) 360-2777

Music Notes: Free Soul at Summerstage; Case & Cave Cover The Zombies; Danny Amis Benefit; More

 

Neko Case and Nick Cave cover The Zombies' "She's Not There," and you can hear it at the link below.

Here's a collection of music news items from New York and Hoboken to Brazil and Croatia.

* Soul is on the menu at a free SummerStage show today, June 25th, at the main stage in Central Park. Lee Fields & The Expressions headline (6:30 p.m.), preceded by neo-soul band Fitz and the Tantrums (5 p.m.) and the trio KING (4 p.m.). Doors open for the show at 3 p.m. (See NY Daily News article on Fitz and the Tantrums)

* Neko Case and Nick Cave have teamed up to record a cover of the classic 1960s hit "She's Not There" by The Zombies, and you can stream it from KCRW. The song was recorded for use in the HBO TV show "True Blood," and at the blog post above you can hear the story of how the version came about by Gary Calamar, who is both a KCRW DJ and the music supervisor for "True Blood." The Case & Cave version of "She's Not There" will be for sale on iTunes after the June 26th premiere of "True Blood"'s fourth season.

* Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley Yo La Tengo will headline a show this Wednesday at Maxwell's to benefit Hoboken native Danny Amis, a member of the band Los Straitjackets. Amis was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of bone-marrow cancer, last year. Other bands playing at the show are The Individuals, The Schramms, Purple Knife, and Tall Lonesome Pines. Tickets for the show are $15. (Buy Danny Amis benefit tickets here.) Also, Los Straitjackets play Maxwell's on August 4th.

* I ended up missing the big Bottom Line tribute to New York show at the World Financial Center the other night, but it sounded like a great night of music, according to the review here. And the live show wasn't the only news: it was apparently mentioned at the gig that the defunct club's owners, Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, are near a deal on opening a new Bottom Line. That would be great news indeed, and I look forward to hearing more about where the club will be located and when it will open.

* Looking for some interesting rock/pop music from different countries? The L.A. Times has an article featuring songs from nations around the world (with streams of them), chosen by music journalists or critics from the home countries. You'll hear tunes from countries you may not have heard from in terms of music, including Germany, Austria, and Romania. I'm glad to see that the tune representing the U.K. is from Glasgow rockers Sons & Daughters, whom I'm a fan of.

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.]

Free Summer 2011 Concerts: SummerStage, Central Park & Beyond

SummerStage has long been the grandaddy of free concert series in NYC, and this year is no exception. As with last year, SummerStage 2011 is expanding far beyond its Central Park base to offer free, live performances of music, dance, spoken word, and more throughout the five boroughs.

Below is a (very abbreviated) look at some of the shows I'm looking forward to. To see all the shows, head for the SummerStage music home page and select Main Stage (Central Park), Manhattan, or the other boroughs. Or see a chronological list of all the SummerStage and City Parks Foundation shows (and other free events) throughout the city.

SummerStage has fewer rock concerts this year, which has been a trend for several years. Maybe they've decided to spend more money on having concerts throughout the City than booking big-name rock acts for the Central Park Main Stage.

Unfortunately, the SummerStage website doesn't seem to allow an easy way to link to specific shows. The best way to find out more information about a show or artist is to head to the SummerStage website, scroll through the calendar on the left to the appropriate month, and click on the day for the show you're interested in.

Tues., June 7th, 6:30 p.m.: "Night at the Caravanserai: Tales of Wonder" featuring Yo-Yo Ma / The Silk Road Ensemble / The Silk Road Connect Students and Friends
Central Park/Mainstage

Tues., June 7, 7:00 p.m.: "Salute to Hip-Hop" featuring EPMD / Funkmaster Flex
Betsy Head Memorial Playground

Thurs., June 9, 7:00 p.m.: B.T. Express / Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez
Betsy Head Memorial Playground

Fri. and Sat., June 17 and 18, 8:00 p.m.: "Indomitable: James Brown" featuring Burnt Sugar / The Arkestra Chamber / Brandon Victor Dixon
Herbert Von King Park

Wed., June 22, 7:00 p.m.: Ozomatli
Red Hook Park

Thurs., June 23, 7:00 p.m.: We Are Scientists / Milagres
Red Hook Park

Sat., June 25, 4:00 p.m.: Lee Fields & The Expressions / Fitz & The Tantrums / Andreya Triana / Rich Medina
Central Park/Mainstage

Wed., June 29, 8:00 p.m. "Comedy Central Park" starring Jim Gaffigan with special guest John Pinette
Central Park/Mainstage

Mon, July 11, 8:00 p.m.: The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series (other dates scheduled in other parks)
Central Park/Mainstage

Sun., July 17, 7:00 p.m.: Pink Martini
Central Park/Mainstage

Sun., July 17, 7:00 p.m.: The Manhattans / Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez
Crotona Park

Wed., July 20, 7:00 p.m.: Harold Melvin's Blue Notes / Rhythm Revue with Felix Hernandez
Queensbridge Park

Wed., July 27, 7:00 p.m.: Wanda Jackson / Imelda May
Central Park/Mainstage

Sun., Aug. 7, 3:00 p.m.: Friendly Fires / The Naked and Famous / Cults
Central Park/Mainstage

Thurs., Aug. 25, 7:00 p.m.: Wavves
East River Park

Sat., Aug 27, 3:00 p.m.: The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival featuring Toots Thielmans / James Carter / Tia Fuller / Cecile McLorin Salvant
Marcus Garvey Park

In posts to come I'll look at some of the other free summer concert series coming up in New York and nearby areas.

NYC Free Shows Sunday: Jelly Show with Delorean & "Special Guests"; Charlie Parker Jazz Festival with Jimmy Scott,

The free summer festival season is, sadly, coming to an end, but there are a couple of good ones Sunday, August 29th:

* The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival with Jimmy Scott, Vijay Iyer, The Cookers and Catherine Russell - 3 p.m., SummerStage - 
Tompkins Square Park
(The Wall Street Journal did a nice article the other day on Jimmy Scott)

* "Special Guests Headliner," Delorean, Dominique Young Unique - [couldn't find time] East River State Park, Brooklyn
(This once-cancelled final Jelly "Pool Party" concert at East River State Park is back on, though I couldn't find a start time. And I have no idea who the "special guests headliner" is, though it should be a good one, considering the level of talent the series has attracted in the past.)

Beach Boys*, Burning Spear, The Antlers, Antibalas, Comedy Central, & More in a Big Week for Free NYC Concerts

Left: The Beach Boys (shown here in 2008) play a free show in Coney Island this Thursday (details below). Photo: Flickr user Wonker Wonker. 

There have been a lot of fun free concerts in NYC this summer, but this week is jam-packed with a diverse range of great entertainment (including the Beach Boys, The Antlers, and Antibalas on Thursday alone). (UPDATE: see Note below re: Beach Boys lineup.)

Here's a quick look at just some of the highlight of what's coming up for free NYC concerts this week:

Tuesday, July 20
* Summerstage: The Metropolitan Opera: Summer Recital Series Featuring Susanna Phillips, Michael Fabiano, & Pianist Jonathan Kelly - Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
* Summerstage: Lisa Lisa - Tappen Park, Staten Island, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, July 21
* Summerstage: Comedy Central Park presents The Daily Show and Friends, hosted by Lewis Black - Central Park, 8 p.m.
* Summerstage: Pharoahe Monch, Hosted by Danny Castro of Lyricist Lounge - Queensbridge Park, Queens, 7 p.m.
* Madison Square Music: Somi and John Ellis & Double Wide, Madison Square Park, 6 p.m.
* River to River: Burning Spear - Rockefeller Park (River Terrace at North End Avenue and Warren Streets), 7 p.m.

Thursday, July 22
* Seaside Concert Series: Beach Boys, The Turtles, Micky Dolenz (of The Monkees), and Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere & The Raiders) - Asser Levy/Seaside Park, Coney Island, 7:30 p.m. (*NOTE: Though it doesn't say this on the concert's website the Beach Boys lineup playing Coney Island is the Mike Love/Bruce Johnston configuration; Love has apparently licensed the Beach Boys name. Brian Wilson is not part of this lineup.)
* RiverRocks: Brooklyn's The Antlers and Dinosaur Feathers, Pier 54, doors: 6 p.m.
http://riverrocksnyc.com/RR2.html
* River to River: Antibalas - (Afrobeat band that's also in Broadway's "Fela!"), Castle Clinton, 7 p.m. (tickets distributed starting at 5 p.m.)

Friday, July 23
* Summerstage: The Main Ingredient - Rochdale Park, Queens, 7 p.m.
* South St. Seaport: indie rock with Free Energy and Best Coast with Loose Limbs, South Street Seaport Pier 17, 6 p.m.

(Also: Sheryl Crow performing on Good Morning America and John Mayer on The Today Show.)

Sunday, July 25
* Summerstage: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Burkina Electric, Fool's Gold, and DJ Frank of Voodoo Funk - Central Park, 3 p.m.

Jimmy Cliff Plays Free Central Park SummerStage Show Sunday

Above: Reggae pioneer (and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member) Jimmy Cliff performs at SummerStage Sunday. Photo: Philippe Jimenez

Now that the Great Eastern Heat Wave of 2010 has broken (for a couple of days, at least), it might be worth venturing out to a live outdoor show. And Central Park SummerStage has a great one on Sunday, July 11th: Jamaican reggae legend Jimmy Cliff headlining a bill with two younger reggae-influenced roots musicians, Trevor Hall from South Carolina and Victor Démé from the African nation of Burkina Faso.

Jimmy Cliff, best known for writing the songs to (and starring in) "The Harder They Come," was inducted into the latest class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The show starts at 3 p.m., which puts it in the same time frame as the World Cup final, but you can always check game updates on your mobile phone, right?

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.

Tour News: Pavement Reunion Dates, Yo La Tengo Tour, Extra U2 NJ Tickets On Sale

Random details on some notable tours for which tickets are now on sale:

The much-discussed possible Pavement reunion is a reality, but you'll have to wait a year to see them. So far they have scheduled four dates, all for next September 21st-24th at New York's Central Park Summerstage. The first three dates are already sold out; the fourth is set to go on sale on Sept. 25th (though the earlier ones were, too, but apparently sold out during the presale period). No presale tickets were available for the fourth show, but the show was not listed at sold out You can check the Pavement Summerstage tickets Web page to see if any further details (or shows) are added.

Hoboken's own Yo La Tengo is on an extensive Fall tour. Only one New York date so far (Sept. 25th at Roseland), but since their next scheduled gig isn't until Oct. 2nd in Montreal, additional NYC shows will likely be added. The Roseland show, which is all ages, features a great line up of special guests: The Black Lips, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co., and The Joshua White and Gary Panter’s Light Show. See all the Yo La Tengo tour dates here.

U2 is coming to Giants Stadium in the NJ Meadowlands Sept. 23rd and 24th, and some additional tickets have been released. I got an email from the Meadowlands with news of this, and while there were no seats in the $55 range, there were $250 tickets available in Section 109, on the side of the stage. You can buy U2 concert tickets for Giants Stadium (and other venues) here.

Summerstage 2009 Schedule Posted

The schedule for the concerts at Central Park Summerstage have been posted, and as usual there is a mix of rock, jazz, blues, spoken word, and more. Most of the concerts are free, with a few paid concerts used as benefits to pay for the free programs.

Among the highlights:

Friday, June 12, 8pm (opening night) - Josh Ritter and The New York Pops (not his usual backing band... should be interesting)
Saturday, June 13, 3pm - Smokie Norful, Tye Tribbett & G.A., & Ruben Studdard
Thursday June 18, 7:30pm - Sharon Olds & Thomas Sayers Ellis
Friday, June 19, 8pm - Comedy Central Park with Gabriel Iglesias & Pablo Francisco
Wednesday, July 8, 7pm - Juana Molina, Curumin, & El G (ZZK)
Saturday, July 11, 3pm - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs & Eric Bobo
Friday, July 24, 7pm - Bettye Lavette, the Budos Band, & the Felix Hernandez Rhythm Revue
Saturday, July 25, 3pm - Jerry Rivera and special guests & N'Klabe
Sunday, July 26, 3pm - Ginuwine, Joe & Chico DeBarge
Saturday, August 1 - M. Ward, Mike Watt, & Nels Cline
Monday, August 3, 8pm - Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabaté

There are also shows featuring poetry and films. The benefit shows include TV on the Radio, the Indigo Girls, Explosions in the Sky and Constantines, and Matisyahu and Umphrey's McGee. Check the Summerstage Web site at www.Summerstage.org for full schedule and details on all shows.