Summer concerts: August

At press time, tickets were available to the following shows. All dates subject to change.

1 Blue Magic Mahoney Park. FREE

1 Regina Carter Quintet Madison Square Park. FREE

1 Mavis Staples Nelson A. Rockefeller Park. FREE

1 Tegan and Sara Hiro Ballroom. $23.

2 Brave New World Repertory Theatre: Crossing Brooklyn Ferry + Jenny Scheinman Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.

2 Roy Brown + Arlo Guthrie Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

2 The Flatlanders Castle Clinton. FREE

2 Jeff Redd + Jean Baylor South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

2 Eric Roberson + Chrisette Michelle BAM at MetroTech Commons. FREE

3 Lyricist Lounge with KRS-One + Ladybug Mecca Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.

3 O.A.R. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $29.50, $38.50.

3 Squeeze + Fountains of Wayne Beacon Theatre. $56, $76, $99.

3 Turntables on the Hudson: Billie Holiday Remixed, Re-Imagined South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

Photo: Pierre Terrasson

DON’T MISS
4 August
Kassav’ (right)  + Bonga
Aug 4. Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.
Kassav’ has been playing zouk—a high-spirited, wildly danceable music from the French West Indies that incorporates various musical styles from the region—for close to 30 years now, but the sprawling ensemble shows no sign of letting up. Don’t even think of staying seated when it gets going. Brooklyn-based Haitian drummer Bonga opens.—Elisabeth Vincentelli

4 In the Pocket: Music Lands on Governors Island with Antibalas Governors Island. FREE

4 Kassav’ + Bonga Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.

4 Spanish Harlem Orchestra + Spam Allstars Central Park SummerStage. FREE

4 Vans Warped Tour with Bad Religion + Bayside + Circa Survive + Coheed and Cambria + New Found Glory + Pepper + Straylight Run + Underoath and others Nassau Coliseum. $35.

5 AfroReggae Central Park SummerStage. FREE

5 Blonde Redhead + I’m from Barcelona McCarren Park Pool. FREE

5 Dave Brubeck Quartet Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

6 Cary Brothers Bowery Ballroom. Advance $15, day of show $18.

6 Muse + Cold War Kids Madison Square Garden. $39.50, $45.

7 Amarfis Highbridge Park. FREE

7 Dashboard Confessional Central Park SummerStage. $TBA.

7, 8 Lila Downs The Spiegeltent. $35.

7 Charlie Haden and Kenny Barron Blue Note. $20, $35.

7 The 2007 B.B. King Blues Festival with B.B. King + Al Green + Etta James and Her Roots Band Theater at Madison Square Garden. $59.50, $89.50, $125.

8 Biz Markie Jackie Robinson Park. FREE

8, 9 Charlie Haden and Ethan Iverson Blue Note. $20, $30.

8 McCollough Sons of Thunder + Odetta + Dee Dee Sharp Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

8, 9 Percy Sledge Aug 8: Mahoney Park. Aug 9: Springfield Park. FREE

8 The Wood Brothers Madison Square Park. FREE

DON’T MISS
9 August
Daft Punk (right)  + The Rapture
Aug 9. KeySpan Park. $47.50.
Daft Punk is the rare electronic act that’s not only comfortable onstage, but actually thrives there. For this ultrarare NYC gig, the masked duo’s tectonic soundquake is sure to set off seismographs all over the Eastern Seaboard—and supposedly the light show looks like you’re inside the Close Encounters spaceship. We wish the affected dance-punkers in the Rapture good luck in their opening set.— Elisabeth Vincentelli

9 The Black Crowes Central Park SummerStage. $45.

9 Daft Punk + The Rapture KeySpan Park. $47.50.

9 The Hold Steady + The Big Sleep + The Teenage Prayers Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.

9 Incubus Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $25, $40.

9 The Itals BAM at MetroTech Commons. FREE

9 The Moody Blues Radio City Music Hall. $39.50, $49.50, $69.50, $89.50.

9 Lorenzo Owens + Black Velvet: James Brown Tribute South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

9 Slick Rick Marcus Garvey Park. FREE

10 Au Revoir Simone + Metronomy South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

10 Bollywood in Brooklyn: Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin + DJ Rekha’s Bollywood Disco Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.

10–12 Charlie Haden and Brad Mehldau Blue Note. $30, $45.

10 Tokyo Police Club Bowery Ballroom. $15.

11 African Festival with Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars + Sekouba Bambino + Stella Chiweshe + Shiko Mawatu Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. $3.

11 Celebrate New Orleans: Soul to Soul III with Galactic + Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians + Soul Rebel Brass Band Central Park SummerStage. FREE

11 Jonathan Kane’s February + Taiko Masala East River Park Amphitheater. FREE

11 Saw Doctors Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. $30.

12 Abdoulaye Diabate and Super Manden + Merita Halili and the Raif Hyseni Orchestra + Viento de Agua Josie Robertson Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

12 Ted Leo and the Pharmacists + The Thermals + Birds of Avalon McCarren Park Pool. FREE

12 Zap Mama + Angelique Kidjo + K’Naan Central Park SummerStage. FREE

13, 14 Badly Drawn Boy The Spiegeltent. $35.

13, 15, Justin Timberlake Aug 13:Continental Airlines Arena. $54–$151. Aug 15, 16: Madison Square Garden. $56–$155.50.

14 Def Leppard + Foreigner + Styx Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $26, $66, $96.

14 Jay Leonhardt and Wycliffe Gordon South Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

14 MC Shan Queensbridge Park. FREE

14 Raulin Highbridge Park. FREE

15 Black Sheep Mahoney Park. FREE

15 Disco Biscuits + Umphrey’s McGee McCarren Park Pool. Advance $35, day of show $40.

15, 16 Leela James Jackie Robinson Park. Aug 16: South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

15 Projekt Revolution with Linkin Park + My Chemical Romance + Taking Back Sunday + H.I.M. + Julien-K + Placebo Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $40–$76.

15 Keith Urban Continental Airlines Arena. $40, $50, $60.

16 Dwele Marcus Garvey Park. FREE

16 8 y Mas Robert F. Wagner Park. FREE

16–18 Archie Shepp Trio Iridium, $TBA.

17 Craig Harris South Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

17 The National + Takka Takka + The Forms South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

18, 22 Kelly Clarkson Aug 18: Nassau Coliseum. Aug 22: Continental Airlines Arena. $41, $66, $86.

18 The Dixie Hummingbirds + Sleepy LaBeef’s Country/Rockabilly Rip Roarin’ Jumping Jamboree Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

18 Charlie Gracie + Sid Selvidge + Rosemary Woods + The Fables + Tom Paxton South Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

18 In the Pocket: Music Lands on Governors Island with Si*Sé Governors Island. FREE

18 Velvet Revolver + Alice in Chains Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $TBA.

19 Ghostland Observatory McCarren Park Pool. FREE

19 Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder + The Andy Statman Trio Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

19 Rufus Wainwright Central Park SummerStage. $37.50

19 Wolf Parade Warsaw. $20.

20 Les Yeux Noirs + Mick Moloney and Friends Josie Robertson Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

20 Amina Claudine Myers Trio South Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

21 Allman Brothers Band + Bob Weir and RatDog Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $21, $46, $66.

21 José González The Spiegeltent. $35.

21 Toby Love Highbridge Park. FREE

21 Nile + Chthonic B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. Advance $22, day of show $25.

21 Pauline Oliveros/Deep Listening South Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

22 Henry Brant: Dormant Craters South Plaza (at Lincoln Center). FREE

22 Meat Loaf Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $25, $49.50, $69.50.

23 The Jimmy Bosch Band Robert F. Wagner Park. FREE

23 Chrisette Michelle + Abby Dobson South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

24 Camera Obscura South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

25 Dream Theater Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. $26, $50, $60.

25 Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Arabian Ensemble Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

26 The Mingus Big Band + Mingus Orchestra conducted by Gunther Schuller Damrosch Park Bandshell. FREE

28 Slightly Stoopid + G. Love and Special Sauce + Ozomatli Rumsey Playfield. $35.

28 Weimar NY: The Spiegel Sessions The Spiegeltent. $35.

29 O’Death The Spiegeltent. Advance $20, day of show $25.

30 Charansalsa Robert F. Wagner Park. FREE

30 Kenny Chesney Madison Square Garden. $51.50, $71.50, $91.50. Battles South Street Seaport, Pier 17. FREE

Also in this issue:

• Ticket masters: Trying to score seats to a sold-out show? Savvy concertgoers reveal eight proven strategies to get you in.
• Win our concert tickets: Want to see some of the hottest acts of the summer? One great photo is all you need.
  • Contest 1: the Police (Meet our winner.)
  • Contest 2: Lily Allen (Meet our winner.)
  • Contest 3: Rock the Bells (Meet our winner.)
  • Contest 4: Live Earth (Meet our winner.)
• Attack of the McVenue: This summer, you’ll find seven fresh clubs, many with connections to big corporations. Does this signal a golden age or Golden Arches for live music?
• Live from New York: The stage, the bathroom and everything in between: Our music staff grades seven of the summer’s newest spots for live music.
• Are new clubs a good thing?: We want to know how you feel.
• Boogie knights: Escort ditches the DJ, bringing back live disco (that’s a good thing, we promise).
• Download-worthy discs: These albums are dropping like it's hot—because it is!
• Summer concerts: June: Your comprehensive calendar to this month's music in New York
• Summer concerts: July: Your comprehensive calendar to this month's music in New York
• Summer concerts: August: Your comprehensive calendar to this month's music in New York
• Summer performers on YouTube: You've heard the songs, but how do these artists stack up live? We give you a taste of their performance mettle.
• Take it outside: Download a block-rocking map of this summer’s outdoor concert venues