Merry Rock-mas! Free Summer Concerts!(Updated!)

Here comes the summer. Which means we get lots of big fat package tours that never bother comming through New York. Sometimes it's enough to make a guy scream. But rest easy rock fan. We get to spread our concert seasons out further than most cities, even Chicago. Rather than one or two big shows we get dozens of littler shows.

"But Tim," say you. "That could cost a bundle."

On the contrary. We here in New York have become acustomed to FREE SUMMER CONCERTS!!! This morning Brooklyn Vegan posted a big indiscriminate list of Free Concerts. (Some are probably with a suggested donation.) Last years highlights included Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! at the Seaport and Stephen Malkmus and Yo La Tengo at Battery Park.

Here are the one's I'm most excited for.

5/24 - The Books (World Financial Center)
6/02 - Super Furry Animals (Seaport)
6/18 - Laurie Anderson (Prospect Park)
7/02 - Seu Jorge, Jose Gonzalez, Alex Cuba Band (Central Park)
7/13 - Yo La Tengo (Prospect Park)
7/13 - Okkervil River (Castle Clinton)
7/23 - Konono No. 1 (Central Park)
7/27 - The Hold Steady (Castle Clinton)
8/03 - New Pornographers (Central Park)
8/04 - Hot Chip (Seaport)

I'm sure there are many more to be announced. I love free concerts more than I love most members of my extended family. Here's the top 5 free concerts I've ever seen.


1- White Stripes, Green Horns, Moonie Suzuki @ Pier 54 2001: The garage rock revival was at it's most exciting right at this moment.
2- Yo La Tengo @ Prospect Park 2002(?): Probably the best of the three Yo La Tengo shows I've ever seen. They dissed New York, played their cover of "Nuclear War" for the first time, and rocked a huge theater like they were efffing Foghat. "Let the healing begin."
3- Guided By Voices @ Pier 54 2004: The last GBV show I could manage to get into.
4- M.I.A. @ Central Park 2005: One of the best hip hop shows I've ever been to. Nuff said.
5- Sufjan Stevens @ Seaport 2004: This show is better in hindsight. One of the most tranquil live music experiences ever.