Yes it’s fifty degrees out and yes you still need a jacket at night and yes you still might end up freezing your tucchus off at Citi Field if you happen to sit in the one section of the stadium that doesn’t get covered by the sun. Fine, we’ll give you all that. But it’s late April, which is almost May, which means it has to warm up at some point. The City Parks Foundation, knowing that summer has to be dragged kicking and screaming to us this year, is doing their part by releasing the SummerStage schedule and reminding the season to get off its lazy ass and start making things warm and smell faintly of garbage. Below, you’ll find all the free shows offered in Brooklyn. Does it feature a show by Rakim and a show by Big Daddy Kane? Why yes, yes it does.
RED HOOK PARK
June 4, 7pm: Flatbush Zomebies, The Underachievers
June 5, 7pm: Rakim, presented by Lyricist Lounge
June 6, 7pm: Fuzz (Ty Segall side band)
Jun 7, 7:30pm: COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS – Cristela Alonzo and Mark Normand
VON KING PARK
June 11, 7pm: Rayvon, Red Fox, Golden Child, RSNY, hosted by Shaggy (SHAGGY!)
June 12, 7pm: Big Daddy Kane, DJ set by DJ Scratch
June 13, 7pm: Chub Rock, Rob Base
June 14, 7pm: Jamal Jackson Dance Company, Movement for the Urban Village/All Levels Open Dance Master Class by Jamal Jackson Dance Company
June 15, 7pm: “Speak,” featuring live music by Marla Mase and Tomas Doncker/All Levels Open Dance Master Class by Calvin Wiley
June 16, 4pm: Brooklyn Family Day Featuring: Shine and the Moonbeam, Something Positive African Caribbean Dance Theater, DJ set by Hard Hittin’ Harry
June 16, 7pm: dead prez/Screening: Soul Food Junkies
July 30 – August 1, 8pm: King Kong, by Alfred Preisser and Danny Weiner
August 2 – 3, 8pm: Diablo Love, by Mando Alvarado
BETSY HEAD PARK
June 18, 7pm: Dana Dane, Grand Puba, hosted by Chub Rock
June 19, 7pm: Hezekiah Walker
June 20, 7pm: Jon B
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK
July 19, 7pm: The Metropolitan Opera Summer Recital Series
Whew, that’s a lot of free shows, huh? They should give you a badge or a patch or something if you go to all of them. Of course, while Brooklyn has Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, dead prez and Shaggy, there are some notable shows in other places of the city, known colloquially as “Not Brooklyn.” On July 6 and 8 at 7pm, She & Him brings their adorable 60s pop radio sounds to Central Park, although that’s a paid show, so bring a blanket and a bottle of wine and sit outside the bandshell. On July 21 at 7pm, Queensbridge Park plays host to a 25th Anniversary screening of I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, while up in the Bronx you can head to Crotona Park go back in time with WAR on July 12 at 7pm or catch a hip hop history lesson by watching From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale on July 13 at 7pm.
The complete schedule of every show will be here all summer, and even better, it automatically refreshes, so you won’t have to miss one chance to sit in the twilight and wile the evening away while trying to hold off winter.
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Can't wait to see it all. Good start. Though WAR...ain't really War anymore. Its just the keys player...Lonnie Jordan. Listen to any WAR album and the Bass is pumping...Lowrider, Cisco kid, slippin' into darkness etc. The guy doesn't even use a bass player. Uses 2 keys for bass sounds. LAME!!! The real War band for some crazy ass reason has to go by The lowrider band...that's if..a big if..they're still playing. I'm sorry but that shit is a shame cause WAR played summerstage way back and were incredible. Also saw the real War at the old small Ritz way back and again..incredible.