SummerStage
City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage will be celebrating NYC Hip-Hop culture this Summer with performances by legends Rakim 6/5, Big Daddy Kane 6/12, Chubb Rock 6/13, DJ Kool Herc 7/10, Pete Rock 7/28, The Rock Steady Crew at the Wild Style 30th Anniversary Celebration 8/26, and many more artists. A new Hip-Hop musical theater commission of “King Kong” will be appearing at multiple parks this Summer . Lots and lots of Hip-Hop will be brought to the five boroughs by SummerStage.
If Hip-Hop is not your thing, you can catch performance by The Zombies, Django Django 6/15, Bobby McFerrin 8/20, The Metropolitan Opera (various dates), Hezekiah Walker 6/19, Femi Kuti 6/23, WAR 7/12 and many more.
Celebrate Brooklyn!
This Summer is the 35th season for Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Prospect Park Bandshell. There is definitely reason to celebrate with another all-star line up featuring Patty Griffin on opening night 6/5, Wynton Marsalis 6/8, Mavis Staples with Cody ChesnuTT 6/14, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo 6/27, Philip Glass 7/13, The Tiger Lillies 7/18, BeBe Winans 7/25, Jamie Lidell with Dan Deacon 8/2, and closing the season with Brooklyn’s They Might Be Giants 8/10.
River to River Festival
6/15 – 7/14
This season the River to River Festival features multiple projects by Laurie Anderson from 6/18 – 22, Bang on a Can Marathon 6/16 Angelique Kidjo 6/25. Ecstatic Summer 6/29 Leon Russell 7/10, Hungry March Band 7/11 and many more performances in Lower Manhattan.
Lincoln Center Out of Doors
7/24 – 8/11
Lincoln Center Out of Doors may not get the attention that Celebrate Brooklyn! or Summerstage does. But this is not a Summer series you should miss. This year LCOoD is hosting a series of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Kronos Performing Arts Association and the Kronos Quartet. The Crickets (of Buddy Holly and the Crickets) will perform their last show before retirement on 8/10 with Nick Lowe and Jason Isbell. The season finale will feature Bobby Rush and Alan Toussaint (New York loves him) 8/11.
Village Voice 4Knots Musical Festival
6/29
The 4Knots festival returns to Pier 17 for it’s third year. This year’s line-up features Kurt Vile, Marnie Stern, the Men, Parquet Courts, Reigning Sound, White Lung, Fat Tony, the Babies, and Heliotropes. and Hunters.
Seaport Music Festival
6/7 – 6/28
After Hurricane Sandy you wouldn’t think there would be a South Street Seaport left. Alas. The Seaport survived and so does the Seaport Music Festival. The series starts with Oblivians and ex-Cult 6/7, followed by Paws 6/14, Fear of Men 6/21, and finishing off with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Bass Drum of Death 6/28. A short series that features quality bands.
River Rocks
7/11 – 8/8
River Rocks is bringing some of the best young talent to Pier 84 this Summer. This season’s concerts start with Generationals, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Waxahatchee 7/11, Foxygen, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, The Aves 7/25, Titus Andronicus, Ducktails 8/8.
Crest Fest
6/8
558 Metropolitan Ave. may be the place to be on June 8. Brooklyn’s Crest Hardware Art Show opens with Crest Fest a celebration of art and music from the community. This year’s line-up includes Pitchblak Brass Band, Aabraki, Cold Fronts, Osekre and the Lucky Bastards, See Through. DJs Peter Complex, Krunk Pony, Rok One, Mama Dom, Lucas Walters, Peter Hale, Gerald Hammill, Chuck Bucket
Make Music New York
6/21
Free music everywhere in NYC which includes Punk Island! Hell Yeah!
Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival
6/4 – 8/27
City Winery’s Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival will launch the season with Dave Davies 6/4 the guitarist of the Kinks and brother of Ray Davies. You can also catch performances by The English Beat 6/18 and The Pietasters 7/2.
MLK Concert Series
TBA
Seaside Concert Series
TBA
Jazzmobile
TBA