City Parks Foundation’s Summerstage 2014
Pick Next Years City Park Foundation Band… I Say Chance The Rapper Or True Groove Records
Now is your chance to vote but don’t bother with a Taylor Swift or something (though Tay doing a Diana Ross would be a blast) because then you’d never get in. I would actually love True Groove Records to get their own day. Anyway vote as you choose: here is the info.
La Mega 7th Annual Tropical Fest with Alex Sensation At Summerstage, Saturday, August 23rd, 2014, Reviewed
I caught three DJ sets, eleven year old wunderkind Ju5tin, who played mostly house, La Mega superstar DJ Alex who mixed Reggaeton with hip hop and dance, and DJ Lobo who was hardcore Latin American beats. None of them were bad but watching DJs has very limited appeal and the sparse turnout didn’t help with the atmosphere.
Free This afternoon: Catch Motown Gospel Revue Show At Summerstage for Free
The problem with modern Gospel is not the singers but the songs, the voices are these beautiful instruments raised in worship but the songs let them down over and over again. Well, this should helo to change that and then some. Great modern Gospel singers singing great Motown songs!!!
Chronixx And Junior Reid At Central Park Summerstage, Saturday, July 26th, 2014, Reviewed
Towards the end he covered the crown prince of reggae Dennis Brown and nailed it in the afternoon’s most triumphant moment. Despite his youth, he has a certain gravity about him, he is the real deal not a contender for Reggae and for testifying.
"Club Classics Live" At City Parks Foundations Central Park Summerstage, Saturday, June 28th, 2014, Reviewed
Of all the ways to serve gay pride, this was a great one. Last year Summerstage did a similar thing for the 35th anniversary of the birth of hip hop -they just have the connects and the vision to put such wide and free ranging shows together. As the song goes, “I’m happy, I’m carefree and I’m gay”, and long may you be who you are.
City Park's Foundation And The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series, Monday, June 23rd, 2014, Reviewed
Jamie was excellent but Amber left the entire audience slack jawed, she seemed to turn every corner of the song only to find somewhere else to reach. Jamie made her debut in 2009 and Amber in 2011 but their power, passion and professionalism was a great thing
Must See: City Parks Foundation Summerstage Recital series, Monday, June 24th, 2014
It is a glorious thing for a hot summer night, a real pleasure and and incredible buzz and it is, of course, free. Here is the press release which even tells you who is performing this year on Monday June 23 rd and has every chance of filling up entirely so get there early:
The Beatles Play Central Park June 3rd, 2014… Sort Of
Honoring the co-chair of Loews Corporation Andrew Tisch, the first thing that a pop picker like yours truly will notice is the return of the great Marshall Crenshaw. No shocker there from the man who got his start in “Beatlemania
In The Dead Of Winter, Here Is City Parks Foundation's Summerstage 2014 Preview!!! January 9th At LPR
. Last year, the Summerstage preview consisted of Shuggie Otis, who went on to enjoy a first rate year, Joshua Nelson who was all over the Mahalia Jackson tribute and DJ Kool Herc, and, as I am sure we all remember, 2013 was the 40th anniversary of the birth of hip hop; the theme of 2013. So now it is 2014 and the theme? Glad you asked because my bet is the theme will be the 75th Anniversary of Blue Notes records.