What? A Camper van Beethoven reunion? Richard Thompson for five nights playing Britney Spears songs? And the Swedish rockers the Hives? That’s not all there is, but to help you sort it out, here’s the ultimate summertime playlist to jumpstart your musical endeavors.
With the enormous amount of free music in the parks – rock, pop, world music, jazz, dance and DJs – you can shake your tailfeather all season long. As much as we’d like to, we can’t mention every great show (because there are hundreds), so continue to check weekly schedules, Web sites (see sidebar) and Playlist.
Tomorrow: Three Farms concert at East River Park (cross FDR via the Houston Street pedestrian bridge and walk five minutes south). Six local bands perform at the park’s newly renovated amphitheater for the first concert there in 30 years. Music includes Flux Information Sciences, the Everyothers, the Damnwells, Skyrocket, Les San Culottes and Lesion. For more info, check http://www.arlene-grocery.com or call (888) 825-8374.
June 9: Los Amigos Invisibles at Hudson River Rocks at Pier 54 (Hudson River and 13th Street). This six-man Venezuelan band, which blends house, funk, disco and salsa with nods to hip-hop, drum ‘n’ bass, and lounge, perform at a free twilight concert. Guest performers include Thunderball, DJ Angela and Rummies. Call (212) 533-PARK or go to hudsonriverpark.org.
June 12, 13: The Hives at Bowery Ballroom (6 Delancey St., at Bowery; [212] 533-2111). This act is the hippest Swedish garage punk band around.
June 18: The Flatlanders at Irving Plaza (17 Irving Pl., at 15th Street; [212] 777-6800). Texans Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, three exceptional honky-tonk singer/songwriters, have brand new album “Now Again,” their first in more than 30 years. Brooklyn’s Nashville singer Laura Cantrell opens.
June 20, 21: Cecil Taylor & the Sound Vision Orchestra at the Knitting Factory (74 Leonard St., at Church Street; [212] 219-3055). Taylor, a pioneer of the original avant-garde, premieres a new piece performed with and written for this 25-piece orchestra. “The grand size in our small space is gonna have people’s heads pop off,” promise the Knit folks.
June 20: The Doves at the Hammerstein Ballroom (311 W. 34th St., at Eighth Avenue; [212] 279-7740). The drummer of this soulful Manchester pop band describes the music as “Northern soul meets New Order meets the White Stripes.” Another Manchester band, Elbow, which refers to itself as “prog without solos,” opens. It’s for all you musical Anglophiles out there.
June 25-30: The Polyphonic Spree at various clubs. This Dallas-based, 24-member choral pop group led by ex-Tripping Daisy frontman Tim DeLaughter performs six concerts in six days at various venues, including Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St., Hoboken; [201] 798-0406) on June 26; Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston St., at Essex Street; [212] 260-4700) on June 27; Northsix (66 N. Sixth St., off Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg; [718] 599-5103) on June 28; the Knitting Factory with the Danielson Famile opening on June 29; and the Village Underground (130 Third St., at Sixth Avenue; [212] 777-7745) on June 30.
June 27,28: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at the Apollo (253 W. 125th St.; [212] 864-0372). Clinton and company land the Mothership in Harlem as part of the JVC Jazz Festival.
June 28, 29: Luna at the Bowery Ballroom. Fronted by indie-rock posterboy Dean Wareham, Luna has a new album, “Romantica,” which is very, uh, romantic, and wonderful.
July 9-13: Richard Thompson, Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette St., at Astor Place; [212] 539-8770). The legendary folk singer and guitarist from the U.K. returns to New York playing “1,000 Years of Popular Music,” which ranges from the first known English song from the 13th Century to recent hits by Britney Spears, with stops at jazz standards and many more surprises.
July 10: Dolly Parton at Irving Plaza. The country star’s been doing some wonderful bluegrass albums lately, but in concert she mixes it all up. She performs as part of her Halos and Horns tour.
July 12: Yo La Tengo and poet Everton Sylvester at Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Hoboken’s Yo La Tengo perform hauntingly sparse tunes next to raw rockers.
July 14: Celebrate Bastille Day with music, food and family stuff. Dance in the street with Bal Musette and hear the sounds of the Dominic Kanza Band (playing West African Soukous music), Ginette Bernard (singing jazz and cabaret songs) and Jacques & Marie and their Paris Swing Orchestra performing traditional and contemporary French songs. Free from noon to 6 on 60th Street (between Park and Madison avenues; [212] 355-6100, http://www.fiaf.org
July 16: Guided By Voices at Irving Plaza. Robert Pollard’s alt-pop band performs tunes from its new album. Tickets honored from the postponed May 14th show. Superdrag opens
July 17: Lucinda Williams at Central Park SummerStage (mid-park at 72nd Street). The Nashville alt-country singer just moved L.A. but now she’ll bring her songbook outdoors for this benefit concert. Legendary R&B singer Solomon Burke and soul rocker extraordinaire Chuck Prophet open. Tickets: (212) 307-7171. Info: http://www.summerstage.org.
July 18, 19: Camper van Beethoven at the Knitting Factory. Take the skinheads bowling. This is the reunion of the summer! Led by David Lowery (now of Cracker), Santa Cruz’ CvB spiced up their rock with folk, ska and world music. Sadly the boys recorded their last album in 1989 and broke up in 1990. In 1999, CvB released “Camper Van Beethoven Is Dead. Long Live Camper Van Beethoven.” Indeed long live.
July 20: The 2nd Annual Siren Music Festival at Coney Island. This all-day, all ages, arts and music event, offers an unbelievable lineup headed by riot girl trio Sleater-Kinney. And it’s all free. Other bands includes the Donnas, the Shins, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Les Savy Fav, the Von Bondies, Rye Coalition and Bob Log III, who opens at 1 p.m. Presented by the Village Voice, the festival’s held on the boardwalk from noon to 9. See http://www.villagevoice.com for info.
July 20: Puffy AmiYumi at Irving Plaza. These two Japanese female rockers, who play tunes that sound like the Ramones and Cheap Trick, are on their first U.S. tour. Bleu and Gaijin a Go-Go open.
July 20: Lambchop at Celebrate Brooklyn! at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Nashville’s sprawling indie rock/alt-country act makes music on the soul, rock, R&B, funk and twang cut. The Mendoza Line opens.
July 25, 26: Sloan at the Bowery Ballroom. This Nova Scotia act thrills fans with its high-energy pop.
July 28: Beth Orton & guests, at Central Park SummerStage. On her upcoming album, this London singer/songwriter blends electronic and folk to set the mood.
Aug. 3: Arlo Guthrie, Damrosch Park Bandshell. You can get anything you want when this folk icon performs as part of Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival. Call (212) 875-5108 or visit http://www.lincolncenter.org.
Aug. 4: Cornershop, South and a DJ set by Avalanches at Central Park SummerStage. For all you dance rockers, this bill’s for you. Asian-Brit act Cornershop adds soul to its techno sitar mix on its new “Handcream for a Generation.” Britain’s newest export, South mixes raw rock and dance beats. Australia’s Avalanches marry music from across the decades into a cool DJ set.
Aug. 5, 6: Nick Lowe at Joe’s Pub. The ex-member of Rockpile’s pop sensibilities are in full effect with his latest, “The Convincer,” which has elements of soul, country, R&B, jazz and blues. He’ll play an acoustic solo set.
August 11: Sonic Youth at Central Park SummerStage. The New York pioneer artists bring their unconvential rock ‘n’ roll to the great outdoors.
Aug. 15: They Might Be Giants along with Moldy Peaches, People Are Wrong Review, Messer Chups at Central Park SummerStage ($10). Brooklyn’s own TMBG, who have a hit song frm “Malcolm in the Middle,” are celebrating their 20th anniversay.
Aug. 15: The New Deal and Anti-Pop Consortium at Invisibles at Hudson River Rocks at Pier 54. The New Deal performs improvised breakbeat music. Anti-Pop hits it with abstract electronic hip-hop. The Pier will be bouncing.
Aug. 23, 24: Cake, Modest Mouse, Flaming Lips, De La Soul and Kinky at Celebrate Brooklyn! in Prosepct Park. The season wraps up with benefit concert featuring a terrifically diverse lineup. These bands are all cult faves for a beat-stomping reasons. Tickets: (212) 307-7171 or at Hammerstein Ballroom box office.
