JUST when you think it’s safe to head into the next century, this summer’s concert season does a 360 and lands us back in 1975.
Without question the hottest ticket this season is Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who are playing a whopping 15 shows at home, in New Jersey, at the Meadowlands.
Then there’s Blondie on the comeback trail, as well as Cher,the Pretenders, the J. Geils Band, Rod Stewart, Foreigner, David Cassidy, Journey and Tom Petty. Even Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are performing.
In the living-legend department, look for Paul Simon andBob Dylan to do a metro sweep playing Long Island, New Jersey and Skyscraper Park, with their big show set for the Garden this July.
Although there are a number of multi-act “festival” concerts from the Fleadh (the Celtic culture celebration) to Lilith (the all-girl, all-the-time show) the big Kahuna this year is Woodstock ’99 (three days of peace love, music and money) that has again migrated north, this time to Rome, N.Y.
There is a nice variety of acts coming to the area this summer so finding music you like won’t be the hard part, but nabbing a ticket before these shows sellout is the trick. Here’s a list of a few of this summer’s music pleasures:
JUNE
Today, Mulberry Lane, South Street Seaport.
Today, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Roseland
Today, Rammstein, Soulfly, Skunk Anansie, Hammerstein
Today, Ominous Seapods, Conehead Buddha, Wetlands
Today, DJ Spooky, Talvin Singh, South Street Seaport Atrium
Today, Santana, Ozomatli PNC Arts Center
Today, Grover Washington Jr., Town Hall
Today, Morphine, Firewater, South Street Seaport Atrium
Tomorrow, Santana, Ozomatli, Jones Beach
Tomorrow, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Roseland
Sunday, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, South Street Seaport
Sunday, the Toasters, Wetlands
Sunday, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Bowery Ballroom
7, The Roots, Bowery Ballroom
8, Volunteer Jam featuring Charlie Daniels Band, Molly Hatchet, Marshall Tucker Band, Beacon Theater
8, Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman, South Street Seaport Atrium
8-9, Cibo Matto, Bowery Ballroom
8-9, Natalie Merchant, Neil Simon Theater
8,10, Ozzfest’ 99 featuring original Black Sabbath lineup, Rob Zombie, Slayer, Godsmack, Fear Factory, Primus and others, PNC Arts Center
10, Blondie, The Theater at MSG
10, Volunteer Jam featuring Charlie Daniels Band and others, Jones Beach
10, Cake with Old 97’s, Roseland Ballroom
11-13, Natalie Merchant, Neil Simon Theater
11, Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, Irving Plaza
11, The Derailers, Tramps
12, Lunachicks, Bowery Ballroom
13, Brooks and Dunn, Westbury Music Fair
13, Van Morrison, Taj Mahal, Roseland
13, Sonic Youth, New York Art Quartet South Street Seaport Atrium
14, Biohazard, Irving Plaza
14, Van Morrison, Taj Mahal, Jones Beach
15, Shania Twain, Madison Square Garden
15, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Irving Plaza
16, Cassandra Wilson, JVC Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall
16, John Mellencamp, Son Volt PNC Arts Center
16-17, Pavement, Irving Plaza
18-19, The Funky Meters, Tramps
18-20, Gathering of the Vibes Summer Solstice festival featuring Gov’t Mule, moe and the Zen Tricksters Seaside Park, Bridgeport, Conn.
18, Brian Wilson, Beacon Theatre
18-19, The Meters, Tramps
19, Vonda Shepard, Westbury Music Fair
19, David Cassidy, Town Hall
19, Festival Musica Latina, Madison Square Garden
19, Ani DiFranco, Maceo Parker, Jones Beach
20, Raffi in Concert, Town Hall
20, They Might Be Giants, Central Park Summer Stage
20, Rod Stewart, Jones Beach
20, Pavement, Irving Plaza
21, Vonda Shepard, Irving Plaza
22, dc Talk, Hammerstein Ballroom
22, Foreigner, Journey, Beacon Theater
23, Brandy, Jones Beach
23, The Pretenders, Bowery Ballroom
23, Joshua Redman, JVC Jazz Festival, Carnegie Hall
24, Seal, Jones Beach Theater
24, Ben Folds Five, Central Park Summer Stage
25, The Verve Pipe, Bowery Ballroom
26, Southern Culture on the Skids, Bowery Ballroom
26, James Brown. Avery Fisher Hall
26, Guinness Fleadh featuring Elvis Costello, Hootie & the Blowfish, Shane MacGowan, Lucinda Williams, Black 47, Shawn Mullins and others, Randall’s Island
27, Ann and Nancy Wilson (of Heart), Westbury Music Fair
27, Foreigner, Journey, Jones Beach
28, Lee Scratch Perry, Wetlands
29, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, NJ Performing Arts Center
30, Eric Clapton Madison Square Garden
30, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros Irving Plaza
30, Ann & Nancy Wilson (of Heart) Beacon Theater
30, Motely Crue, Scorpions, Jones Beach
30, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, PNC Arts Center
*
JULY
1-2, June Carter Cash, Bottom Line
1, The Duke Robillard Band, Midsummer Night Swin at Lincoln Center
2-3, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Jones Beach
4, Dr. John, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Battery Park
4, Luscious Jackson, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Central Park Summer Stage
5, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Jones Beach
7, Britney Spears, Hammerstein Ballroom
8, Susan Tedeschi Blues Band, Battery Park
8, John Mayall and the Blues Breakeakers, Bottom Line
9, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Jones Beach
10, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Central Park Summer Stage
10, J. Geils Band, Jones Beach
13, Willie Nelson, Tramps
13, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, MSG
14-16, ‘N Sync, Jordan Knight, Jones Beach
14-15, Whitney Houston, The Theater at Madison Square Garden
15, Richie Havens, Battery Park
15, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
15,16, Phish, PNC Arts Center
16, Marcia Ball, Lee Roy Parnell, Tramps
16, Warped Tour featuring Blink 182, Suicidal Tendencies Ice-T and others Randalls Island
17, N’dea Davenport, Central Park Summer Stage
17, John Haitt, Bottom Line
17-18, Phish annual Summer blowout, Oswego County Airport (Volney, N.Y.)
17-18, ‘N Sync PNC Arts Center
18, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
20, Joey McIntyre, Hammerstein
20, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
21, Marianne Faithfull Central Park Summer Stage
22, The Beach Boys, Jones Beach Theater
22, Brian Setzer Orchestra, Central Park Summer Stage
23-25, Woodstock ’99 featuring The Offspring, Sugar Ray, Rage Against the Machine, Dave Matthews Band, moe, Fat Boy Slim, Metallica, Alanis Morissette, Jewel, Live, Foo Fighters and others, Rome, N.Y.
24, Jewel, Jones Beach
24, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
25, The Offspring, Jones Beach Theater
26, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowmands Arena
27, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
27, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Central Park Summer Stage
27, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Madison Square Garden
28, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon PNC Arts Center
29, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Meadowlands Arena
30, Lyle Lovett, Central Park Summer Stage
30-31, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Jones Beach
*
AUGUST
1-2, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
4, Barenaked Ladies, Jones Beach
4, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
6, Lilith Fair featuring Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks and others, Jones Beach
6-7, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
7, Roger Waters, Jones Beach
7-8, Lilith Fair featuring Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks and others Arts Center
9, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
11-12, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Meadowlands Arena
14, Africa Fete with Baaba Maal, Central Park Summer Stage
15, Robert Cray Band, Central Park Summer Stage
19, Chuck Mangione, South Street Seaport Music Cruises
21, Barry Manilow, Jones Beach
27, Allman Brothers, Jones Beach
*
SEPTEMBER
1, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Jones Beach
5, Moody Blues, Jones Beach
6, R.E.M., Spacehog, PNC Arts Center
7-8, 10, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Madison Square Garden
12, Gipsy Kings, N.J. Performing Arts Center
